# How can you make aluminum look rusty



## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

and weatherproof chemically, NOT with spray paint?

I have alum rail (no track power), and wanted to use a chemical or chemicals that will make it look rusty. There's rust compounds at Michaels, but they aren't waterproof. Also, spray paint will wear off, as I want the TOPS of the rails to be rusty as well, simulating a little used spur.

If anyone knows the answer to this I'd be in great debt and gratitude.

Thanks

Dave V 


Incidentally, I am aware that copper sulphate is used for brass and white metal castings to blacken it. But i wanted to rustify aluminum


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## pimanjc (Jan 2, 2008)

I sprayed my aluminum track and the ties with Krylon Camo Brown paint to get that weathered look. If you use battery power, then don't worry about masking the top of the rail. If you use any variation of track power, then you either need to put a piece of masking tape on the top of the rail while painting, or use a sheet rock sander to remove the paint from the top of the rail. 

I use battery power on the line that was painted. Over time, the paint has worn off and it looks very natural.

Jim C.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Fertilizer with a high content of iron seems to make nice streaks when wetted. I use it to put "rust" on my SS track. 

Regards, Greg


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## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

Greg, you mean manure? Perhaps nitrogen and ammonia? 

Jim C., 

I WANT the tops of the rails to be rusty. That's why spray paint won't work else the wheels will remove it. I already know about masking the top, that's not what I'm trying to do. I want the entire rail including the top to be rust color. 

Dave


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## Lawrence Wallace (Jan 2, 2008)

This is corrugated aluminum siding, door frame is plastic. 



















This is what it looks like in the stores that sell craft supplies. 

Not to hard to do. It is not instant rust. But takes a couple of days to come all the way out. 
I followed the instructions on the bottles and am still playing around with it to get an orange rust look. 
It has a ruff feel to it after it's finished.


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## altterrain (Jan 2, 2008)

Dick Weatherby uses the Sophisticated Finishes too - 



















-Brian


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## pimanjc (Jan 2, 2008)

Michael's Hobby store has a product that produces a rust like surface on metal, plastic, and wood. 
JimC.


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

Yell at Manfred (Lotsasteam). I know he uses a product that chemicaly produces a rust finish..


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## altterrain (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Dave F on 16 Mar 2010 10:24 PM 
Yell at Manfred (Lotsasteam). I know he uses a product that chemicaly produces a rust finish.. 


On aluminum???

-Brian


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## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

I've got that product from Michaels and I believe it is water resistant, not waterproof. I've used it before with varying amounts of success on a variety of materials. I'm also unsure how it would stand up to wheel abuse. I'll check the label again. 

Says can be used outdoors but also says it is water-based. I've rubbed some off before so unsure if it would stand up to foot traffic as it is a ground line. I suspect spray paint would be just as good, although I've heard some bad things about the new Krylon pain formulas on a different forum. 

But thanks


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Disolve steel wool in vinegar, use it to stain the rails. 
Don't know how long it will last tho'


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

This section is from the "Henley's Twentieth Century Formulas Recipes Processes" encyclopedia, by Norman W. Henley and others. 

Decorating Aluminum 
A process for decorating aluminum, patented in Germany, prescribes that the objects be first corroded, which is usually done with caustic soda lye, or, better still, by a new method which consists in heating 3 parts of sulphuric acid with 1 part of water to 140° to 158° F., in an enameled vessel. Into this liquid dip the aluminum arti- 

cles, rinsing them off clean and then drying them well. The corroded articles are now placed in a bath consisting of 1,000 parts of alcohol (90 per cent), 1.50 parts of antimony, 250 parts of chemically pure hydrochloric acid, 100 parts of manganous nitrate, and 20 parts of purified and finally elutriated graphite. In this bath, which is heated to 86°-95° F., the objects are left until fumes develop around them, which takes place in a few seconds. Now they are put over a coal fire or similar arrangement until the alcohol is burned up and there is no more smoke. After they are somewhat cooled off, they are laid into cold water and worked with a brush, then rinsed with water and well dried. The pieces are now provided with a gray metallic coating, consisting mainly of antimony, manganese, and graphite. This metallic layer renders them capable of receiving a lacquer which is best prepared from 1,000 parts of alcohol (90 per cent), 50 parts of sandarac, 100 parts of shellac, and 100 parts of nigrosine (black aniline color). Then the articles are quickly but thoroughly rinsed off, dried in warmed air for a few minutes, and baked in ovens or over a moderate coal fire until they do not smoke any more and no more gloss can be seen. Finally they are rubbed with a cotton rag saturated with thin linseed-oil varnish, and the objects thus treated now appear dull black, like velvet. The covering withstands all action of the weather, so that cooking vessels coated with this varnish on the outside can be placed on the fire without injury to the coating. If the articles are engraved, the aluminum appears almost glossy white under the black layer at the engraved places. When the pieces have been provided with the gray metallic coating, colored lacquer may also be applied with the brush. In this manner paintings, etc., may be done on aluminum, while not possible on unprepared aluminum surfaces, which will not retain them. 
Easy Peasy!


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## FH&PB (Jan 2, 2008)

But I've heard you can also do it with fabric dye (like Rit). Use the caustic soda route to corrode it first (that would be NaOH sink trap cleaner, like Drano), then dip it in the dye. I haven't tried it myself, so I don't know what the result looks like, but it's simple and cheap, so you can give it a go without much risk (or having to hunt down those obscure chemicals). 

Let us know how it works, OK?


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## Richard Weatherby (Jan 3, 2008)

Thank You Brian. The product pictured by Yogi is what I used. It has been outside for almost 8 years. Sometimes small spots will flake off, but it may be spots where I missed with the primer or more likely from bird poop or squirel claws.


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Posted By FH&PB on 17 Mar 2010 11:02 AM 
But I've heard you can also do it with fabric dye (like Rit). Use the caustic soda route to corrode it first (that would be NaOH sink trap cleaner, like Drano), then dip it in the dye. I haven't tried it myself, so I don't know what the result looks like, but it's simple and cheap, so you can give it a go without much risk (or having to hunt down those obscure chemicals). 

Let us know how it works, OK? 

Big difference a century makes huh?...lol
A shoe dye might last longer than fabric....

An afterthought would be to spray the rail with a durable adhesive and while still wet dust with iron filings, let dry, add water. Voila!


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