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Sound technical content, curated with aloha by
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ

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How to age or rust galvanized steel or "tin"

Q. I want to speed up the process of "rusting". I have some new galvanized steel pots and roof tin. How can I remove the coating and accelerate the process of aging? I want to use the tin sheets as an interior ceiling, so leaving it outside is not an option. Also, if I paint the sheets, what will cause it to chip and crack?

Marie Clark
hobbyist - Cartersville, Georgia
2003

Plum Brown Barrel Finish

on Amazon

(affil links)

A. There is a product for aging tin called "Plum Brown" as I recall .

I haven't tried it yet. I tried vinegar ⇦in bulk on eBay or Amazon [affil links] to further age the look of the metal.

FRED MATAS
- DESERT HOT SPRINGS, California
2004

Q. Hi. I am trying to make a craft for some Christmas presents. I would like to have "Tarnished" or "Aged" spoons in them. I have gone to thrift shops and it is harder to find tarnish spoons than I thought it would be.

I have several "Stainless" spoons that are pretty shiny. Is there a way to stain them or age them?

Sean Oshae
- Evansville, Wyoming, USA
November 12, 2013

A. Hi Sean. Deciding that you want to use stained and tarnished materials, then starting with a material which has been very carefully developed and optimized to not stain or tarnish sounds like the wrong approach :-)

Please try eBay or Craigslist for worn out silverplate.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
November 18, 2013

July 29, 2014

Q. Details for Selecting raw roofing metal for rusting ...
How to prep/pre-treat the correct materials from oils in mfg?
What to treat prepped materials with to remove zinc coating?
What concentrations of suggested effective solutions to achieve rapid red rust?
What conditions to be in for best outcomes - Weather - Heat - Humidity?
Suggest working with materials after in place or on ground prior to installing?
Project 4,000 SF 1890's house/porches wanting good metal roof with real red rust surface.

24233

Freddie Dwozan
Project Owner - Eastman, Georgia USA

Q. I am going to be using GALVANIZED steel sheets to do a kitchen back splash. What is the best way to distress it? I know that water/humidity will naturally create white rust. I was looking for a more distressed look than that. What products work best? Thank you in advance

Sunny Roller
steel - Benton, Arkansas, United States
December 29, 2016

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