RUST

Fred,

If I'm not mistaken, it was from Forum member SIRT. I believe he used baking soda to simulate rust.

It was the process of taking metal shavings and putting them in a jar with vinegar. After a couple months it makes a solution that you can brush on that looks identical to rust.

I made some up, but haven't really played with it too much. I can say, when I brushed it on some scrap pieces, it looked pretty good. It's been sitting in a Snapple bottle on my bench for about 8 months, getting darker, rustier, and nastier looking every day.

The original recipe calls for extra fine #0000 steel wool in white vinegar. It doesn't take any where near that long to disolve.

But I'm not sure that solution is what he's looking for.

It's not really a dipping sauce.  

The old sweet & sour from Prof. W. Wesolowski, and I'd wager it's not what hes looking for as well - not usually used on metal surfaces.  And not on pork either as far I know,

And, I'd be a little cautious about storing it in a sealed bottle too long - it does develop pressure as it ages from hydrogen generation,

It'll work on metal. In fact, if you store it in a jar with a metal lid, it will eventually eat through the lid.

Or so I've heard.

....while playing a couple of Tool CDs,

thanks, guys, it was the steel wool and vinegar formula I was looking for. Any more info on that would be appreciated.

Fred Dole

From: http://www.ndrr.com/rmr_faq/models/Weathering.htm

Sweet and Sour Weathering Add one pad of 0000 steel wool to one pint bottle of household vinegar (5% acidity). Allow the mixture to sit for three to seven days.
While mixture is brewing don?t screw cap on too tightly as the mixture gives off small amounts of hydrogen gas that needs to escape to avoid breaking the bottle.
Use a plastic bottle instead of a glass bottle for safety.
Use a piece of glass longer than your longest piece of stripwood.
Dip a #6 or larger brush in the mixture and moisten the glass.
Place the stripwood onto the wet glass.
Make sure the wood is placed entirely in the wet area.
The glass and solution will create an adhesion that will help to eliminate any warpage that might be caused by wetting the wood.
Dip your brush in the mixture and liberally soak the wood.
Apply an extra amount to the ends of the strips.
Let the wood dry or if you are in a hurry, use a hair dryer set on the highest setting and begin to dry the wood. Continue drying the wood until it blows off the glass.
The wood surface not touching the glass will take on a light red tone.
The side of the wood next to the glass takes on a steel-gray appearance. If you want it red repeat the process with the steel-gray side away from the glass.
If you want a darker tone repeat the process as many times as you need.
To obtain a steel-gray appearance on both sides of the wood, place the wood into the solution and bring it to a boil on top of the stove.
After the solution comes to a boil, pour the mixture through a strainer into the bottle.
Allow the wood to cool and while it is still wet, place it on the glass to dry.
Don?t force it with the hair dryer.
Alternate method.
Precut wood to its final size.
Place the wood on the moistened glass.
Cover the wood with aluminum foil.
Smooth the foil over the wood to hold it in place.
Mark the foil with a soft lead pencil with the spacing you want for nail holes.
Use a straightedge and a rivet embossing tool and lightly run the row of nails along the aluminum foil.
Wet the top of the foil with the solution and apply the hair dryer.
After the solution has evaporated, peel back the foil and there will be a row of rusty nail holes on aged gray stripwood.
Alternate method 2
Instead of using a hair dryer, moisten a brush in hydrogen peroxide and spread it over the wood.
Instantly the reddish color normally produced by the hair dryer will appear.
Use caution as too much hydrogen peroxide will cause the color to run.

The "sweet and sour" weathering method was written up in an article in Railroad Model Craftsman, January,1986, authored by Dwayne Easterling and Jim Wild.

At the end of the article, there's a column from Wayne Wesolowski that gives an explanation of the chemistry that makes it work.

Martin, you're holding back.

Easy 10 minute Rust –

Here are the colors but how to paint as an artist is a long story.

Start with the lighter colors thinned with water.

Let dry between layers.

Dullcote can be applied on each step but is not mandatory.

Apply darker thicker colors last.

I use cut up fan and stipple brushes along with cut up pieces of foam sponges.

Magic 4 colors –

99 cent Apple barrel paints are found at Wal-mart and crafts stores –

20524 Golden Brown

FolkArt 2703 Pure Orange

Any Burnt Sienna

Any Burnt Umber

Practice using some Plexiglas or plastic junk until you find the best look and combination of colors.

Lasting results will be observed in a matter of minutes.

Heavy texture Option - Baking soda or Woodland Scenics snow works but may need to be repainted.

It depends on indoor climate conditions. Some parts started turning white after a year either on plastic or metal.

The technique has been scrapped at least on operating freight car couplers.

I've noticed that phenomenon myself.

how about rusting metal or plastic; 1:43 cars and trucks especially.

Fred