Look at that beautiful aged metal.
recycled art projects like my table leg dragonflies and butterflies.
Please use your own judgement when mixing ingredients, even "natural" ones.
pieces and parts I choose from when I'm creating.
pieces need a little help!
I've tried lots of different combos for aging metal.
but my new process seems to work the best for me.
This is the body of one of my Architectural Angels I made a while back.
Those are metal roofing nail discs that I aged with hydrogen peroxide and salt.
fine but my latest recipe includes vinegar as well.
I used the combo with the vinegar after loosely following these instructions I found online.
By loosely, I mean I didn't use a degreaser and I didn't measure anything.
After I had the basic idea I just combined ingredients to see what I could get.
pieces like wire, knobs, washers, house numbers or whatever I have laying around.
I pour plain white vinegar to cover all the pieces and let soak for a while.
It could be a day or a few hours, it just depends on what I have going on.
I have found setting the tub in direct sun seems to speed it all up.
The vinegar helps to etch the metal so the peroxide and salt that I add later can work it's magic.
a big box of kosher salt on hand.
when left on metal, is corrosive and will cause rust.
peroxide and salt around and over the pieces to make sure they are all getting coated.
you don't need to worry about swishing it around.
on a big piece of cardboard and let dry in the sun.
Then I wait for it to dry to see what I get. It's exciting...really!
perfect for me. But if anything is not "aged" enough, I will put it in the next batch.
vinegar to etch or break through the tough coating/finish.
so the the hydrogen peroxide and salt could help them rust.
Shown here, rusty wire, metal strapping and roofing discs.
picture and mirror hanging supplies area of these stores.
Minwax Polycrylic to protect the finished piece.
I ended up using those clock hands on my country to funky cabinet makeover.
Thanks for stopping by to check out my rust technique!
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Thanks for the very helpful instructions.
I love this technique. I have hardware that was originally brass. I spray painted them black. Have you ever used this technique on spray painted hardware? Do you think I will need to remove the spray paint first?
Hi Roxy, I haven't done this on spray painted pieces but I bet the vinegar would help etch or eat through the paint finish so the peroxide and salt can get in there to age it.
Hello - I love this post! Do you use galvanized steel wire? And do you coat your items with something to keep the rust from coming off?
Hi Cheryl, yes the wire was galvanized. The vinegar seems to help etch the finish so the other elements can get in there and cause rust. Some rust will come off on your hands as you are working with the wire but after my project is complete, I seal with spray clear sealer or brush on clear Minwax Polycrylic.
Does anybody know if this finish will hold up outdoors? I'm making some large sculptures from tin cans. I've read that some of these rust finishes can actually wash off??? Thanks!
Brandi, as I mentioned in the post, I've had residue of the rusty result come off on my hands when working with it but not the whole finish. I don't believe the whole finish would wash off. I have always used a spray sealer to seal the finish but mine were indoor or covered outdoor use. Maybe you could do a test run of a couple of the pieces before adding to your sculpture to see what happens.