#Brass forced patina install
#Brass forced patina skin

#Brass forced patina install

They will be fairly rusted overnight however, the longer you wait, the more consistent the rust colour will be.Īfter you have waited a few days and are happy with the colour, you can wipe off the excess rust with a rag and then install your parts Once the mill scale has been removed- generally it should be within 30 minutes, you can wash it off.Īfter the mill scale has been washed off, the quickest way to get your items to rust it to leave them outside in the elements. Like the patina, it is a nasty chemical that requires protective gear.Ĭoating the steel in this chemical will quickly start to remove the mill sale This is a mixture that contains hydrogen chloride and water. To do this, we use a product called 'spirit of salts'. To rust steel, this layer of mill scale needs to be removed. This mill scale also protects the steel from corrosion (to a point). A lot of people love this look as it gives the steel a beautiful and natural look.

This happens in the manufacturing process in the steel mill.

Steel over 3mm thick will always come with a black layer called mill scale. It is best to seal the metal as soon as possible once you have finished as even though the acid has been neutralised, it can still change.Īfter you have finished, make sure that you dispose of all of the chemicals correctly and do not put them down the sink. Once you have achieved the colour that you want, you will need to use water over the area to neutralise the acid reaction. This is the part where you need to use your judgment as there are a lot of factors that can affect the outcome of the colour and even if you do the exact same process, the next part may not be the same and you may need to do this more or less times. You may need to do this process 10-20 times until you get the desired colour. Whatever way that you choose to apply it, the number one thing that you need to remember is that you will apply it, and then quickly wipe it back off with a clean rag. Other ways to apply the acid can be with a brush or a rag that has been sitting in the solution. A gravity fed gun with a plastic cup works best as the plastic will not corrode however the insides of the gun still can. We have found that you need to act quickly as the acid is corrosive and can easily damage the gun. Any pooling or running of patina will result in different reactions showing up in those areas. If we are doing panels, then we will apply it with a spray gun with the panel lying flat.

Any finger marks or other imperfections will have the patina reacting differently in these areas.ĭepending on the situation will change how we apply the patina. Generally we will first use scotchbrite as this helps the patina bite in to the metal and then we will use a thinner. The acid needs to be diluted with water- We generally dilute it 50% remembering the golden rule of working with acids- always add acid to water and never the other way around.īefore applying any acid to metal, you will need to make sure that the metal has been thoroughly cleaned.

#Brass forced patina skin

First we need to make sure that no skin is exposed and that we have all of our safety gear on including gloves, respirators, and eye protection and that we are in a well ventilated area-These acids are nasty!