No passwords, no registration, no paywalls, no popups, no AI

As an Amazon Associate & eBay Partner we earn from affil links

finishing.com -- The Home Page of the Finishing Industry

Search our quarter-million Q&As

Home of the finishing HOTLINE since 1989

-----

Rust designs and colors on steel sculpture

I've been making steel outdoor sculptures for several years. To avoid adding surface treatments that will only succumb to rust anyway, I leave some of my outdoor sculptures to rust nicely on their own.

57190-1 57190-2 57190-3

I'd like to add some visual interest by adding brown, yellow or reddish color variation to the eventual rust by treating certain parts of the clean new steel piece with acid or some other chemical which will then change the color of the rust that develops over time?

What happens if I "paint" acid onto an already rusted piece?

I assume I can add a design on already rusted steel with phosphoric acid so that the design will turn black? Is it better to use only phosphoric acid or to use a commercial "rust converter ⇦ on eBay or Amazon [affil link] "? What is the purpose of the additional ingredients in commercial "rust converter ⇦ on eBay or Amazon [affil link] s"?

Ed Russell
Sculpture - Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA
May 21, 2011

Sorry! Finishing.com is temporarily Read-Only.
Ted Mooney is retiring but I have several offers to take it over.
We're working hard to make sure we find it the best new home.

Disclaimer: It's not possible to fully diagnose a finishing problem or the hazards of an operation via these pages. All information presented is for general reference and does not represent a professional opinion nor the policy of an author's employer. The internet is largely anonymous & unvetted; some names may be fictitious and some recommendations might be harmful.

If you are seeking a product or service related to metal finishing, please check these Directories: