Electrolosis :baking out hydrogen

Re: Electrolosis :baking out hydrogen

Joe Rogers, Northern Virginia

>Senior moment at work here but I would bake the blade for several hours(2) at 200 degrees F. I just looked for info at some links but the info was spotty. You could check the archives for help too.JR

I could be wrong here but it couldn't hurt.

Re: Electrolosis :baking out hydrogen

Jack from Maine

>Thanks I checked the archives here. Stephen Shepherd recommended 20 min. at 200 degrees or leaving the tool in direct sunlight for a time equal to the time in the electrolysis bath.---Jack

Re: Electrolosis :baking out hydrogen

William R. Duffield, on the Cohansey

>When you searched the archives, did you look for Hydrogen Embrittlement? This thread explains everything you need to know, and provides links to expert advise.

http://www.woodcentral.com/cgi-bin/handtools.pl?frames;read=2671

Re: Electrolosis :baking out hydrogen

Tim Leo

>How do I check the archives? Where do i find them?

Look to the left. It is the bottom entry under "me

Dan Donaldson

>Also, if you do a search from the search function at the top of the page, you can get a wide date range.

Re: Electrolosis :baking out hydrogen

Jack from Maine

>It helps when you know what to type in the search box. My first attempt brought no results. You can see why if you see the way I spelled Electrolysis in the subject box.---Jack

Thanks Sir Will!

Joe Rogers, Northern Virginia

>I had seen that post from George before but didn't know where it was. Seems my recollection of the process was close tho. Maybe the brain isn't getting too soft yet!JR

Re: Electrolosis :baking out hydrogen

William R. Duffield, on the Cohansey

>Try searching for "embrittlement". That's a rather unique term. Copy and paste, if you suffer from fumbledigits, like me.

Re: Electrolosis :baking out hydrogen

Jack from Maine

>I followed your link from earlier. The saw is all cleaned,baked, waxed and ready for sharpening.When I got it cooled after baking I used 220 grit wet/dry paper with mineral spirits to remove the black(iron oxide?) I was left with a nice clear disston etch on what was once a very rusty saw.

As a bonus,my 10 year old neice was visiting and mentioned she was interested in science so I showed her the electrolysis process. I don't recall ever seeing anything like that in school.

Jack

Re: Electrolosis :baking out hydrogen

Todd O. Cronkhite Native of Maine

>Jack,

How come you didn't clean off the oxide before you baked it, or am I all confused? Once I take an iten out of the bucket I rinse it with boiling water and the rust, or what was once rust practically falls right off. Or does another layer of oxide form in the oven?

Did zapping your saw leave it a dullish gray color? I zapped one once and it did, but than I was using Lye at that time.

Todd O.

Re: Electrolosis :baking out hydrogen

Jack from Maine

>Todd,

When I took the saw out of the electrolyte I took it to a sink and scrubbed it hard with water and a plastic pot scrubbing pad til all the loose stuff was gone. Then I wiped it dry and put it in the oven. Where the rust was,the metal was black before and after baking.This black(and any film that may have formed)is what I removed with the abrasive. The saw looks nice(no funny color)after this final step. I waxed it because it keeps the moisture away ,plus it reduces friction when sawing.---Jack

the grey stuff

Bill Tindall, E. TN

>Electrolysis does not take all the rust back to iron. If fact, except under special conditions little of the rust will convert to iron. Instead the reduction stops at the black iron oxide-red oxide to black oxide. Curiously, this chemistry has only recently been studied. The loose rust is blasted off by the hydrogen bubbles. Any rust that is converted all the way to iron will leave a surface very prone to rerusting, so immediate rust prevention is necessary. The black oxide is fairly stable toward future rusting.