47-55.1 Electrolysis

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You can always put some electrodes suspended inside the door. I use mostly rebar but we throw tons of it away.

I've used a lot of rebar also. It works well. Try not to submerge copper wire into the solution. The copper will migrate through the solution to the parts you're trying to clean. Sometimes this can cause unwanted results. It can also cause crystals to form in the solution. Springs in spring clamps can dissolve pretty quickly. Plated spring clamps become unplated as the zinc or tin or copper plating migrates to the parts you're cleaning.


It really helps to think of straight lines between the area you want to clean and the steel you're using as an anode. I use steel wire and hangers positioned in or near areas that I want to clean. I will raise the part or lower the solution in order to limit the amount of wire exposed to solution. By preventing alternate paths for electricity you can force more current through areas that are tougher to clean.

BTW, this same process used in reverse will de-chrome or un-plate parts. For example, if you have an old rusty hubcap with a few bits of chrome or nickel plate showing, fill a container with electrolyte, connect the negative wire to the hubcap and the positive to a steel rod, then turn on your power supply. It doesn't usually take long for the plating to disappear or fall off.

My experience with electrolysis began when I found a crate of Copper Sulfate crystals as a young kid. I would electroplate nickels, dimes, and quarters with copper then spend them around town.