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Seal/weatherproof Tim Burton-ish "rusted" steel garden gates?

December 1, 2010

hello,
I'm a metalworker in London, England. I've a really interesting commission to make some gates to keep deer from getting into a 'magical' garden. the design has been approved and has been described as organic, gothic, very Tim Burton...
I'll make them out of mild steel and I'd like the final surface to be mainly rust with patches of electro plated copper and bright spots of the extraordinary blues you get from applying ammonia. not sure exactly how possible this will be, but that's what I'm aiming for.
my question is how I can then weatherproof it. I realise it will in time all just rust but I'd like to hold the surface for as long as possible, specifically to stop the rust staining the stone path and walls. at the moment I'm looking at having the whole lot sprayed with a two part clear coat as that's the only solution I can think of. then someone told me about this site...
if anyone can offer any ideas or highlight potential problems I would be most grateful.
many thanks,
orlando.

Orlando Richards
metalwork design and manufacturer - London

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Hi, Orlando. I would expect an automotive 2-part clearcoat to be more durable than easy-to-apply alternatives. But we have dozens of threads here on rust finishes and sealing them. Patience with our search engine will uncover numerous threads that you might find interesting.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
December 2, 2010

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December 7, 2010

Ted,

I have indeed found plenty of the same sort of info in other answers. Apologies for not checking first.

Thank you though for taking the time to respond; this site is a tribute to your care and patience. This I know from many late nights spent on it...

Orlando.

Orlando Richards
- London, England

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December 7, 2010

Hi, Orlando, thank you for the kind words. The heart of the site is this, our public forum; so certainly no apology is needed for joining in, and I hope the readers will respond to your specific and very interesting situation. I simply mention the search engine as a resource because there are many thoughtful responses expressed in other threads which might not be repeated on this one.

Regards,

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

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Another way is to hot dip galvanize, (corrosion protection for 150 years), then powdercoat using one of the special metallic coatings simulating this finish you describe.

Geoff Crowley
Crithwood Ltd.
Westfield, Scotland, UK

December 9, 2010

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October 24, 2011

It all got a bit drawn out but I've now almost finished the gates and have attached an image of them (under construction) so you've an idea of what they look like.



My clients are now keen on them being hot dip galvanised for longevity, then will probably paint or powdercoat them, instead of the earlier sealed rust idea.

Rather than either of those I am thinking about passivating the galvanised zinc. I am led to believe it is possible... just not so common these days. I have never seen anything that has been finished in this way and can't think why it is not used frequently. In theory at least it seems an ideal finish for external metalwork.

Is this something anyone has done?
Does anyone have any images of what the final surface might look like?
Is there something I haven't understood that means it's a bad idea?
Can anyone offer a better alternative?

I would be most grateful if someone could shed some light on any of this for me.

Many thanks for your time,

Orlando.

Orlando Richards
- London, England, United Kingdom