If you look at my recent posts, I was trying to find a way to remove rust from my shotgun condenser, which really drove me crazy trying to clean it with the green part of scotch brite, and I removed it to a slight degree but a few days later it still showed the same process, I cannot remember how many times I spent time to clean it but with no luck, then while I was reading to how to overcome this problem, I find out something called " Electropolishing " which technically reverse of plating, so when you electropolish you remove a thin layer in microns from the part that you are applying electropolishing how it is done is the part is submerged into a nitric acid bath and passed current to remove a thin layer, basically this is how it is done, I have electropolished my parrot and shotgun condenser for almost 5 $ here in Turkey, I do not know how much it will cost abroad, but it is not an expensive process, and I am really happy with the end result I am also going to passivate it again after I clean it with an alkali cleaner. I wanted to share this info thinking that someone coıld benefit from this information if he or she challenges rust.
Here is the picture
Here is some information about " Electropolishing "
I’ve used electrolysis on steel and iron tools and it’s a great technique! Do your research before you do it at home, of course, and especially with stainless steel. I’ve read that it can give off poisonous gas or deposit poison in your electrolyte.
TwoSheds wrote: ↑Sat Nov 06, 2021 6:05 am
I’ve used electrolysis on steel and iron tools and it’s a great technique! Do your research before you do it at home, of course, and especially with stainless steel. I’ve read that it can give off poisonous gas or deposit poison in your electrolyte.
Hi,
Thank you, but as I mentioned before, I had the electropolishing done by a shop that does this job. It is really dangerous to practice it at home with nitric acid stuff, can I ask you what did you mention by saying " I’ve read that it can give off poisonous gas or deposit poison in your electrolyte " do you mean after the procedure is done, it could still deposit poison, I do not think so if that's what you are saying, the reason being it is just a procedure to remove only a very thin micron layer from the part that is being electropolished.
In your photo all I see is the grainy deposit inside the tubes. Is that what you are trying to remove?
If the substance you are trying to remove reoccurs during distillation consider that there is an impurity in the SS condenser or elsewhere in your system. Using electrolysis to remove build up won’t prevent its reoccurrence.
Ensure you don’t inadvertently have electrolysis occurring during distillation. Bimetallic reaction or a small electrical leak may possibly do this.
Nickel also makes a green/ blue deposit during electrolysis. Nickel is used to make SS.
"What harms us is to persist in self deceit and ignorance"
Marcus Aurelius
I’m not an alcoholic! I’m a drunk. Alcoholics go to meetings!
Dancing4dan wrote: ↑Sat Nov 06, 2021 7:45 am
In your photo all I see is the grainy deposit inside the tubes. Is that what you are trying to remove?
If the substance you are trying to remove reoccurs during distillation consider that there is an impurity in the SS condenser or elsewhere in your system. Using electrolysis to remove build up won’t prevent its reoccurrence.
Ensure you don’t inadvertently have electrolysis occurring during distillation. Bimetallic reaction or a small electrical leak may possibly do this.
Nickel also makes a green/ blue deposit during electrolysis. Nickel is used to make SS.
I am malcontent or uncomfortable with the term “electropolishing”. I prefer the terms “reverse electrolysis”, anodizing or passivation. (I understand how someone else might use these terms in conjunction with the metals aluminum, magnesium, titanium and zinc – in order to reserve “electropolishing” for just stainless steel or chrome).
Neither do I understand, how removing metal from the surface is going to help the bleed-through of rust in the future. It would seem to me that the electrophoretic deposition (electroplating) of new layers of stainless steel or chrome, would better prevent future rust.
TwoSheds wrote: ↑Sat Nov 06, 2021 6:05 am
I’ve used electrolysis on steel and iron tools and it’s a great technique! Do your research before you do it at home, of course, and especially with stainless steel. I’ve read that it can give off poisonous gas or deposit poison in your electrolyte.
Hi,
Thank you, but as I mentioned before, I had the electropolishing done by a shop that does this job. It is really dangerous to practice it at home with nitric acid stuff, can I ask you what did you mention by saying " I’ve read that it can give off poisonous gas or deposit poison in your electrolyte " do you mean after the procedure is done, it could still deposit poison, I do not think so if that's what you are saying, the reason being it is just a procedure to remove only a very thin micron layer from the part that is being electropolished.
The method I’ve used in the past is achievable at home with a car battery charger and a water bath with washing soda or baking soda. The water bath is your electrolyte. There are lots of tutorials out there and it’s safe for removing rust from iron and steel (but not stainless), you only need to make sure you vent the oxygen coming off the process but for small objects like hand tools it isn’t much.
My limited understanding is that the chromium in stainless and other elements in galvanized metal can create poisonous gasses or make the liquid potentially hazardous.
Having a shop do it is even better! Sounds like a more advanced method than the car charger one I use. I’m often surprised how cheap it can be to have small jobs like this done at the right shop. Finding the right shop is usually the hard part.
TwoSheds wrote: ↑Sun Nov 07, 2021 7:45 am
I’m often surprised how cheap it can be to have small jobs like this done at the right shop. Finding the right shop is usually the hard part.
That's the whole point. If a shop knows how to do any type of electroplating then they probably preform or know how to preform several other types of electroplating too. (Hexavalent chrome plating being the most challenging).
Somewhere around 1926 it was either Ford or Chevrolet, that first started chroming car parts. (Previously a less bright, nickel plating had been used on small car parts like knobs and door handles). In the U.S. the EPA really clamped down in the hex-chrome business over 40 years ago. If you can find someone that knows how to do it, the process might not be prohibitively expensive; but the problem will be, to find a company that is willing and equipped to do it.
“In a hexavalent chromium bath carcinogenic sodium chromate (Na2CrO4) or dichromate (NaCr2O7) are suspended in hot sulfuric acid to make the dangerous electrolyte called chromium trioxide (or chromic anhydride). Listed as a “priority pollutant” by 1977 in the U.S., every drop of this chromic acid is accounted for and tracked. Automobile manufacturers in the EU stopped using “hex-chrome” in 2006.
The name “hexavalent” refers to the chromium molecule being in its +6 oxidization state. Likewise the name trivalent reflects the valence of chromium. “Tri-chrome” or trivalent chromium plating is a newer, alternative chromium plating technique. Tri-chrome uses a far less toxic electrolytic bath and sophisticated anodes but the process is even more complicated and the finish sometimes inferior to Hex-chrome.”
“First, you need an acid. Bar Keeper’s Friend is an oxalic acid cleaner that’s great for stainless steel. The acid reacts with the metal to form the protective layer inside the brew kettle. Simply sprinkle the Barkeeper’s Friend into the kettle with just enough water to make a thin paste. Spread it around the kettle with a washcloth. After several minutes, rinse the brew kettle very well, and wipe dry with a towel. If the towel comes out clean, you’re in good shape. Allow the new brew kettle to air dry for a few days. The combination of the acid treatment and the air will continue to passivate the kettle.”
- https://www.barkeepersfriend.com/cleani ... -supplies/
Oxalic acid is also used in a lot of deck wash/wood cleaners, and is the go to chemical to remove the black stains that ferrous metals leave on wood. Leather workers also use it for evening out or stripping colour on certain leathers... Wear gloves it is nasty in the concentrations that are effective.
I recently got one that looked similar. A stainless bolt with a chunk of stainless steel scrubbie wrapped around it and some undiluted Star San, chucked in the drill, made quick work of it. Tough to tell if the inside needs work; not sure there's anything that can be done for that anyway.
It's been almost a year when I took my shotgun condenser to the electropolishing shop, I must say that it really worked I am quite happy with the result, but still there are some spots very minuscule that still get rusted, but I occasionally clean it with citric acid, starsan but whatever I do it does not work ?also there is a small part on the top surface, I have bar keepers friend but I have never used it, I also have a shotgun cleaning pad, but wondering after several cleaning cycles, why the same spots are reoccurring with rust should I use a more abrasive technique what can I do ?
