Cleaning a rusty anvil with electrolysis 

Anvil was 112.6 prior to experiment. 112.5 after. So 1/10 of a pound was lost to rust

Thanks so much for making this video, I first watched this video just over a year ago, after watching this video I set up my electrolysis tank and since then I’ve done more than ten anvils including my 576lb English anvil. This process works great!

A lot of times it's a good idea to clean most of the rust off the area your are going to attach the wire to so it conducts the electricity better.

CONGRATS... YOU HAVE ALSO JUST LEARNED ELECTROPLATING, AND ANODIZING TOO !! TRY COPPER PLATING ! ALSO... DIY SODIUM SILICATE. VERY CHEAP AND USEFUL REFRACTORY FOR CASTING AND MOLDS.

That’s an old colonial. Pretty cool. I had one years ago. It was in good shape and I used it for a couple years. Wish I never would have sold it.

That is a beautiful piece of history!

Would be nice if the anvil could talk and tell us what kinds of things were forged on it.

Not bad. Good to see your channel growing.

I really love the way those colonials look, thanks for the sweet video!

The areas of the anvil closer to the anodes will always clean faster due to the electrical resistance of the solution which is measured in ohms/distance unit. While water is considered a conductor, it does have resistance and the resistance increases with distance, thus the points farther from the anodes receiving less voltage or power.

John that looks cool as hell when you’re finished with it. Bad ass bro.

An absolutely beautiful old guy! I love the less invasive process too. Wire brushes are great for new steel anvils, but I always cry inside when someone takes a wire brush to an old anvil.

That's cool, I like the fact you show the entire process not just the before and after.

From what I remember you are basically breaking apart the bond of the rust which is an oxide of iron. Doing this causes the water in the tube to break down as well causing the hydrogen and oxygen bubbles. It all happens because the positive rod pulls the oxygen off of the iron in the rust. The black stuff you had to wipe off the anvil was essentially pure iron. I hope you coated the anvil afterwards because it will rust fast now.

That turned out great!! Cool video!

Love that fella, the electrolysis worked out well.

Very nice! That process works great for cleaning up old cast iron pans.

I really liked the history lesson.

Wonderful experiment! I confess when I saw the title of the video I shuddered, but warmed right up when I saw the mess you were working with. Very nice job!

Awesome old anvil. I believe it found the correct new home. You've done a good thing sirSir Stay healthy now 🙏blessed days ya'll Crawford out 🧙‍♂️

Thanks for the lesson mate you done a good job explaining the in's and out's of that anvil.and it cleaned up real nice .cheers.

Great video , John! We never learn if we never try! Still looking for my first Real anvil! Keep on hammerin!

Gen Sherman that damned Yankee. Great video! Been wanting to try electrolysis one day on an old anvil.

You did a good job with it. It’s ok to retire something like that, as you already have a serviceable anvil and based on the condition of those forge welds, you run the risk of breaking the horn or feet off if you put it into regular rotation of heavy use. That said, have you considered allowing a CAD person to make a scale drawing of it from detailed photos? That way, maybe someone could 3-D print a hollow replica and use it as the basis of a new sand casting project? I’d like to see someone recast these old patterns with modern technology and modern tool steel facings applied with more consistent forge welding techniques.

1st time here. Thanks for the hello.

That’s a showpiece John thanks for saving and sharing it!

Just ordered a 2.5 pound cross peen hammer from you. Can’t wait to use it

Great video man. It bubbles more the closer it is to the anvil because electricity is lazy and takes path of least resistance. The iron is a better conductor then the water solution so it goes as far as possible in iron before traveling through the solution. Moving the electrodes around changes which part gets most juice, larger surface area also does this and doesn’t get dirty as quick which makes the power flow better. I’m an electrician by trade, bang hot steel for fun. Love the channel.

started watching you today...couldnt stop watching love everything you do!..(MAGIC!!)

John, what a great and very interesting video. I've used electrolysis for the past 15 years but never anything this large. Well done!

Nice colonial pattern piece, enjoy!

If you can find one of the older manual battery chargers they work better for electrolysis

Hey John, new subscriber here and I've been binging all of your videos in the past week. Loving your work and your content, can't wait to see more!

I find 5mm plate steel works the best and I use an old stick welder on low for a power supply

Thats was cool. Great addition to your collection

This video was awesome, I was just talking to other day with my brother about how wacky electrolysis is

Your new name brother. Professor John McAnvil!

If the wire starts bubbling allot you can clean a small spot on the anvil where the wire touches to improve conductivity and efficiency. I enjoyed watching. Thanks

Cool, job well done! Love the info about anvil history⚒️

Clearly electrolysis is able to remove rust that you couldn't remove through any mechanical means. That is why I would use a wire wheel to remove the bulk and the electrolysis to remove the rest. That way it doesn't take nearly as long and you still get all the rust.

Pretty jealous of this anvil (and your main anvil), my anvil is some cheese grade ASO, almost lead soft, with all the edges broken off, and a couple random beads of weld where someone tried to fix it. i spent hours with a file cleaning up one little area by the horn so i'd have a decent-ish edge to use. on constant patrol for a different anvil.

Super cool! What a neat piece of history.

Very nice and useful video! Could you use a stainless steel tub as a container instead of a plastic one?

Awesome job. I recognize the t shirt

Nice job!

Hey man, if you ever want to try the crucible steel again then what might Be a good idea is if you grind the metal into a powder or small shavings, that might go together better than what has gone on it the past

Cool video John! I can only imagine the stories that anvil could tell. Oh and I really love the Viking axe necklace I purchased from your Etsy shop, really awesome. Much respect from Georgia brother-- Steve

Cool video. I love your vice. I’ve been lucky enough to find 2 anvils but not a pole vice. Tom the sawyer Northwest Arkansas.

magic is the best.....love your work...thanks for sharing

good stuff...txs for sharing

I seen u put this on Facebook glad u showed the process what’s it look like on the whiskey barrel ?

Very cool. Thanks

That is an awesome anvil!

If it's an "automatic" battery charger it will cut out like that. You can hook a battery up to the anode and the charger to the battery to get around that.

Electrolysis works exceptionally well when the rusty item has parts that are not easily accessible with grinder, … i think if you had a bigger surface area from the start it would have been quicker. standing the anvil upright on 4 feet to allow better flow might also have helped.

I like it I’ve got somethings I need to do that too, thanks for video.

Cool man I'm so happy for you and all your frickin anvils lol

"What do you mean you're cooking an anvil?"

What wire brush type cup would you recommend to clean up an old anvil? How would you go about re-leveling/smoothing the top?

That was fun. Thank you.

Is that house in Macon, Ga? It certainly looks just like one I have known pretty well In that area. Anyhow, cool ass anvil.

Way to save a piece of history

I’ve been wanting to try this.

Your basic lyrics making an HHO generator without the trapping of gasses. If you had taken plates spacing them with rubber or plastic to separate them you could do this very same thing in a faster Manor and that battery would have not died on top of the use of a fuse I have used a 30amp for years on that sort of set up. Also using a variant in electric flow helps with some build up but cleaning those rods and the connection area at the anvil would help speed up the process.

I think you have a problem. How many anvils does this make?

Cool video

I do my rear coins this way Great video bud

Interesting Sir

Interesting. Thanks.

Southern US? what state brother?

Also you don’t want your. Positive or negative to be close to touching while it is running, as that can spark it.

Is it normal after you make Damascus, the steel is so hard to move, it takes a press? Hammer forging won’t move this stuff.

Is this a wrought iron mouse hole???

you can make ferric chloride from all the rust simply add HCL to your rust sediment (dry that first), then pour some h2o2

You should try the crucible steel experiment again

Cool

Now to show us some action on that ol' pup

I think the shotty rebound is due to the pitting in the face..

I'd probably wire wheel it and the use electrolysis.

50-50 Water and Vinegar are a bit more Vinegar will take the to bear metal over night

I like the shirt. 13 stars... 3 per

Science can be fun......

My god if it was a mouse hole could you imagine the size of the mouse 😜

First!

NO, NO, NO, THE ELECTROLYSIS ISN'T MAGIC. THE BLACKSMITHING IS MAGIC.

Washing soda is the safest to use. I believe baking soda and take salt, in combination with the electricity, will produce a toxic gas.

Sorry, stopped listening at 11:25 and just watched the squirrel go up the tree...