How to Rust Steel On Purpose

A. Achill Island is an Island off the west coast of Ireland in the Atlantic.

I camp there every year.

Every year, the side of the car facing the wind off the coast gets rusted brake disks within a day or two.

Similar to this:

Therefore: Sandy Salt + Moisture = Rust

Works for me...no products, just elbow grease.

Cheers

A. I'm an artist and I love drawing on rusted steel.
To make the steel rust simply use Hydrochloric acid or Ammonia water.
It will start rusting in few hours.
If you need to wipe off the rust you can use Hydrochloric acid again,
and rinse the piece with water.
To prevent the steel from rusting, brush a thin coat of oil.

You can see what I'm talking about here:

If you like my site... share it! ;)

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Ed. note: WOW!! That sketch absolutely takes my breath away, Olivier.
For anyone unable to read the watermark, Olivier's site is www.olivierdegea.com.

A. I am an artist who works with steel and like many of you have the need to have a rich rusty look but where it will not rub off.

On pieces that will be indoors...I have used distilled vinegar and water putting on many layers until I reach the desired look. I then coat it with several coats of satin polyurethane.

Hope that helps also.

Ali

A. Like others, I am also an artist who specializes in custom gates, trellises, wall and yard art. Many of my pieces are chemically rusted.

What I have found that works best is to use 1/2c root killer (copper sulphate) and mix with 2 cups muriatic acid until dissolved. Pour into gallon jug and fill remainder with water.

Spray this onto your clean metal (the oil must be removed) and then either immediately, or whenever, you can spray with a diluted bleach ⇦ bleach/sodium hypochlorite in bulk on eBay or Amazon [affil links] (can be chlorine) solution.

You will instantly see the reaction of the two chemicals and can tweak the look with misting of water. Or, if you live in a humid climate, you can forgo the bleach spray.

Steve

A. In response to rusting metal. I do much work in the Telluride area and have rusted barn tin for many custom homes. It is very simple. I mix 50/50 Muriatic acid and water. Mop it on with an old rag mop, let sit over night, sometimes two nights, then rinse thoroughly. Many suggest cleaning the metal first for an even look, which is true, but I find the uneven rusting brings out a more natural patina in various shades. Evenly rusted metal looks fake to me, as do many of the metal roofs in Telluride. if I want to expedite the rusting after the initial application, I just spray salt water made with sea-salt over several days. Our ever-changing weather always ensures the chemicals are washed off fairly soon.

Xylene

on eBay or

Amazon

(affil links)

A. Hello, I am a master German painter. Here is how you rust most any metal and then prevent it from rusting further and also make a very nice finish and bring out some natural color from the rust:

1)Urinate into a clean spray bottle.(5 tablespoons of urine will do).
2) For every 5 tablespoons of Urine, pour twice that amount of hydrogen peroxide into the spray bottle.
You now have your magic solution.
3) Wipe whatever you are trying to rust with Xylol/Xylene ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] to clean it and remove anything that might inhibit the oxidation process. Let the XYLENE dry completely.
4) Spray your magic solution generously onto the metal, let dry, repeat, let dry, repeat, etc... until you get the amount of rust you are looking for.
I generally spray it and leave it outside overnight. leave it out in the rain, snow, whatever. These are all good things.
5) When you have the amount of rust you want, wipe it down with a clean rag.
6) Spray it with lacquer. Two coats. Make sure it's a real lacquer that is a lacquer thinner base. M.L. Campbell pre-catalyzed lacquer works great or any other lacquer that is a true lacquer(not water-based!)

Note: You can use something else if you want(metal etch, muriatic acid, vinegar... but I use urine because I get a distinctive color in the end that looks better than these other methods.

Good luck!

A. We have customers who want to seal rusty metal but need to rust it first. I was given a recipe for rusting metal that is safe and inexpensive.
Spray the metal with vinegar (any kind will do)
Then, immediately spray again with hydrogen peroxide. Use 2 different spray bottles or sprayers.
Let dry and repeat several times a day and within a few days you have rusty metal.

Everbrite will seal rusty metal and will allow the rust to show through. The metal must be completely dry and the loose rust removed for good adherence. There is a Satin finish available that many people prefer.

A. Causing rust is easy...the fastest way I have found is pool chlorine or lemon oil, depending on the look you want.

Halting rust is also easy...I found a marine product at ACE Hardware called Ospho [adv: Ospho on eBay or Amazon [affil links] . It is cheap and goes on like water and will completely stop rust. The process takes a while and some "blue" may appear but can be removed with light brushing. Best to let dry for 2-3 days until brushing.

A. Hi, Charlene. You might want to double check that your "cold rolled steel" isn't stainless steel. Is it very strongly magnetic?

Regards,

Q. It isn't stainless steel, it is cold rolled I verified from the person that cut it for me, it is thicker - about 12 gauge - but it can't be this hard. Everyone here makes it sound like their pieces rusted so easy? I used combo of vinegar and hydrogen peroxide last night, sprayed on in coats, woke up this morning with just one tiny little spot of color? This can't be that hard.....so off to the store to get some muriatic acid to try that - but I don't want cancerous rust, just the nice light rust color - ARGH!

A. I mixed bromine, a common hot tub sanitizer, with water in a spray bottle. then sprayed it directly onto my steel and I got big time instant rust so watch your amounts. no soaking overnight or anything like that, it is truly instant. make sure your area is well ventilated though as it can be strong smelling.

A. Finish For A Rusted Piece

Once a level of distressing plus oxidation are achieved, the finish can be preserved with 4 ought steel wool ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] and mineral spirits (or turpentine ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] if cost no problem) and furniture-floor wax.

The idea is that the steel wool and mineral spirits take the rust deeper into the surface and the spirits redistribute the rust that the steel wool removes. The spirits gets rustier as the wool is repeatedly dipped in a small bucket of it. Rub the entire piece down two or three times with the increasingly rusty steel wool and spirits, let dry.

Use a rag to apply Johnson's floor wax, and other clean rags to buff it back off.

The resulting, low luster finish will last decades if not in the weather or near sea coast.

Work with rubber gloves, in a well ventilated area, away from a source of ignition.

A. Okay, rust is a popular finish here in the desert, and I've done numerous jobs that required fresh steel to look old. Here's what I do.
To rust galvanized, you first must get rid of the galvanizing --muriatic acid is the best thing for this. Whatever way you apply it, wear gloves, goggles, and a respirator (the cartridge kind NOT a dust mask!) If you don't have or can't afford a respirator, stay upwind and hold your breath, the fumes are nasty. Muriatic acid will also etch concrete, stone, and glass and will discolor wood, so cover these surfaces with plastic if you can't get far away from them. I only do this procedure outdoors in a spot where I don't want any plants to ever grow. The acid can be sprayed (although any metal parts in the ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] will be sacrificed), wiped, brushed, or spotted onto the surface depending on your desired effect. Let it do it's thing; and when it's done fizzing, rinse the metal with plenty of water.
If you don't want to get toxic, you'll have to remove the galvanizing with a grinder or sander.

Now, to rust!
If you've already done the acid wash you're ready- works on any steel, btw. If not, degrease your metal some other way. A light sanding helps too --you want the metal to be as clean and receptive as possible.
Mix:
2 parts vinegar- any kind as long as its 5%
8 parts hydrogen peroxide
1 tsp salt per 18 oz. of mixture
You don't have to be a chemist- the exact proportions aren't critical.
Mix thoroughly.
This is best applied with a spray bottle or pump sprayer, but can be brushed on too. Keep in mind that the initial rust that forms is very delicate and easily removed if you brush too hard or have too much acidity in the mix. You should see a light coating of rust forming immediately. Keep at it; I usually do 5 to 6 applications minimum, letting each dry, rotating the piece while touching it as little as possible. Keep applying until you get the desired depth.
Go to bed. The next day you should have well-set rust.
To seal it, mix:
1 part OIL BASED polyurethane
1 part boiled linseed oil
1 part turpentine or mineral spirits ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links]
Rub it in well- until no excess sits on the surface. You'll be left with a semigloss sheen that will fade over time.

Hi, Guy. There have been many informative postings in this thread, which we greatly appreciate, but yours is just so complete. Thanks.

Regards,