Faux Aged Metal

by OurRuggedWorkshop in Workshop > Metalworking

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Faux Aged Metal

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Hey Everyone,

I just want to share a super simple process we use to age new metal brackets for our decor items! This method can be used for any things you want to have an aged look on! This process is very simple and only takes a few items.

Materials:

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-Salt

-White Vinegar

-Peroxide

-A mixing cup (or something for the metal to soak in)

-Metal that you want to age

Optional:

-gloves

-measuring cups

Add Salt

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Now that you have everything we can begin the process. Start by adding the desired metal into a suitable container. Next, add about a tablespoon of salt. This amount may need to be more if you are doing this in to larger metal pieces.

Pour in White Vinegar

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Now that you have the metal and salt in your container, go ahead and pour in the white vinegar. You want to make sure to pour in enough vinegar to fully submerge the metal. Now we wait for the vinegar to do it's thing. You will want to let it stand for at least 4 hours, I normally let mine just sit overnight and come back to it the next day.

Remove Metal

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Now that your metal has sat in the vinegar go ahead and remove it from the container and pat dry. This is when I clean out the container and get it clean for the next step.

Peroxide Bath

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Now that the container is clean, or you have a new container, go ahead and add another tablespoon of salt and metal back into the container. Then add the peroxide to submerge the meta once again. This time you will only let it sit for about 30 minutes to an hour. The solution will start to bubble. DO NOT put a lid on the container, It will build up pressure and possibly blow the lid off or break your container.

Remove the Metal

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Now that time is up remove the metal and go ahead and dry it off. This should hopefully be the patina that you are looking for.

Add to Your Piece

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Now that your metal pieces are ready go ahead and add them to wherever you need them. This is a super simple way to get that aged look without waiting years for it. Hopefully you have found this helpful and can use it to make some really neat projects!