As a follow up from my previous comment, I have now used this method a lot, so thanks for posting it!



Because of how the process actually works you can do it on other metals. It works brilliantly (no pun intended- or was it?) on brass and it comes out like new. I have also used it to paint strip old diecast cars for renovation. It has a couple of advantages over paint stripper- it's cheaper and it doesn't harm plastic. After leaving a day or so then a wire brush usually sloughs the enamel paint off, although I have found some more modern ones it didn't. If you can't or don't want to strip down a model and take out the plastic windows, wheels etc. you can leave them on The +ve can still be an old tin can no matter what metal is in the -ve.



What is actually happening is that the water is breaking down in to oxygen on the +ve and hydrogen on the -ve. because the oxygen react with the can, it gets rusty. because the metal doesn't react significantly with the hydrogen, it just blows off the loose rust and oxide like atomic sand blasting.



Regarding power, I just use a redundant 5v2a wall charger from an old mobile phone. It works fine one the types of things I've used it on up until now, such as diecast cars, brass vases, alloy carburettors etc. I also realised fairly early on that the wire going to the +ve can rots away quickly so I cut open a baked beak cam and put a bend in the corner of the sheet and hang that above the solution to be connect to with a crocodile clip. The other part I use cheap garden zinc plated wire and then trail it out of the solution to connect to the negative.



I remember which way by -ve removes the rust, +ve adds the rust.



Thanks again, I can't believe how much this has helped my upcycling and cleaning items!

