Using a computer power supply for electrolysis

[SarahFair]

I just built an E tank for stripping cast iron and was having trouble finding a battery charger that is truely manual.
My BIL has an old one he's letting me use, but that's temporary.

I was watching a guy on youtube that had burned through a few battery chargers so a friend of his customized a computer power source instead of a battery charger. The guy has no idea how his friend did it and offers up no more information on it.

I'm thinking it can't be too complicated, but I'm not sure what specs to look for in an adequate power supply.

Any ideas?

 

[notnksnemor]

I don't think a PC power supply has power (amps) of a battery charger. That could be the modifications he made to get one to work.

Harbor Freight has manual 12V chargers pretty reasonable.

 

[SarahFair]

I don't think a PC power supply has power (amps) of a battery charger. That could be the modifications he made to get one to work.

Harbor Freight has manual 12V chargers pretty reasonable.

I tried 2 from harbor freight.
Neither worked, I even made the SO look at both of them

 

[jaybirdius]

We use a cheap roll around truck charger. I made a circle out of rebar and welded 8 legs to the ring just smaller than the diameter of a plastic 55 gallon drum. We cut the drum about 18' from the bottom to make a tub. It works great.

 

[notnksnemor]

I tried 2 from harbor freight.
Neither worked, I even made the SO look at both of them

You may want to look at your set up.
Tank size
Water level
Mainly distance between the sacrificial plate and the item being cleaned.

Edit to elaborate.
Are the new chargers "tripping" off or just burning up?
All chargers will have internal protection.
If the distance between your sacrificial plate and item to be cleaned is too far for the power of the charger it will not function.
On the same token if that distance is too small, the charger circuitry can interpret it as a short.

 

[SarahFair]

You may want to look at your set up.
Tank size
Water level
Mainly distance between the sacrificial plate and the item being cleaned.

I'll look it all over again, but I could never get either charger to "turn on", there wasnt even anything when the positive and negative clamps were clacked together. No humming, no lights, nothing, tried several different outlets

My BIL bought the same unit from harbor freight 6+ months ago, I went and looked at his, it would actually run power through it and sparked when the positive and negative clamps were touched together.

There should be something if the charger is plugged in and the clamps are clacked together, right?

 

[notnksnemor]

I'll look it all over again, but I could never get either charger to "turn on", there wasnt even anything when the positive and negative clamps were clacked together. No humming, no lights, nothing, tried several different outlets

My BIL bought the same unit from harbor freight 6+ months ago, I went and looked at his, it would actually run power through it and sparked when the positive and negative clamps were touched together.

There should be something if the charger is plugged in and the clamps are clacked together, right?

Sounds like a defective charger.

 

[Batjack]

I'll look it all over again, but I could never get either charger to "turn on", there wasnt even anything when the positive and negative clamps were clacked together. No humming, no lights, nothing, tried several different outlets

My BIL bought the same unit from harbor freight 6+ months ago, I went and looked at his, it would actually run power through it and sparked when the positive and negative clamps were touched together.

There should be something if the charger is plugged in and the clamps are clacked together, right?

Are you set up in your garage? If so, all of the outlets should be on a GFI breaker or in a chain from one GFI outlet along with the outside outlets. Try plugging in a drop light.. if it doesn't work look for a GFI outlet and reset it.

 

[SarahFair]

Sounds like a defective charger.

That's what I was thinking, and 2 in a row?
I'm good on HF chargers..

Are you set up in your garage? If so, all of the outlets should be on a GFI breaker or in a chain from one GFI outlet along with the outside outlets. Try plugging in a drop light.. if it doesn't work look for a GFI outlet and reset it.

Outlets are working, I currently have a charger and fan running off it now.
I reset the gfi outlet several times before I took the HF chargers to different outlets (on different breakers) to check and still nothing.

 

[notnksnemor]

That's what I was thinking, and 2 in a row?

It happens more often than you would think.
People return items, they pretty up the box and put it back on the shelf.

 

[trial&error]

Most new chargers have some sort of sensing ckts to check for polarity. I have one that will not do anything with a completely dead battery. Hook a battery in parallel or give it a small charge with another charger and it works great. You probably need an analog charger with just a gauge to do this..

 

[BriarPatch99]

Don't know about amperage...
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[Baroque Brass]

How much current is needed for what you’re doing? I’m not familiar with the process.

 

[Baroque Brass]

Seems to me a benchtop DC power supply used for electronic testing and projects would be ideal. The voltage and current are variable and the better ones can supply a good bit of current.

 

[Hoss]

Useful article. Looks like it can take a fair amount of current.

Using Electricity to Remove Rust

www.secondchancegarage.com

 

[Baroque Brass]

A fully charged automotive type battery can supply A LOT of current at 12v.

After reading the article, if I wanted to do this I’d just get a benchtop power supply that was capable of ten or so amps. Voltage and current can be varied to optimize the whole process, depending on conductivity of the electrolyte solution. For those of us with hard water, the detergent may be hard to dissolve so purified or distilled water may help. Can salt be used as the electrolyte?

I hope I’m being helpful, I’ve never actually done this but I do have a pretty good understanding of voltage and current.

 

[SarahFair]

A fully charged automotive type battery can supply A LOT of current at 12v.

After reading the article, if I wanted to do this I’d just get a benchtop power supply that was capable of ten or so amps. Voltage and current can be varied to optimize the whole process, depending on conductivity of the electrolyte solution. For those of us with hard water, the detergent may be hard to dissolve so purified or distilled water may help. Can salt be used as the electrolyte?

I hope I’m being helpful, I’ve never actually done this but I do have a pretty good understanding of voltage and current.

I dont think you can use salt because it causes some sort of chlorine gas, but I've also heard of people using it.

I didnt get an A (or B) chemistry so I'm not too affluent in the subject, but my lungs are already on the mend from some sort of chemical or dust irritation, so Im going to err on the side of caution.

What I've read is you want to use sodium carbonate, which is found in Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda, but just going off what I was reading and watching, others said you could use Borax as an alternative (yet, I never saw anyone using it come to think of it)

I couldn't find the Super Washing Soda in stores, so I opted for borax and I'm not having great results. It's taking days and its getting the crud off, but not removing all the rust, even after scrubbing with steel wool.

Now I'm reading that Borax has sodium borate, not sodium carbonate, and that sodium borate will work, but not to the same degree as sodium carbonate.

I guess I'm going to be looking into a benchtop supply and ordering some Super Washing Soda off Amazon.

Do benchtop power supplies have automatic shutoffs?

 

[jaybirdius]

We use the washing soda and it works great on seized turbochargers. We set the battery charger on high let it work. Sometimes they have 10-12 hours in the set up. Doesn't work fast but it sure does the trick. I monitor how well it's bubbling to get an idea if it needs more power or if the solution is too weak. Do it outside, I believe the gas it's producing is flammable in high enough concentrations.

 

[jaybirdius]

Google " rust removal using electrolysis @ antique-engines.com" That's the directions we use.

 

[Baroque Brass]

I dont think you can use salt because it causes some sort of chlorine gas, but I've also heard of people using it.

I didnt get an A (or B) chemistry so I'm not too affluent in the subject, but my lungs are already on the mend from some sort of chemical or dust irritation, so Im going to err on the side of caution.

What I've read is you want to use sodium carbonate, which is found in Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda, but just going off what I was reading and watching, others said you could use Borax as an alternative (yet, I never saw anyone using it come to think of it)

I couldn't find the Super Washing Soda in stores, so I opted for borax and I'm not having great results. It's taking days and its getting the crud off, but not removing all the rust, even after scrubbing with steel wool.

Now I'm reading that Borax has sodium borate, not sodium carbonate, and that sodium borate will work, but not to the same degree as sodium carbonate.

I guess I'm going to be looking into a benchtop supply and ordering some Super Washing Soda off Amazon.

Do benchtop power supplies have automatic shutoffs?

Never seen one with auto shutoff unless maybe it’s overloaded. You could put a timer on it.