[Sca-cooks] Not so Virgin Cast Iron Question

[Stefan li Rous]

Regina commented on Phlip's procedure for using electrolysis to remove 
the rust on an iron pot:
> Sounds like I have to get the battery charger going in the garage.
> It's not
> going to cost to try the rust removal and I can always use it as a
> planter
> if I don't like the looks of things after that.  Besides, I'll learn
> something that I may want to use later. Winner either way!

I think that Phlip has a good method to try here. I've saved it for my 
iron pot care file. :-)

One thing that occurs to me, and it may be obvious to you and others 
but I'll mention it. You probably need to clean the iron pot and the 
sacrificial strip of metal down to bare metal where you are attaching 
the battery charger cables to them. Trying to force the electricity 
through any oxide layers will likely increase the electrical 
resistance, reducing the current available for the job, and may even 
keep the process from working at all.

Also, be aware of the shock hazard with this. For instance, I suspect 
there is more than one reason that Phlip specified a *plastic* tub. 
Hopefully, your charger has its own off/on switch, so you are not 
clamping and unclamping the cables to switch it on and off. Unplug it 
from the wall or make sure it is off before fiddling with things in the 
water.

Mark Harris
Unemployed, but still an electrical engineer
--------
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
    Mark S. Harris           Austin, Texas          
StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****