Hobbyists & Industry luminaries alike learn on every visit
(we earn from 'affiliate link' purchases)

Curated with aloha by
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET

finishing.com -- The Home Page of the Finishing Industry

  The authoritative public forum
  for Metal Finishing 1989-2025

-----

Want steel table to rust quickly

I have made a metal table out of mild steel tubing and I want it to get evenly coated with rust. Once it is rusty, I plan to use a rust stopping product called Extend on it that turns the rust black. Ultimately I want to create a simple durable black finish on the metal and want to do it cheap and easy. I just wire brushed the table and have it sitting outside...but I want to make it get rusty quickly and evenly without using dangerous chemicals. How can I speed up the process?

Thanks!

Donna C [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
design faculty at a college - Amherst, Massachusetts
2003

Try a salt water solution.

James Totter, CEF
- Tallahassee, Florida
2004

October 25, 2008

Hi, Donna. I'd say repeatedly spritz it with a mix of vinegar ⇦in bulk on eBay or Amazon [affil links] and salt and water, preferably while leaving it in the sun.

Regards,

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

(No "dead threads" here! If this page isn't currently on the Hotline your Q, A, or Comment will restore it)

Q, A, or Comment on THIS thread -or- Start a NEW Thread

Disclaimer: It's not possible to fully diagnose a finishing problem or the hazards of an operation via these pages. All information presented is for general reference and does not represent a professional opinion nor the policy of an author's employer. The internet is largely anonymous & unvetted; some names may be fictitious and some recommendations might be harmful.

If you are seeking a product or service related to metal finishing, please check these Directories: