View Full Version : Restoration Progress On My 1955 Greenie
tom_k/mo
02-23-2009, 10:47 AM
Bob, thanks for the link. Always learning something new...
dicksterp
02-23-2009, 11:46 AM
A lot of guys over on http://www.owwm.org/ use this method to restore old iron. There they call it spooging. http://www.yankeetoys.org/lee/electrolysis.htm has a nice write up and lots of photos on it. You can just leave the solution in the container and cover it until the next time you feel the urge to remove rust.
mickyd
02-23-2009, 11:47 AM
Mike, very interesting. Looking forward to your "After" photos of the caster assys. Can you expound a little on the electrolysis process? You mentioned Washing Soda, is that TSP or something else? Any other details would be appreciated.
Chemically, washing soda (sodium carbonate) is identical to baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) except wahing soda has an extra H20 molocule and an exta CO2 (carbon dioxide) molocule. This is why you can easily make your own washing soda by taking regular baking soda and cooking it at 300 dgree F for an hour. The baking soda will release the water and carbon dioxide molocule into the air and your left with washing soda.
Washing soda was impossible to find here in San Diego so I make my own with baking soda and my oven.
mickyd
02-23-2009, 12:21 PM
A lot of guys over on http://www.owwm.org/ use this method to restore old iron. There they call it spooging. http://www.yankeetoys.org/lee/electrolysis.htm has a nice write up and lots of photos on it. You can just leave the solution in the container and cover it until the next time you feel the urge to remove rust.
Good link you provided to yankeetoys. I haven't seen that one before. You'll notice on thier page, about 3/4 of the way down, that they show a large solution filled vessel for cleaning an entire lathe bed. This is the identical process I am using to derust my bench tubes. See it at, the fifth message down:
http://www.shopsmith.net/forums/showthread.htm?t=3072
If all going well, I should be firing up the process tonight after work. If your lights dim at about 7:00 PST, you'll know why!! I am even going to try using 2 chargers just to see what it does. Hope it doesn't vaporize the tubes.
mickyd
03-01-2009, 08:01 PM
Completed the electrolysis on my bench tubes. Came out pretty good with no effort. Still have to polish them.
Update 6-14-09 Try to set up the tank so that it is off the ground like in this post (http://www.shopsmith.net/forums/showpost.htm?p=41033&postcount=70)so that you can siphon the liquid out. I had to use a pitcher here since the tank was on the basement floor.
In the container
3404
Filled with "the broth"
3405
After one hour. Notice the foam.
3408
Out of the bath and rinsed off. Check out all the junk that is on the sacrificial sheet metal that pulls the rust off. Update 3-29-09 The cleaned up version can be seen later in this post (http://www.shopsmith.net/forums/showpost.htm?p=33298&postcount=25).
Gotta run. Wife beckons. Going out to eat.
3407
mickyd
03-01-2009, 08:04 PM
Almost forgot......got the motor cover painted also. Hammered Silver. Pleased with the result. Learned a lot about getting the texture to come out right. I'll go into details later.
3409
a1gutterman
03-01-2009, 08:13 PM
Almost forgot......got the motor cover painted also. Hammered Silver. Pleased with the result. Learned a lot about getting the texture to come out right. I'll go into details later.
3409Nice looking finish!!!
a1gutterman
03-01-2009, 08:16 PM
Completed the electrolysis on my bench tubes. Came out pretty good with no effort. Still have to polish them.
In the container
3404
Filled with "the broth"
3405
After one hour. Notice the foam.
3408
Out of the bath and rinsed off. Check out all the junk that is on the sacrificial sheet metal that pulls the rust off.
Gotta run. Wife beckons. Going out to eat.
3407 Looks good so far. How do you drain the liquid out of your box?