I have a ton of nuts, bolts, washers, etc that are rusty,, dirty/greasy, rusty/greasy. Thinking I can soak em in the parts cleaner basket to get the grime off, then use electrolysis to "de-rust" them. Questions: has anyone used a metal parts basket as an cathode and dropped all the small parts in? does it work? is that black coating left after electrolysis "corrosion proof" ??
Maybe if you take the basket out every couple of hours, and give the stuff a shake, to get the crud off and make new electrical contact points, it may be OK. . The black crud along with any leftover stuff will act as an insulator and will stop the process from working if it is left to build up. I usually grab some thin copper wire, (not enameled of course), and make a string of bolts, nuts, etc , twisting the wire tightly around each bit to make good contact. When done, the black stuff has to be brushed and washed off, dried, then hit them with a spray of WD 40, CRc, etc.
As long as there is an electrical connection from the bolt to the electrolyte. The connection is usually not the best, and you need to agitate the bolts occasionally so nothing is electrically "shadowed", but yes, it works. Personally, I prefer vinegar or evap-orust, and a final "scrub" in an ultrasonic cleaner full of Purple Power or Simple Green. Doc.
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