Aging Sheet Metal

To help with this there is a protective coating on the metal to prevent aging.

Aging sheet metal. Natural aging occurs throughout the life of the metal alloy. Spritz the metal surface daily without wiping off the excess allowing it to sit overnight. Galvanized metal is usually zink or iron with a coating of steal sealed over it to prevent it from rusting. Carefully mix together about a cup of vinegar a cup of ammonia two tablespoons of salt a clump of steel wool this will dissolve over time adding oxidized steel to the mix and a few pennies.

The best part is you probably already have all. Artificial aging is a process that is used to accelerate the formation of precipitates in a solution heat treated metal alloy to a rate that is much faster than the. The planter is a little too shiny for my liking so i thought i d try my hand at aging it to give it a more rustic farmhouse look. During the natural aging process super saturated alloying elements within the metal alloy form what are known as metal precipitates.

Here s a way to speed the natural process of the steal coating wearing off. In this post i ll show you step by step how to age galvanized metal the super easy way. To further age the metal in a more controlled fashion you can fill a spray bottle with vinegar dilluted with as much salt that the solution can hold. Stonegable s aging galvanized diy.

Since we are trying to do the opposite and speed up the aging process we want to weaken the protective coating as much as possible. You ll be amazed at how beautifully this turns out. We can get that look at home and it doesn t require much time at all. These precipitates block dislocations in the metal increasing the strength and hardness of a metal alloy while reducing its ductility.

To make a piece of galvanized metal look old and rusty and chippy and have a wonderful patina takes years of outdoor wear.