Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion Paint stripping tip

Hey Jim, Fla. was nice. Too hot for me tho. 86 87 degs... Ok if you can stay out of sun tho. Saw just a few pumps in Classic car showrooms. None were 1st class restos..

Ward, The electrolysis process takes just hours, for some parts, but you can leave parts for as long as you want, ie: day, two, week.. You will truly be amazed at how well it works. Solution lasts almost forever. Just add water and/or washing soda as needed. It gets dirty on top, but just skim it off.. I will put a complete 'how to' as soon as I get caught up from trip.. Questions ??????

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Regards ....
Jerry J .....

I originally posted the information about electrolysis on 1-18-2003. While it is good at removing rust it DOES NOT REMOVE PAINT. The process relies on the interchange of ions between the cathode and the anode. If the metal is covered by paint the flow of electrons cannot take place. It may work if the paint is very, very loose and flaking off however if it were that loose you could remove it with a light wire brushing.

Tim is spot on, electrolsys will only remove rust, same goes for soaking in molasis solution. In fact these work best for rust removal if all paint is removed first. One note of caution on the choice of anode for electrolsys though. It's best to use plain old steel as stainless contains cromium which when disloved in the electrolsys solution is very toxic. I do up pumps & stationary engines and when it comes to paint, I find the old sandblaster the best for cast iron and steel. Wire wheel for the softer non ferrouls metals such as brass, and chemical stripper for plaited items.
Keep up the good work fellas.
Cheers,
Greg.