Antiquing or coloring galvanized sheet metal

A. One episode of HGTV featured a home with kitchen cabinets that had large galvanized metal hinges and door pulls with a rustic appearance. I believe they mentioned that apple cider vinegar, when left on the metal for a while, will "antique" the metal. It looked great, but I have not tried it.

A. I have submerged galvanized tins in a mixture of white and apple cider vinegar and left them overnight. They look fantastic, never know they were new.

A. I do a lot of tin punch , and I use Galvanized metal because it is easy to find and it is cheap. To remove the Galvanized coating I use a solution of water and Muriatic Acid [linked by editor to product info at Amazon]. Mix the solution in a plastic tub . I mix about one gallon of water to one cup of acid. Please wear protective gloves [linked by editor to product info at Amazon] when using this solution. Once it mixed it is not severe if you get it on your skin, but you will want to wash it off ASAP. read the cautions on the bottle . Place your pieces in the solution and make sure all surfaces are covered. Do this outside or in a well ventilated area. The stuff stinks! Check your piece every 10 minutes or so and flip it over about half way thru. You'll get the timing down after a few tries. When you think the piece is done to your satisfaction rinse it off thoroughly with water . When this is done let it dry completely. Use steel wool [linked by editor to product info at Rockler] to buff out the finish and then seal with a protective finish as the metal will rust quickly if you don't. I use a clear lacquer spray on my pieces. just be careful with the muriatic acid . It isn't too bad to handle once you've diluted it. Never use it full strength. Hope this helps you out.