Help making sheet steel look 100 yrs old

[yomax4]

Acid or instant gun bluing both work Acid is less cost but a little nasty. Both will make the steel look old and they will protect to a degree as well.

 

[rsallen]

Sorry,
It won't really matter what you do, the front portion is going to be worn to bare metal from foot traffic either loading the stove, cleaning the stove, walking by the stove or from standing in front of the stove to catch a warm up on the back side.
And needless to say any water from boots etc then is going to cause rust.
You'd be better off to start with that type and coloration.

 

[Sodo]

Some great help here thanks a LOT!

I have 9 sq feet to treat, is that a Lot of bottles of gun blue or brown? I dont mind if ot gets burnished by foot traffic, all the better to look "old".

What does the finish look like with muriatic acid? I have a bottle, can try it on the backside but its pinned by the stove at the moment....

 

[wroughtn_harv]

The acid is the same as sand blasting it clean. Immediately the surface will start to rust. If you want to have some real fun find a sheet of quarter inch plate the size you want and then hammer tone it. I have a dozen or so hammers and rotate them as I do the hammer toning. It's a lot of work but when you're done the effect is special. Hammer tone it and then wash it with a muriatic acid solution and then let it sit for a bit.

Some great help here thanks a LOT!

I have 9 sq feet to treat, is that a Lot of bottles of gun blue or brown? I dont mind if ot gets burnished by foot traffic, all the better to look "old".

What does the finish look like with muriatic acid? I have a bottle, can try it on the backside but its pinned by the stove at the moment....

 

[rsallen]

Uh uh uh it's been a long time since I used any muriatic acid but from what I remember about it, I wouldn't want to play around with it in an enclosed area.
The color you see the sheet now is a patina. I don't know if it's applied for protection till it's used or just is a natural stage the steel goes through but I suspect it's applied. It can be part of the final solution but I've found to get a consistent effect that coating/hardened(?) surface needs to come off.

For the moment I think you'd be farther ahead to go down to the local gun shop for a bottle of instant bluing do a bit of hand roughing up with some emery cloth apply the gun blue and finish it off with a light coat of oil from an oil damp cloth. That'll give something something that blends a bit better with the decor. It's a very thin etching without much protection but maybe it'll get you through the winter while you work on something that'll be more satisfying in the end.

 

[arrow]

Fire will surely make it rust and look old but likely will warp the heck out of it. If you are looking for a rusty look, nothing beats salt water to bring on the rust. Wipe it down with acetone or other degreaser and then brush only one side (I wouldn't think you want to rust the bottom side)with salty water and let is set outside for a few days till you get the rust bloom that you want then rinse it thoroughly with clean water.

Fire will only singe it. Keeping it on a fire bed for half a minute will not warp it and I should have stipulated that when I first gave the suggestion. Bleach actually does beat salt water for almost instantaneous rusting and is why you have to rinse it off once the desired effect is achieved.The op seems to be looking for another finish however.

 

[Brad_Blazer]

If it's 100 years old it will have some texture, random dents and scratches and the exposed edges will have that dull polish from traffic. Darker at the stove legs where it's protected from wear and cleaning. Polish and deburr the edges and corners with a flap disk on an angle grinder. Hammer, file, needle scaler Wel-Bilt Air Needle Scaler — 5 CFM, 90 PSI | Air Needle Scalers| Northern Tool + Equipment get the effect you want, then use a wire brush on an angle grinder to blend it in. Then the gun blue & brown. Actually an alternative for color is to heat it carefully with something like a weed burner torch. Pick a color from the tempering index. Tempering (metallurgy) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Protect it with clear-coat or paste wax.

 

[Sodo]

Brad_Blazer, caps, THATS exactly what I'm after!:thumbsup: Thanks very much for this.

 

[ChristianHF]

For a cheap rust patina try this:

4 parts white vinegar, 1 part hydrogen peroxide 1/2 part of salt. Not my recipe but one I found on an artist blacksmith site. Certainly a cheaper alternative than little bottles of gun blue.

Chris.

 

[rsallen]

Surely Sodo you're not going to try Brads technique as that sheet lays now are you?

Assuming you're going to remove the sheet before you start, you'll want lay the metal on a flat smooth surface, perhaps a garage floor if nothing better presents itself.
22 gauge is very thin and is going to deform into and around every flaw of whatever is backing it as well as want to become warped off plane.
I suggest you start with a heavier gauge steel (say at least 14) for Brads technique but as you seem committed to this piece don't try it as it sits now.
But whatever you decide don't try to color that metal with heat while it sits on that wooden floor.