Using electrolysis to remove rust from old locomotive headlamp?

I was going to append a post to ECM's hibachi thread, but figured I'd start a new one. For those looking for hibachi's, I am providing a convenient link:

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/off-topic-discussion/share-with-me-your-knowledge-of-electrolysis-for-r/86931/page3/

My neighbor recently acquired a locomotive headlamp, and knowing of my (and my son's) interest in trains, he generously gave it to me. Looks more or less like this one:

I have painstakingly disassembled it, screw by rusty screw. The front glass is perfect, the reflector is cracked a bit, and the steel sheet metal body of the thing is very rusty. My goal is to de-rust it, paint it in it's present "color scheme" and mount it on the wall in our "train room" with a working light bulb in it of course.

I aim to use electrolysis to remove the rust. My questions: Will areas that are currently painted withstand the chemical action of the electrolysis intact? Or will the paint be removed also? And most important: There is an embossed and painted metal label on the body of the lamp that identifies it (Golden Glow Locomotive Headlamp) and the manufacturer (ESSCo.) Will subjecting this label to electrolysis damage it? Do I need to remove it first? It is riveted to the lamp body.

Thanks for replies! I'll have to take some pics and post them up.

Electrolysis won't damage anything. The process depends upon a direct line of sight between the subject metal and the sacrificial metal. As such, painted surfaces shouldn't be affected, beyond the possibility of staining from the electrolyte solution, which will become immediately nasty once you plug in the battery charger.

I've run into an unexpected challenge. Can't find Arm & Hammer Washing Soda for sale anywhere. So far have tried Lowe's, Food Lion, Target, and Dollar General. Nobody stocks it. I may have to substitute baking soda.

1988RedT2 wrote: I've run into an unexpected challenge. Can't find Arm & Hammer Washing Soda for sale anywhere. So far have tried Lowe's, Food Lion, Target, and Dollar General. Nobody stocks it. I may have to substitute baking soda.

http://www.amazon.com/Church-03020-Arm-Hammer-Washing/dp/B0029XNTEU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412344997&sr=8-1&keywords=washing+soda

In reply to Fueled by Caffeine:

But I want it TODAY!!!

I use 20 Mule Team Borax when I do it and it works great.

I found washing soda at my harris teeter, but not with the detergents, it was with the laundry boosters like oxy clean. I would remove the label before placing in the tank.

Don't forget to take before pics!

Here's another option that may work for what you are trying to do:

http://www.evaporust.com/

and yes---- they advertise in GRM / CMS. The stuff works too--- they had a display at last year's Mitty where they were cleaning-- de-rusting parts for folks.

1988RedT2 wrote: I've run into an unexpected challenge. Can't find Arm & Hammer Washing Soda for sale anywhere. So far have tried Lowe's, Food Lion, Target, and Dollar General. Nobody stocks it. I may have to substitute baking soda. I've use baking soda to good effect. If anything on the lights chrome plated, beware, you can free up some of that nasty hexavalent chrome or whatever it is using electrolysis.

In reply to M2Pilot:

No chrome, no stainless. And yes, I have read about the hexavalent chrome thing.

Filling the vat now. Gotta go take pics!

I thought you can take some regular baking soda and cook it in the over for 10min and it turns it into washsoda. I did electrolysis on a small engine fuel tank, worked well. Good luck and have fun, oh and don't take a match to the electrolysis foam, don't ask.

1988RedT2 wrote: There is an embossed and painted metal label on the body of the lamp that identifies it (Golden Glow Locomotive Headlamp) and the manufacturer (ESSCo.) Will subjecting this label to electrolysis damage it? Do I need to remove it first? It is riveted to the lamp body. Thanks for replies! I'll have to take some pics and post them up.

What is the Metal and what are the rivets made of?

NOHOME wrote:

1988RedT2 wrote: There is an embossed and painted metal label on the body of the lamp that identifies it (Golden Glow Locomotive Headlamp) and the manufacturer (ESSCo.) Will subjecting this label to electrolysis damage it? Do I need to remove it first? It is riveted to the lamp body. Thanks for replies! I'll have to take some pics and post them up.

What is the Metal and what are the rivets made of?

Upon closer inspection, it appears the "rivets" are actually a round-headed (looks like brass) nail-like thingie which goes through a hole in the housing and is then bent over to hold the label. Looks old, but might not even be the original. At any rate, will be easy to remove before I dunk the housing. The nameplate itself appears to be made of aluminum.

For now, I have a small setback. Turns out that my vat leaks at a rate of approximately 1 gallon per hour. Even so, preliminary testing on some very rusty rings which held the glass parts in place has produced encouraging results. I will forge ahead.

Good call on taking the plate off.

One thing about electrolysis, if the part was electroplated with anything say, chrome, or cadmium, that will end up in the electrolyte bath and all over your cathode, often in really nasty variants of aforementioned chemicals too.

benzbaronDaryn wrote: Good luck and have fun, oh and don't take a match to the electrolysis foam, don't ask.

Make sure that you do your electrolytic rust removal outdoors.

In reply to 1988RedT2:

I did a bunch of car parts last year. I used the garbage bin from my garage and lined it with a large garbage bag. You might try bagging your container.

In reply to DeadSkunk:

That's a great idea. You may want to double bag though.