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  for Metal Finishing since 1989
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Rust to Gunmetal

2004

I am a conservator at an art restoration company. I have a table that has a kind of gunmetal (gray-blue-black) look. The table has rust in the center of it. There is a finish look to it, I have tried naval jelly ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] and Jax Patina [affil links] metal finishing solution to change the color with out using heat. I am concerned that if I did use heat it would change the look of the rest of the table. The work I am doing is helping, but it is not a real match. I would like to chemically change the rust areas and not have to use paint to get the color. What should I be using, I am setting here with the Fisher scientific catalog and I need direction.

Thank you all for you time.

'K' Rose
conservator - Newton, Massachusetts

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It's very hard to match something like that without a lot of trial and error, but it sounds like the finish may be gun bluing. This will have different looks depending on the smoothness of the underlying finish, so the rusted area may need to be buffed before bluing.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2005