Letter 7073

Rusting Altoids' Tins 

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Anyone have any suggestions on how to rust small tins, like Altoids? I want to make them look old.

Margy Houtz
- Los Olivos, CA USA

I would suggest that you rough up the surface a bit with sand paper and then wet them well with a salt water solution. Put them outside in a damp environment. Repeat the process until the desired effect is acheived. Question: are they made of tin or aluminum??? Good luck.

Jim Fergusson
- New Orleans, LA

Try soaking them in water with a bit of table salt & Clorox (sodium hypochlorite) added to it. It won't take too long to severely corrode them, so keep an eye on your process!

Dale Woika
Surface Conversion Sciences - Bellefonte, PA, USA 

I work at the main factory that makes all the altoids tins we made 135 mil last year they are not made of tin or alli just plain steel if you want to make them look old put them in coke not the coke you sniff but the coke you drink. We made all the heart shape tiny tin and big tin . We have made altoids tins for the white house with the seal of the president on them. They will be very rare as we only made about 1000. We also make the new sour press top tins for the same firm that make altoids mints. We also make most of the tins that whisky is sold in.

Stephen Daniels
- Mansfield, Notts, England

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