The Rust Project

[Ryki]

I feel like your car is the actual test subject, with how you put all the photos

[Yoshi]

lol NAY!

[Yoshi]

Figured I should update this.

SHIT AIN'T RUSTING

I need to research but I think the big issue here is that cars are electrostatically charged. You have the engine constantly shoving voltage/amperage/whatever through the chassis and that helps the oxidization process. Since my piece of metal just sits on some grass, only the exposed areas are rusting. Everything painted is just fine.

I really don't feel like shoving a trickle charger on it. Any suggestions?

[M20_fever]

zip tie it to the bottom of your car.

[Yoshi]

I'd want to weld it there. So the electricity conducts better. Not sure I want to do that with my DD though lol.

[M20_fever]

Drill a hole in the plate and bolt it to the sub frame, or trans support?

[AustinR]

I guess it could be the electricity, but I kinda doubt it. My only real reasoning here is think about the tailgates of trucks. Why would those rust? They shouldn't be grounded at all. I think it has more to do with moisture getting in places and sitting there for extended periods of time as well as the insane amount of abuse that cars are put through.
+1 for somehow fastening it to your car.

[Ryki]

+1 for rusty cat tail

[87e30]

Rusty penis welds?

[Yoshi]

I guess it could be the electricity, but I kinda doubt it. My only real reasoning here is think about the tailgates of trucks. Why would those rust? They shouldn't be grounded at all. I think it has more to do with moisture getting in places and sitting there for extended periods of time as well as the insane amount of abuse that cars are put through.
+1 for somehow fastening it to your car.

Metal man. It's all mounted together so the whole body has SOME current running through it the whole time the truck is on.

[M20_fever]

I dunno, you won't (shouldn't) see any kind of voltage in the chassis even with a high end multimeter. Honestly I think it just needs more salt/moisture to really get close to what an actual DD in the rust belt sees.

[Yoshi]

I doubt you'll see any actual current in the chassis. There's too much metal for that. But think about it. Engine ground straps go to the frame rail, spark plugs ground through the block. All the ECU stuff tends to ground to the chassis. So the current has to run through the chassis either to the ground or back to the neg terminal of the battery. It's proven that even minute amounts of electricity will accelerate rusting. I think if it were high current, you'd see much more rust.

[Yoshi]

http://water.me.vccs.edu/concepts/corrosioncauses.html

influenced by many water characteristics, by the metals used, and by any stray electrical current.

The site also mentioned low ph things like vinegar and such to speed up rusting. I'd like to find a passive way to encourage "stray electrical currents" in the metal and maybe spray it down now and then with something mildly acidic.

[M20_fever]

Spraying it with vinegar isn't exactly simulating real world driving conditions. Hook a 9v battery to it?

[Yoshi]

I was thinking more salt water. Vinegar is expensive