Very rusted chains.
- Thread starter jbgorecom
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Northern, ILL ----Rockford
About 10 miles south of Wisconsin border.
jbgorecom
There was a good deal on a Homelite 1050 up your way a few weeks back. I missed it by a day or so.
Bill
stinkbait
Addicted to ArboristSite
You should do a search on electrolysis.
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I have been doing this quite a bit lately with a used battery charger from a garage sale. Lots of info and detail available on the Internet ('Electrolytic Rust Removal').
A few key points:
The black/negative, ‘cathode’ clamp goes on the part where you want to ‘lose' rust (-)
The red/positive, ‘anode’ goes on the sacrificial part that you want to draw/'add' the rust to (+)
I use an additional, ‘sacrificial clamp’ (spring clamp on a short piece of wire) on the anode side to keep my good, battery charger clamp out of the solution, or it WILL also get destroyed.
THIS USES LIVE ELECTRICAL CURRENT IN AN OPEN WATER BATH!!!! Hook everything up BEFORE you plug things in, and resist all temptation to move or adjust the parts until you UNPLUG FIRST. Keep kids, spouses, dogs, etc. away from this while it is running.
Philbert
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I use "Enviorust" and it does great at removing the rust. THen, I would go the diesel route.
Since the battery charger puts out DC current to your anode and cathode, where is the shock risk?
Battery chargers are similar to rectifiers used in plating in that they convert AC to DC current.
Its not the same concept as throwing a running hair dryer into a bathtub with someone in it.
You can adjust parts all you want in a cleaning/plating bath and not get shocked. You could even put your hand in the chemistry while the parts are live and not get shocked (possibly chemical burned yes, but shocked no).
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Seriously?
You have live current (2, 6, 10, 50 . . . . amps, depending upon your battery charger). Touching both clamps, especially with wet hands, places you in the circuit with the pathway directly through your heart. Touching one clamp while grounded (damp floor, other hand resting on grounded pipe, etc.) also places you in the circuit.
A GFCI may protect you in the second case, as it senses leakage to ground, but will not in the first case, as it simply 'assumes' you you are just one big ___ resistor in the circuit.
Philbert
What I am saying is DC current is less dangerous than AC current. The current at the anode and cathode is DC. You can touch the clamped part you are trying to clean and not get electrocuted.
Also in any case battery chargers are not intended to supply low-voltage power for applications other than battery charging but I guess you knew that too.
I am not going to get in a peeing match with you here but I belive you are mistaken. If you think there is no danger in using DC current then I have to disagree. What kills you is amperage. The battery charger can produce anywhere from 2 amps to 200amps. It takes only a fraction of an amp to kill you.
The reason you can you safely touch it while it is producing this high amperage is because it is delivering the amperage at a low voltage. In general it takes about 60 volts to penetrate the human skin. The battery charger is not producing that high voltage. Now what causes problems is when something reduces the body's resistance to voltage. The common thing that does this is water.
There is danger in electrical shock allbeit low when proper safety practices are used.
Bill
stihlboy
Guess who's back
bill it takes .5 milliamps shorted directly across the heart to kill you....learned that in welding class
Personally, if those chains have been outside for 2 years and rusted solid, I don't think it's worth the risk to life and limb to save a few dollars. You will never be able to tell what condition the pins are in and if it flies apart at the worst time it has the capability to cost a bunch more dollars than you save. Even a broke clutch cover is way more money than a chain not to mention a trip to the ER. Just my $.02
Ol' Brian
ArboristSite Guru
stihlboy
Guess who's back
no but they had a few learn it the hard way.
Insert your forearm into an active electrolysis tank in between the anode & the cathode. You can also simuoltaniously lick both terminals of a 9 volt transistor radio battery
I have to be different here and cast my vote for Evapo Rust. First I degrease the bar & chain with purple cleaner and a brush. Then I take a brand new bar cover and use it as a soaking tank by standing it up on the closed end. Stick the bar and/or the chain in and pour in enough Evapo Rust to cover them. Just be sure to secure the bar cover so that it does not tip over on you.
I have heard of Naval Jelly, but not Evapo Rust.
OK - here it is: http://www.evapo-rust.com/
I am going to try some.
Philbert
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SawTroll
Information Collector
Add one more vote for the diesel fuel
The only problem is that diesel smells really bad......
opcorn:opcorn:I'd start with WD40, and go from there - BAN DIESEL!
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blackoak
Addicted to ArboristSite
Take them to Thall's shop and let him derust and sharpen them for you while you wait. :hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange: And tell him you need it done fast.
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