Hello,

I need to make a large amount of rust paint. I've got a bag of steel wool in the cupboard that despite numerous DIY jobs is still taking up a lot of space - so I might as well use that as my starting point.

I've seen one method using vinegar and bleach - however it does sound pretty toxic and - given the chemicals involved - I am a little wary about how it'd react with any materials I may wish to paint it onto.

I'm beginning to think if simply good old air and water might not be the best way to get the desired effect - and also the least nasty.

What are your preferred methods for creating rust paint using steel wool?

A

Well I've never tried the wool method, but heard it works. I use the real thing on all my wrecks. Mother nature supplies it for me. all you need id a container and fine metal sand paper. Simply find some rusted metal and start sanding. I have four shades of rust I work with, from light yellow/orange to dark rust. You can apply the rust with thinners, water or dry.
Here are some links to give you an idea how my rust method looks.


https://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/132946&page=1
https://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/130947&page=5
https://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/129931&page=1

Hope this helps you.

Rob

Wow Rob - that is exceptional.

I was thinking about fiddling about with paint stripper for a distressing effect - I'd not heard of the crackle stuff. V interesting.

I do need quite a large amount of rust - it's for a dio of a rusted metal room (a bit like the interior of an derelict ship or sea fort) in 1/6 scale - the sanding method might be quite labour-intensive in terms of finding enough rusted metal and also time spent sanding it all.

A

Hey A

I know what you mean, lots of elbow grease. There is something else you might want to try. Check this link out, you can buy this stuff at craft stores. I haven't tried it yet but it looks cool.


http://www.migproductionsforums.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=3290

Rob

Hey Rob,

That looks very interesting. Many thanks for the hints!

A

If you want to go with the steel wool method . water and salt will work just fine , with the salt added to the water it speeds up the process of this . Mig pigmets also has rust in their line of powders . Never mix vinger and bleach together two acids don't make a right !

Hi Terri,

Do you know what proportions of wool/water/salt work best? Do you submerge the wool completely? Should it be a closed container?

I have to say vinegar AND bleach did sound a pretty ugly combination!

A

Hi Andronicus , You don't have to submerge the steel wool in water , if you did that it would take a long time for the water to evaporate . Place the steel wool in a plastic container old margarine tub would be just fine . In a glass fill it 3/4 for water ,tap water is fine . and add half a teaspoon of salt and mix really well . Pour just a small amount of the mixture on to the steel wool just enough to get it wet . Do not cover you need the air to get at it . check on it the next day and keep adding the water mixture as need until you are happy with the results you are looking for . You can always add more steel wool as well .

Not all steel wool is the same , just depends on how much iron is in the metal and this can effect the rusting process of the material . Hope this helps you !

Here is another way, that might work (still experimenting).

We are on a well here at my house, and have subsequent filters on the water line. The first one is for larger particles and such, the second is a charcoal filter for taste.

The one think I noticed when I changed them yesterday is that the old filters were covered with a brown mixture. Now I just assumed that this might be mud, but it was really, really fine. The previous owner said that the water here does have a high iron count.....so I am hoping that it is iron and not mud. Should be able to just try it out and flake off the iron, and use as is.

I put steel wool in pure vinegar, and left it on the hot water heater for a few weeks. I wasn't in a rush, so I let all the vinegar evaporate. What you are left with is a black mess. I own a mortar and pestle (the joys of having a chemist for a wife, I get access to some good toys!) and pulverized the leftovers into a very fine rust powder. It turned out pretty well! Play around by cutting your steel wool into smaller size and try different ratios to see what works best!

Jamie

Thanks for all the tips - really helpful -I knew I'd get help here. I am now going to be avoiding any vinegar and bleach cocktails!

Terri - your saline method sounds the easiest to accomplish - cheap ingredients and therefore easier to manufacture in the quantities I think I'll need.

Jamie I will experiment with the vinegar method too - it'll be useful to compare results.

Many thanks all - if you have any further suggestions keep 'em coming - I'll be v interested to read them.

A

Lets know how you made out with this .

Will do Terri - thanks.

My favorite rust producer is this cheap pizza pan. It cost about $4.00 and produces lots of that bright orange rust as fine as talcum powder. I leave it outside and it will trap rainwater which I allow to evaporate off. I shake off any leaves or debris that may fall on it, but otherwise I don't do anything else with it. When I can rub my finger across it and get rust on my finger tip I take a small stainless steel wire brush to it resting the edge of the pan on a sheet of newspaper. I fold the paper and pour the powder into a small glass bottle. This is about a week after getting a heaping tablespoon of rust from it. it sticks very well applied like weathering powder and goes on well with a clear or thinner. i recently got the LifeColor techsono sets that have a fixative type liquid among the finishes. I will try it soon.

I've got a tube full of Iron filings. Did a test the other.. a small 2cm square painted and then sprinkled with the iron filings. After the paint had dried I sprayed water on it, voila. Rust!