Ferrous cleaning wheel for my bench grinder?

I want a way to remove the post electrolysis 'film' after I've taken ferrous pieces out of my electrolysis bath. Obviously removing this non-chemically bonded film is the last stage in cleaning up dirty steel. NB: my electrolysis consists of: the work wired to the cathode, suspended in an aqueous soda crystal solution, powered by a 12V dc supply.

So far I have been using wire wool, which isn't ideal for various reasons. I'm hoping someone can recommend a wheel to add to my bench grinder for this purpose.

I remember seeing this video in which a red 'cloth' like wheel was used to clean up some dirty steel, much like I want to do.

Thanks in advance.

Edited By choochoo_baloo on 03/01/2017 17:53:04

Red 'cloth' is 3M Scotch-brite flexi-wheel.

Thanks. To confirm: this is the closest thing I can find:

https://www.cromwell.co.uk/shop/abrasives/surface-conditioning-products/18761-152x25-4x25-4-8smeddbwl-wheel/p/MMM2451658Y

is this what you meant (can't find "flex-wheel" )

......£52 though!! Or is this to be expected for quality wheels?

Edited By choochoo_baloo on 03/01/2017 18:07:37

Nope, second one down here OK not a local supplier probably just result of quick google. Probably various versions on ebay.

this is more like it

Edited By Bazyle on 03/01/2017 18:09:24

Try a local auto jumble show.

There are loads of sellers there selling this 'restoration ' stuff to the classic mob.

I usually but about 4 or 6 of two different grades for around £20 depending on grade and quality. These are 6" wheel with a pigtail hole in the leather washers.

I have a spare 6" grinder set up with a wheel of each grade on the spindle. I use them for de-burring parts

The wheel linked in post 3 is abrasive embedded in rubber in various grades which is tough enough to deburr as JS says but will wear a hole in a delicate part in seconds. The stuff I linked is fluffy and delicate and would be ripped to shreds on burrs. have a think about the strength of your target object. Umble sale is good idea as you can see the product and ebay is a wing and a prayer.

I use this process quite a lot and have found by far the best way to clean off the black sludge is to use water and an ordinary hand wire brush. It works best if you clean it immediately after removal from the bath and not letting it dry. If the item is badly pitted I have on occasion resorted to using a rotary wire brush in an electric drill, but more often than not the hand brush does the job and gives a nicer finish.

Keith

Try using 'anodic' cleaning just before removing the piece from the bath ! Why ! I vaguely remember from my time in the plating shop the electro cleaning was done by using periodic reverser these changed the cleaning bath from anodic to cathodic several times while the work was in the bath but it was only removed from the bath in the anodic state this I think was done to remove such film the parts was then only be wash in hot water.

H

Harry, that's a useful note if your memory is correct. Do you recall if the 'reversed polarity' period was of the order of seconds, minutes, or....?

Roger

Roger now that's a hard question I'm talking of the automatic plating plans the length of time the load would have spent in the cleaning station would have depended on the surface condition let's say 5-6 mins so from this I would suggest it would have been around a minute, just try it give it so long have a look give it more in you think it needs it.

Anodic cleaning will not hard the work other than you remove the surface of the part but in saying that you would have to leave it in for hours to remove a few microns ! The plating plating I work on if they didn't have a PR then the cleaning would alway be 'anodic' and at home I clean parts in a small probably like you but I always use the anodic setup. You might find this link of interest

H

Thanks for that, Harry. And that link is really useful .

Roger