Here's why you don't put porcelain (?) plated iron in the e-tank

[Spurgeon Hendrick]

I finally put together an e-bucket in a big enough bucket to allow me to do bigger pieces. I decided to "practice" on this pot I found awhile back ... before I try to restore the Lodge scalloped bottom pot (it also has porcelain or something on the inside).

I had read that an e-tank is a no-no for these pieces. Since this one didn't seem to have much left, I wanted to see what would happen.

Well, now I know. (I'll post more picture tomorrow after I have some time to take it out of there.) In the pictures, you can see what it looked like before I put it in, and then see it in the e-tank with flakes of the enamel (or porcelain?) floating around the surface.

[C. Perry Rapier]

Hello. Thanks for the heads up on the porcelain. I'm not sure that what I see floating is what you are talking about though. And also, what are the wires going across the bar? Are the wires to conduct electricity? They look like they are maybe copper and that's why I ask.
 

[Spurgeon Hendrick]

Perry, yes, they are copper wires. I'm guessing I shouldn't be using any copper that touches the solution? I didn't think about that when I set up this tank. In my old bucket, I had copper wire to run the electricity around the bucket to each piece of rebar, but I used steel wire to hold the iron.

BTW - the light colored chips floating around are the same color as whatever this pot was coated with.

Also, I'm starting a new thread about this piece. I probably screwed up again. Ugh.

[Cheryl Watson]

No Bare Copper in the Solution... is my motto..
I have had stranded copper wire dissolve and begin to 'plate' the jumper clip that it was attached to.

Thank goodness is stopped short of the Cast Iron piece the jumper wire was attached to....

Solid copper wire is a bit more durable (heavy gauge found in Romex, etc)
but I am still careful with exposure to the electrolyte...