d9canada
Just keep pluggin' every day and it'll get done!
I use electrolysis to clean tanks but I've also come up with a cool tank tumbler idea recently.
Electrolysis works great to clean rusted steel, even bubbled rust is turned to flat black areas. Mix 1 cup of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda with 5 gallons of water. You can either fill a fuel tank or immerse it if you have a big enough container. You can put small parts together in a metal can inside a container of solution. If doing a tank with solution inside, make coat hanger electrodes in 1 gallon plastic oil jug caps or similar as shown. You can also see an electrode sitting on the tank in the electrolysis picture. It demonstrates the orientation of the electrode inside the tank. If immersing a part in a container, clamp a piece of scrap steel to the inside of the immersion container. Immersion is best even for fuel tanks because with the overflow you cannot clean the very top part by filling the tank. If I fill the tank, I sand what I can of the top.
VERY IMPORTANT Positive to the electrode, negative to the work. Reverse them and you wreck stuff.
With fuel tanks, clean the electrodes every 4-6 hours. As shown, the electrodes can get pretty nasty looking.
I was looking for a container big enough to immerse a large tank (CB900C shown) and tried a garbage pail, but no go. It is too small and has drain holes. BUT I realized it would be great as tumbler. Wrap your tank with bubble wrap and tie it in with a cord between the handles! Use a bit of motor oil and a handful of drywall screws to clean. Use washing soda first then again with lacquer thinner to clean prior to coating. And of course this rig will work well to distribute epoxy or other coatings, just remember to remove the petcock and internal fuel screen first!
Electrolysis works great to clean rusted steel, even bubbled rust is turned to flat black areas. Mix 1 cup of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda with 5 gallons of water. You can either fill a fuel tank or immerse it if you have a big enough container. You can put small parts together in a metal can inside a container of solution. If doing a tank with solution inside, make coat hanger electrodes in 1 gallon plastic oil jug caps or similar as shown. You can also see an electrode sitting on the tank in the electrolysis picture. It demonstrates the orientation of the electrode inside the tank. If immersing a part in a container, clamp a piece of scrap steel to the inside of the immersion container. Immersion is best even for fuel tanks because with the overflow you cannot clean the very top part by filling the tank. If I fill the tank, I sand what I can of the top.
VERY IMPORTANT Positive to the electrode, negative to the work. Reverse them and you wreck stuff.
With fuel tanks, clean the electrodes every 4-6 hours. As shown, the electrodes can get pretty nasty looking.
I was looking for a container big enough to immerse a large tank (CB900C shown) and tried a garbage pail, but no go. It is too small and has drain holes. BUT I realized it would be great as tumbler. Wrap your tank with bubble wrap and tie it in with a cord between the handles! Use a bit of motor oil and a handful of drywall screws to clean. Use washing soda first then again with lacquer thinner to clean prior to coating. And of course this rig will work well to distribute epoxy or other coatings, just remember to remove the petcock and internal fuel screen first!
