How to get this finish

[Johndeere87]

Have a customer wanting this type of finish on a piece. Kind of a rustic look but I have no idea how to do it where it stays like this.

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[Capstone]

The piece you're presenting as the example looks like its just been exposed to various elements. Assuming it's sheet metal you'd be hard pressed to achieve that with anything but a few years of it just lying around and even then, you couldn't freeze the process. If it were me, I'd ask a lot of questions about this piece of the customer and how it got that way and then let him come to the conclusion that it's not likely to be recreated without the exact same conditions.

[Gamelord]

Check with Steel FX, I am sure he has some patina that will achieve the same effect. Then clear coat over it to preserve.

[gamble]

Cut it and let the water from the table splash it and just let it sit for a few days

[lobsterlift]

if its cold rolled material, you can make it look 100 years old in days....lay your part flat and level, wipe clean with acetone to remove and oils. get a hudson sprayer with a fine mist. use bleach in the sprayer.

obviously its bleach, so use in a appropriate location and with proper safety "stuff".

spray a light mist over your project. if its in the hot sun it will rust before your eyes.

if its fabbed from hot roll. you must remove the blue mill scale. i use muriatic acid. its great for dross removal also. then wash off and apply the bleach. test it on scrap metal to see the finish.

bleach will rust red brown. the more coats you apply the deeper and richer it becomes. if you want to turn the rust black, rinse off bleach dry, and apply CRC rust converter. your rust will be gray to black.

^^these are general ideas. you will need to experiment with it. BE CAREFUL WITH ACID, BLEACH, AND MIXING CHEMICALS.

[Maadman]

I do all my letters just like lobsterlift suggests, works well. I then bake them in an oven at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes, then turn off heat and let them sit for a day. I end up with a total rust over the metal. I then clear coat to prevent future rusting. The customers love it!!!!!!!!!!