24-Volt charger for faster electrolysis?

[mc.mackey78]

I just joined this forum and I'm looking for some advice related to my restoration project. I've been working on a really crusty Griswold #8 skillet I picked up at an estate sale, and the rust is a bear. I've got my electrolysis tank set up, and I've been experimenting with different settings. I've used a standard 6-volt battery charger, and also a 12-volt one, and I'm finding that an 80-amp setting on the 12-volt charger seems to be doing the best job of getting the crud off efficiently. This has also worked pretty well with my other cast iron finds but it's also been such a waiting game.

I'm curious, has anyone here ever tried using a 24-volt charger for their electrolysis tank? I know they're mostly used for big rigs and can be tough to track down, but the thought of potentially cutting my rust removal time in half is really tempting. I'm wondering if the increased voltage would make a significant difference, or if it might be overkill and risk damaging the cast iron.

Any thoughts or experiences with this would be awesome. Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[ceiling-til3s]

Glad you're here! I've been cleaning cast iron for a while, I picked up a rusty old Lodge griddle at a barn sale and used a 12V charger with 10 amps. It worked fine, just took time. I looked into using 24V, but most folks say it doesn't clean much faster and can hurt the iron if the power is too strong. It's safer to stick with 12V and try moving or resizing your anode to speed things up

 

[mavoo]

Reading their sentences, it just feels off , like it might be a spammer.

 

[Kos_Mos]

Finding a 24v charger just for cast iron seems like overkill. You'll spend more chasing one down than you'll save in rust removal time. Stick with your 12v, maybe swap in a bigger anode and refresh your solution more often. Cheaper and safer.

 

[BigBob75]

Finding a 24v charger just for cast iron seems like overkill. You'll spend more chasing one down than you'll save in rust removal time. Stick with your 12v, maybe swap in a bigger anode and refresh your solution more often. Cheaper and safer.

Thanks for the tip on using a larger anode. I think I'll be using steel sheet metal instead of re-rod. I agree with you on using a 12 volt charger. I'm looking for an inexpensive one now. Thanks. God Bless. Bob