Rusting Mild Steel......On Purpose

[Seano]

Ok all you learned gennnnlmen, what is the best thing to use to rapidly rust mild steel, I have not lost the plot, it is for a very specific purpose, only talking a out very thin steel sheet 1 - 1.2 mm.

Sean.

 

[brightspark]

Ok all you learned gennnnlmen, what is the best thing to use to rapidly rust mild steel, I have not lost the plot, it is for a very specific purpose, only talking a out very thin steel sheet 1 - 1.2 mm.

Sean.

sandblast it and leave it out in damp will rust in 5 mins

 

[penfold]

Dunk in acid of some kind, or even salty water, every so often; leave outside between times. You could also have accelerated corrosion by using the steel as a anode in a rust-removal electrolysis bath.

 

[GrahamGKD]

I use ammonium chloride to rust my sculptures if I am in a hurry – it can be bought on ebay. If you do a search on this forum you will find other threads relating to it.

 

[ChrisJohnsSculpture]

A mixture of hydrogen peroxide and vinegar is pretty effective.

Although it might seem a bit counter intuitive, thoroughly cleaning and removing any surface scale will steep up the rusting process. This is particularly true for hot rolled stuff. You can get a layer of rust on the scale but it tends to flake off pretty quickly leaving more mill scale underneath.

The important thing is that if you use anything to accelerate rusting you need to stop it once the rust has got to the stage you want eg by washing and neutralising acids.

 

[Seano]

I use ammonium chloride to rust my sculptures if I am in a hurry – it can be bought on ebay. If you do a search on this forum you will find other threads relating to it.

Well done Graham, I new I had seen something like that name a short while back, pm One of chunko's posts .......... and what would be the neutraliser for it ?

 

[Wedg1e]

sandblast it and leave it out in damp will rust in 5 mins

Too bloody right, I blasted several bits of my TVR a couple of weeks ago intending to throw some paint around... it hasn't stopped raining since so they all need doing again.

 

[Wedg1e]

Well done Graham, I new I had seen something like that name a short while back, pm One of chunko's posts .......... and what would be the neutraliser for it ?

Sodium pentathol?

Polyethylene terephthalate... Polytetrafluoroethylene... er... Monosodium glutamate... Hydrogen peroxide... ummm... Deoxyribonucleic acid...

 

[Ragnarok]

i seem to remember mythbusters rusting steel prison bars very quickly with salsa and a radio

 

[bigbadbugga]

Stick a Fiat badge on it.

It will definitely rust then.

 

[chunkolini]

Ammonium chloride, scrub it on with a scouring pad then wash it off.
Neutralising it?
Once you have done it it seems to settle down.
I have stuff made of 1.2mm steel that have been outside for years with no problems.
Good point by chrisjohns.
Hot rolled steel behaves strangely. it seems as though the oxide layer rusts, then a layer of rust develops below it and slowly lifts the first layer off and it goes all flaky. Eventually it stabilises becomes an even layer that is bonded.

 

[GrahamGKD]

Well done Graham, I new I had seen something like that name a short while back, pm One of chunko's posts .......... and what would be the neutraliser for it ?

I just wash it off with loads of water - I haven't noticed any ill effects on things I have used it on.

 

[Seano]

Excellent, so no other chemicals involved, and in answer to the hot rolled steel comment, I will be using cold rolled sheet.....to produce this kind of thing.....

http://www.jamestrussart.com/models_detail.php?id=2y

 

[jonnyBMX]

Stick a Fiat badge on it.

It will definitely rust then.

or a ford badge!

on another note i have always found salt water to promote it nicely

 

[KemppiFrog]

One of my clients likes her stuff rusted. Mostly 1mm cold rolled. I use hydrochlorique acid, dipped and brushed, then leave them outside for as long as it takes. If very dry (hah!) damp them down with a mister, but the dew normally works.