Wednesday, July 25, 2012

An Experiment in Rust

It's no secret I love old, imperfect rusty treasures.
Of course, most people would refer to my treasures as junk!

There are many tutorials on how to speed up the rusting process on metals containing iron and they definitely work great.

But what about plastic, wood, paper and,
well, basically any surface? Can they be rusted?

Believe it or not, they can!
Not faux rust. Actual rust!

These pieces are made of plastic.


Modern Masters Iron Paint actually contains iron and once you paint it on your piece it can rust naturally over time or you can instantly create rust with the Modern Masters Rust Activator.


I decided to experiment with several
different types of materials and objects.

canvas and paper
(I embellished the canvas with fiber ribbon and the paper with lace.)


fabrics and lace


plastics


metals


and a few other assorted materials
(cork, wood, shell & a blob of cured resin)


I painted each object with the iron paint and let them dry completely.
(I covered some pieces completely and spot painted a few.)


Then I brushed the activator over each piece. After five minutes I applied another coat of the activator. Within a few minutes the rust began appearing and after awhile this is what I had.


The aqua fabric that I spot painted turned out kinda cool.


I loved the effect on the canvas and paper.


And the resin blob is pretty interesting. A larger blob might look cool with a vintage photo showing through the back...hmmm....must remember that idea!


Since I will most likely be incorporating these objects into jewelry I thought it would be best to seal the finish with Renaissance wax.


And since I was just experimenting anyway, I decided to
rub a few of the rusty objects with some Gilders Paste
to add even more interest to the patina.





I definitely had fun with this experiment and will be doing more.

I also purchased the Modern Masters Bronze Paint Effect but didn't realize that it takes a different activator so I will need to get some of the correct activator before I can experiment with it.

I'll be sure to share my results...good, bad or ugly!

Thanks for stopping by!


40 comments:

  1. I'm drooling here with all this delicious R.U.S.T!!xoxo

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  2. Wow that is so cool and looks so 'real' - you can get some amazing products nowadays!

    Can't wait to see the jewellery you put together with them!

    Estelle xx

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  3. That is just the coolest thing! I love the idea of turning most anything into rust. What will they come up with next? Thanks for sharing!

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  4. How fun! I will have to remember this the next time I need a rusty object. Or, at least remember that my sister-in-law knows how to do this!

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  5. Oh my gosh I love love love this technique....where did you buy it? Susan - aren't you lucky to have Kathy as a sister in law!!!

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    1. I got my Modern Masters supplies through Amazon.com. I haven't tried it yet and can't wait to. I'm going to cover a wood box with plastic and metal trinkets, buttons and charms then use the rusting technique. I'll let you know how it worked out.

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  6. Wow!! I will have to buy this. I love that it works on so many different items!

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  7. That is so cool! I'll have to try it. Pinning!

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  8. Since I am a rust goddess, there is nothing on this post that I do not like I'll take a dozen of those. I love to put a rusty patina on lots of things, but I have never thought of lace. Thanks for the inspiration! Came over from Nifty Thrifty.

    Distressed Donna Down Home

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  9. Too cool...great to know! I LOVE rust :) Thanks, Laurel

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  10. Found this link today, on the Ingenious Inkling blog. FAB, appreciated post! I love grunge and distress and rusted pcs. BUT ... whichever paint-on formulas I've used, have left a rust "powder" or "grit" on the pieces, hence my project. Does this process have the same effect, so I would have to seal each pc? THANKS for advising. Gabby :)

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  11. OMG-and i thought i was the only one who loved the look...u did an amazing job in showing all the different objects--now i just have to figure out how to get this stuff to Israel:):)

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  12. I'm so glad I was able to locate this post again! I couldn't remember who had done all the leg-work on these products and wanted to give credit when I blog about my own efforts. I painted my first found objects in iron and rust just yesterday. Unbelievably, the one little store that carries Modern Masters here in Colorado Springs...ended up being about six blocks from my house.

    What you didn't mention was the STENCH of the iron paint until it dries. Work in short spurts so you can hold your breath =)

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    1. I'm near Springs. .can you tell me where to get it? Thanks a bunch! !

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  13. This is incredible! I can't wait to buy some!

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  14. What a great project! I can't wait to try it.

    Thanks for sharing.

    Pam

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  15. I loved this, I used to paint cold ceramics and did something like this. you did a great job of demonstrating, thank you;)
    Deb

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  16. Do the objects need a primer on them first or just go straight in with the metal paint??

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  17. Fantastic! this is the best thing I've learned in a really long time! I found the link on pinterest.

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  18. fun stuff girl
    you know how I love rust and patina.....

    is that stuff expensive??
    I have a couple of new brass door plates I would like to do but my patina/rust formula did not work on them.

    blessings
    barb

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  19. PS I found this on a Pinterest page....

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  20. Just saw this on Pinterest and always go to the source! Thanks for sharing! Pam

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  21. Wow, I'm impressed with your experiments. I have a shiney gold glass owl that I would love to make look like rusty iron. gonna give this stuff a try. Thanx for the posting

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  22. I have loved rust for a while, and when I told people way back when they looked at me like I had two heads.......Love your projects.........thanks !!

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  23. I love rust. All my pieces have rusty parts. People look at me strangely, too, when I'm picking up rusted bits in the alley. Some people just don't understand :)

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  24. Wow, these are great, thanks for sharing! I'm currently learning this technique in Michael DeMeng's Punk Fiction class..I believe it's what he uses to 'age' some if his assemblage sculptures. Happy creating!

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  25. This is great Kathy... thanks for sharing this.
    Susan
    Homeroad.net

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  26. 10 years ago, I often used a similar product manufactured by Modern Options. It rusted anything ... because, like this product, it was rusting the iron paint which I applied rather than the actual item. The rust did tend to flake off and, at the time anyway, that wasn't the effect that I wanted.

    http://www.PrairiePrimitivesFolkArt.com

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  27. Kathy, I love that I find some cool stuff on Pinterest to find that is YOU! This is awesome. I have some stuff I'd love to try this technique on. Thanks for sharing!

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  28. Ohhhhh I think I'm in love!!! I can incorporate this into sooooooo many of my awesome crafts! Thank you for sharing!

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  29. How amazing! The rust looks so real, even on paper.

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  30. Thanks for sharing. I love the effect. Does it need to be sealed?

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  31. hey girl
    I found you/your tutorial via Pinterest. Fun! and you know how I always try to rust things, but did not know this spray stuff would do anything. love it!

    Thanks for more and more ideas.

    be blessed. Hope your business is going great!

    barb

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  32. What a wonderful demonstration. I love being able to see the rust effect on so many materials. Thank you!

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  33. can this be done on corrugated roofing panels galvanized or not?

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  34. OMG! Just questioning how to turn a wood jardiniere into a rusted piece for my modern-rustic dining area...and today i discover through Pinterest your excellent tutorial. Thanks for showing....love all!

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  35. What a great post - I've been working with this stuff for years and can't live without it. Isn't turning plastic into rusting metal the coolest thing ever? Thanks for breaking it down so beautifully - I love your finished pieces!

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  36. Found your blog through Pinterest. This paint looks fantastic, does anyone know where I could get it from, I am in Perth Western Australia? Also would it flake off?

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I look forward to reading what you have to say. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment!

Have a great day!
Kathy