Hey folks, I found it - my recipe for electrolytic cleaner!

Electrolytic Cleaner

Sodium Carbonate (washing soda)  75 grams/liter   10 0unces/U.S. gal.
Sodium Hydroxide (lye)           12.5              1.7
Trisodium Phosphate (TSP)        25                3.3
Sodium Silicate (water-glass)    12.5              1.7

Store in a polyethylene bottle.  Alkaline solutions attack glass.

Wear rubber gloves when working with this stuff.  It's not all that 
bad but I wouldn't want to bathe in it.

Use a carbon or graphite rod (don't use metal) wrapped with a swab of
cotton batting as anode (positive).  I made an electrode holder out of
nylon and stainless steel.  Connect a 6 to 12 volt power source (such
as a small battery charger) with the positive to the anode and the
negative to the work piece.  DON'T USE A CAR BATTERY FOR POWER!  If
you wear through the cotton by accident a high current can flow with
damaging results.  Use a glass or plastic dish (like a pyrex baking
dish) to work in - don't use metal, it will contaminate your work.

Connect the power and wash the work with the swab.  You'll see quite a
bit of foaming if everything is hooked up correctly.  When done, rinse
thoroughly.  This leaves a very clean surface so you will need to 
apply some protection on steel imediately to prevent it rusting.  This
is a very gentle metal cleaner.  I have used it to clean very thin
copper, silver and gold plate without damage.  I have also used it to
clean various metals, including steels, preparatory to plating.

You can make a plating/cleaning power supply with a small variac, a 
twelve volt transformer and a bridge rectifier.

Enjoy,
Ted
Ted_E@bc.sympatico.ca