Putting Electrolysis To The Test! | Rusty Vice Restoration

Comments · 603

• BO

  @BobMChem · 5 years ago

  Dom, science teacher here, remember PANIC (Positive Anode, Negative is Cathode)

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• TI

  @timtharp835 · 2 years ago

  You may have spent a bit of money but your vice is still better quality than many on the market.

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• BI

  @billdouglas1721 · 4 years ago

  I've used exactly your setup for rust removal during many, many restoration projects. Electrolysis is a win-win-win solution for a restorer. It has saved me hours of time, not to mention the cost, of wire brushing, grinding, heating with torches, and banging away with hammers. I haven't had to buy any expensive rust-removal chemicals (or dispose of them when they wear out). I haven't had to use vinegar, salt, or muriatic acid, and have avoided both the cost and the disposal of those corrosive "cleaners." My very first restoration with electyrolysis was exactly the same as yours: a rusted, seized up vise. To carry current to all the parts, I wrapped it tightly in about two meters of bare, #14 copper wire that contacted all parts as much as possible. I sanded to bare metal whenever possible, to enhance the connections, then wired it up to a small DC power supply at 12V and 2 amps. It sat in its bath for a week. Every day I'd skim the brown, foamy crud off the surface. Then I'd turn off the current and reach into the completely non-toxic electrolytic bath to lightly brush the black scum off the anvil and the rust off the sacrificial steel, without any disassembly of the setup or removing the vise. Doing this cleaning took about two minutes a day, and in a week I never had to change the solution or add washing soda; all I had to do was top up the water a few times. The entire process, from setup, through daily quick-cleaning, and to the very end took me less than two hours and cost me USD$5 for washing soda and about USD$3 for electricity. I finally ended the process when all bubbling and scum-formation finally ceased. I removed the vise and cleaned it in warm, soapy water then turned the handle. It was freed up! There was plenty more to be done, but electrolysis was a tremendous labor saver. The hardest part of the process was maintaining my patience. In the end, it was, as I said, a win-win-win solution to rust removal during a restoration. I hope you do more of these.

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• FR

  @Freeman-Dl70 · 2 years ago

  I have a deep appreciation, for anyone who truly restores an item. Being it vices, anvils, air guns or actual mistreated firearms. Youre truly saving history from destruction. Yard ornaments, use a dumped over wheelbarrow, with flowers spilled out.

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• TH

  @thedogfather5445 · 2 years ago (edited)

  I can tell you that vice is a Parkinsons Model F Perfect No 8. An excellent item, the design of which eventually became the Record vice. Probably dates to around 1920.

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• LO

  @LoganJohnson-lm2bh · 1 year ago

  A few extra dollars to get a vice  that will do any job AND last a life time is a good investment .the satisfaction of taking  something unusable to functional is priceless .

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• BA

  @barrywest8944 · 5 years ago

  Dom, what did you learn from this, A LOT. A vice of that quality today would cost you a fortune, and you’ve reclaimed one from the scrap heap well done 👍

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• DO

  @dondejong4191 · 5 months ago

  It's refreshing to watch you go through the process, discovering what works and what doesn't work, and finding ways to complete the project.  I'm sure you couldn't buy a British-made vise for what you had to spend on it, and we all learn together how to restore a vintage tool.  Thanks, Dom!

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• BO

  @boydovens4180 · 6 months ago

  Quality  Built   Solid  ,  Will last forever if maintained .

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• HA

  @hangtenboy · 2 weeks ago

  Fun video even 5 years later!

• ST

  @stephenbirkett5179 · 7 months ago

  Old is gold! Keep preserving and learning it’s so satisfying and you’ve saved another piece of history that will tell a story for the next custodian. 👌🙌👏

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• FI

  @Fizeeek · 2 years ago

  I swear that&apos;s my old vice... I sold it to someone years ago and forgot all about it. Good to see it restored! Good job Dom.<br>Try Evaporust next time. It&apos;s not cheap but it gets into every nook and cranny.

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