My DIY electrolysis experiment

I been watching videos on electrolysis for a while and a couple weeks ago I decided I was gonna try it. Today I finally put it to the test. All I have invested in it is 1.99 for a pack of alligator clips from HF. All the rest was here at home. Here's a list of everything you'll need.

1. Glass or plastic bowl (not metal) at least a few inches wide

2. old cell phone charger

3. pair of alligator clips

4. piece of stainless steel (I sacrificed a spoon and used the handle)

5. sea salt

6. baking soda

7. water (I use hot....not sure if it makes difference)

Here's a pic of my set up....

Here is the charger I used...

I cut the plug off and separated the wires then attached alligator clips...

Now it's time to start cookin....

I put a good teaspoon full of sea salt in plastic container and fill about 3/4 way full with hot water (Hot seems to disolve salt faster....don't know if it makes a difference with cold water). I connected the red clip to the coin and black to the piece of stainless and plugged it in. Within seconds the stainless started bubbling so I knew I hooked it up backwards. Unplugged charger and swapped clips around so red was on stainless and black on coin and ta-da....coin started bubbling....now were in business. here's what it looks like cooking...

I left the rosie dime in there for 3-4 minutes. Heres another shot of it cooking...

Unplugged the charger and took out the rosie and covered it in baking soda. Rub the baking soda between your thumb and fore finger to finish. Baking soda should turn into a greyish mush...

Rinse silver coin with water and you're done! Wicked easy!

I did 2 silvers today and now I'll show the before and after pics....

The silver rosie I did tonight...before

And after...

Reverse before...

After...

And this morning I did my Newfie dime....before

After...

Reverse before...

Reverse after...

For my first time trying this I'm impressed! I think they came out great. I am new to this process so if anyone sees anything wrong I'd appreciate any info.For a stay at home do-nothing day it was a great day! HH

First I want to say this is NOT something I'm an expert in. But after talkin with a couple folks a lot more knowledgeable than me, watchin some vids and doing some researching on my own, I'll try my best to describe how this process works. First off...just using baking soda or toothpaste as a cleaner isnt cleaning. It's an abrasive and your basically wet sanding a coin. Removing tarnish AND silver. I tried the baking soda on a silver rosie and could see the scratches in the corrosion and didnt get the results that I did after electrolysis.

OK....where to begin....The corrosion on silver is a silver chloride or silver sulfide. The coin is hooked up on the negative side and the stainless on the positive. When a current is applied, there's an ionization process that removes and causes the chloride/sulfide ions to migrate from the negative silver to the positive anode (stainless). Since the negative ions wont react with the stainless (because it's an inert (chemically inactive) anode) the solution traps chlorides/sulfides and turns yellowish brown and smells like rotten eggs. Thus actually changing corrosion back to silver. Silver+Sulfer=Silver Sulfide. Silver Sulfide - Sulfer=Silver. See what I'm saying...so not removing silver but restoring silver. I was told that finishing with the baking soda was the base needed to neutralize the chemical reaction caused by electrolysis and rubbed it VERY lightly afterwards as to not scratch up the surface.

As I stated before....I'm NOT an expert and this is my understanding of how the process works. So I decided to try and document the process myself. But can say there was a huge difference between just baking soda and electrolysis. Hope that helps some :)

Replies

Larry September 12, 2015 at 5:53pm

I think this is interesting. But it looks like you are cleaning with the baking soda. With out doing the electric you can rub tooth paste on silver and clean it very good also. I thought hooking it up to electric like that would start removing silver and start electroplating the spoon on the negative side.
- Bob Drake > Larry September 13, 2015 at 1:07pm
  
  First I want to say this is NOT something I'm an expert in. But after talkin with a couple folks a lot more knowledgeable than me, watchin some vids and doing some researching on my own, I'll try my best to describe how this process works. First off...just using baking soda or toothpaste as a cleaner isnt cleaning. It's an abrasive and your basically wet sanding a coin. Removing tarnish AND silver. I tried the baking soda on a silver rosie and could see the scratches in the corrosion and didnt get the results that I did after electrolysis.
  
  OK....where to begin....The corrosion on silver is a silver chloride or silver sulfide. The coin is hooked up on the negative side and the stainless on the positive. When a current is applied, there's an ionization process that removes and causes the chloride/sulfide ions to migrate from the negative silver to the positive anode (stainless). Since the negative ions wont react with the stainless (because it's an inert (chemically inactive) anode) the solution traps chlorides/sulfides and turns yellowish brown and smells like rotten eggs. Thus actually changing corrosion back to silver. Silver+Sulfer=Silver Sulfide. Silver Sulfide - Sulfer=Silver. See what I'm saying...so not removing silver but restoring silver. I was told that finishing with the baking soda was the base needed to neutralize the chemical reaction caused by electrolysis and rubbed it VERY lightly afterwards as to not scratch up the surface.
  
  As I stated before....I'm NOT an expert and this is my understanding of how the process works. So I decided to try and document the process myself. But can say there was a huge difference between just baking soda and electrolysis. Hope that helps some :)
Poul Christiansen September 1, 2015 at 1:14am

Nice job, they really look great. Nice to get some simple DIY instructions thanks for posting
Reuben F. August 30, 2015 at 12:39am

Awesome and easy. I'm amazed. Is this process only to be used with silver?
- Bob Drake > Reuben F. August 30, 2015 at 9:10am
  
  Silver is best but other metals can be done too. I started doing a 1905 indian head cent with not so good results. Detail on old coppers can be held in the corrosion and the copper rots away underneath. So removing the corrosion may reveal a flat pitted piece of copper with no detail left at all! For instance....I found a civil war era padlock I would like to try this on but think the rust and corrosion is whats holding it together so fear electrolysis may make it crumble to bits. It all depends on what and why your doing it as to whether or not you should. Cleaning old silvers can take value away from them, but for me I dont plan on selling the ones I did and they are worth more to me lookin pretty so no harm no foul :)
Ron Harrison (Wyattearp) August 29, 2015 at 10:46pm

They turned out fantastic Bob, great job, thanks for posting directions!
vandal August 29, 2015 at 9:37pm

gunna have to try this sometime! thx for postin this :)

This reply was deleted.