Need instant rust

A. I'd investigate ferric nitrate.

A. I suggest you will clean the parts from oil by any conventional method and put the part in salt spray cabinet conform to ASTM ASTM B117, within 15-30 minutes the steel will look rusted , if it will not enough leave the parts extra 30 minutes.

A. John Paul, after spending many years working to prevent rust on ferrous parts, I can give some pointers on how to rust your sign.

First, clean the sign to remove any traces of rust preventative oils. This is best done using a water based alkaline cleaner as the general test for a clean surface is that it completely wets with water (no beading or breaks in the water film after rinsing)when rinsed. Once you get the sign to this point, it may already begin to rust. If additional help is needed, dip the sign into an acidic solution. My choice would be a 1-2% hydrochloric acid solution although other materials would work equally well. Remove the sign from the acid solution and allow it to air dry. This should produce a very rusty surface.

A. Could you use an instant rust [affil links] product. It is essentially a powdered iron in acrylic medium. As corrosive salt and it will rust beautifully.

A. I came up with this method when I needed to match some old nails on a crate. Soaked them in vinegar [in bulk on eBay or Amazon] (or a stronger acid) to remove galvanizing. Then dropped them into a jar of Hydrogen Peroxide (3%) and added an equal amount of Regular old Laundry Bleach [adv: bleach/sodium hypochlorite in bulk on eBay or Amazon] and agitated. The nails looked 100 years old within 10 seconds (really). I guess the combination of an oxidizer (the bleach) and a source of Oxygen (the peroxide) sped up the rusting process drastically.