Brought her home...

Webbie1 wrote: You prefer this to the metal rescue method? I'm going to try the metal rescue first....can always do electrolysis afterwards, too.

Thanks,

Warner

We've done both. It's pretty much a tossup as far as we're concerned. We've been doing electrolysis for so long maybe we're sorta stuck in our ways.

The layer of black oxide that electrolysis leaves behind seems to resist re-rusting better than the surface that remains after using Metal Rescue. The solution left over from electrolysis is also completely benign, and can be discarded outdoors, even on a garden without environmental damage.

And, slmjim is just a gadget freak. Think "Mad Scientist", laughing & wringing his hands over a bubbling & frothing tank of washing soda electrolyte as he plays with different current adjustments on the parts being cleaned :evil: . :dry:

Good Ridin'
slmjim & Z1BEBE

slmjim+Z1BEBE wrote:

Webbie1 wrote: You prefer this to the metal rescue method? I'm going to try the metal rescue first....can always do electrolysis afterwards, too.

Thanks,

Warner

We've done both. It's pretty much a tossup as far as we're concerned. We've been doing electrolysis for so long maybe we're sorta stuck in our ways.

The layer of black oxide that electrolysis leaves behind seems to resist re-rusting better than the surface that remains after using Metal Rescue. The solution left over from electrolysis is also completely benign, and can be discarded outdoors, even on a garden without environmental damage.

And, slmjim is just a gadget freak. Think "Mad Scientist", laughing & wringing his hands over a bubbling & frothing tank of washing soda electrolyte as he plays with different current adjustments on the parts being cleaned :evil: . :dry:

Good Ridin'
slmjim & Z1BEBE

Hahaha......me too! I'm going to try my rotisserie and metal rescue, since I bought the darn rotisserie just for this project. Is it work it to put bb's or anything else in the tank, or not really any difference?

Thanks again,

Warner

I've also done the electrolysis thing quite a few times. I hooked up the polarity backwards once, and turned the parts I was trying to save into the sacrificial metal which was never again to be the same. :whistle:

It works on the same principals that electroplating does by transferring the oxidation to a different surface, or is it >into< a different surface. It is such a PITA IMHO, that after I discovered how well the metal rescue worked, and is also environmental friendly that I have not done it since.

All it takes is some sodium carbonate powder from a pool supply store (some use borax) to make the solution conductive. The part is the anode and the sacrificial metal is the cathode. Do not mix these up or you will ruin the part.

I have read that it hardens the metal while making it brittle and produces hydrogen gas. Soooo.. .

I also read somewhere that it is not so friendly to the environment as thought, and to be careful with the byproducts.

Actually I read an article once were someone had made a big "tank" and submerged a rusty trailer using a welder for the DC power source and a bunch of rebar cathodes spread all over the place. Quite the example of "rigging" something up. lol

I haven't done it for years.

Webbie1 wrote: I'm thinking that tank rust is pretty superficial. I think most or all of it will polish off pretty easily. I'm wondering if just touching the tank up would be enough, or do you think a full strip/paint is what's really needed?

Thanks,

Warner

No a complete stripping is not necessary. Of course not. I thought the bike looked great until you posted the pics of the surface rust on the tank. My tank had a little bit of that too, and I hit it with some of that rust converter stuff to seal it before painting. The inside is the important part, to make sure you have perfectly clean fuel in a bare metal tank with no liner to dissolve and plug up your carbs. I had constant flooding and carb problems until I removed that garbage liner crap. I rode my bike for years with the rattle can paint job, in-between cleaning the carbs often. .

old_kaw wrote:

Webbie1 wrote: I'm thinking that tank rust is pretty superficial. I think most or all of it will polish off pretty easily. I'm wondering if just touching the tank up would be enough, or do you think a full strip/paint is what's really needed?

Thanks,

Warner

No a complete stripping is not necessary. Of course not. I thought the bike looked great until you posted the pics of the surface rust on the tank. My tank had a little bit of that too, and I hit it with some of that rust converter stuff to seal it before painting. The inside is the important part, to make sure you have perfectly clean fuel in a bare metal tank with no liner to dissolve and plug up your carbs. I had constant flooding and carb problems until I removed that garbage liner crap. I rode my bike for years with the rattle can paint job, in-between cleaning the carbs often. .

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No liner in this tank, as seen in the previous photos that I posted after the pressure washing. I blasted the Hell out of it with the pressure washer, getting every angle and direction I could with the wand. And like I said, when I first opened the cap, there was a pretty significant vacuum sound, so I know it's not compromised at all. I think the metal rescue will whip it back into very good shape. I think some 0000 steel wool and some polish will get rid of most of all of that surface rust on the tank. It was way worse before I spent a minute (literally) with dawn and a scrubby sponge.

Warner