Aging or rusting corrugated steel panels

Aloha all!
Does anyone have a suggestion on how to rust corrugated steel panels? I've read using muriatic acid, but where would the best place to do that without making a huge mess? I don't want to kill my lawn or leave a huge stain on my driveway.
Thanks!

Fire and water are one way if the metal can stand heating. Metal that has been burned and put out with water always rusts fast, like the hood of a car after an engine fire. The downside is that it will burn off any paint too and can cause major warping.

I have seen people put small pieces in wet sawdust in a plastic storage container. Seems I have read of adding vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, salt, urine (ammonia), etc. Heat speeds up chemical reactions, seal the container and put it in the sun.

Google "Rust Patina" and you will find lots of specific info. Have Fun!

We bought our panels at Home Depot and tryed to get them to rust with several techniques with poor results. I'm sue there is a way, but we gave up and went with a simple fast solution. Red Primer from Best Do It Center. You don't have to cover it up as much as we did (Mrs. Fury painted them all before they were installed), but she did not want to much exposed due to reflecting sun for us and the neighbors behind us. Exposed underside was painted a flat brown.

Let us know if you find something better. Ours has been on for over 5 years with no visible fading. We also did not want rust to wash off into the Koi pond or stamped (wood pattern) concrete.

Are the panels galvanized? If so, that coating will have to be removed or at least have it's surface broken to get to the iron underneath. The iron is the element in the steel that's going to oxidize (rust). They will naturally rust eventually, but I take it you don't want to wait that long to get the look you want, so kick-starting the surface oxidation process is what you want to do. I don't think you have to go the muriatic acid and copper route. Caustic and toxic are bad bedfellows, and may eat further into the steel than you ultimately want it to. You want surface oxidation not structural corrosion. A mild acid that's kinder and gentler to yourself and the environment may give you what you want, albeit a bit slower than the muriatic acid and copper, just don't do it on your lawn or let the runoff go into your planted areas.

If it were me, I would use salt, vinegar, and water. Lightly abrade the surface (heavier if galvanized) with a paste mixture of salt and a little water using a scrub brush (or lay the panels on the ground and use a push-broom), then rinse with water (careful of the runoff, salt kills flora). I would then dissolve some salt in some vinegar (adding some water is an option) making a mild acid, then spray or lightly brush it on the panels and let them sit out for a few days. They won't show tons of rust immediately, but they should surface rust more quickly than normal.

Or you could always dunk them in the ocean.

Good luck to you.

Bear

[ Edited by: Brudda Bear 2011-05-23 18:26 ]

http://www.rustedmetalroofing.com/

Nice resource Ben.

Diesel, if you are talking about actual roof panels, my burning method won't work too well :D I thought you were talking about some sort of sculpture made of corregated metal. I don't think you can scuff new galvanized panels enough to get even appreciable rusting. Your best bets are Bongo's paint or Ben's website.

That is indeed a good resource. You still have to wait a while for the panels to rust though...

Material does not arrive pre-rusted. Panel will rust naturally with exposure to the weather.

And this from their FAQ;

What do I have to do to get the roofing to rust ?

Nothing. This material will rust on its own if left exposed to the weather. Getting the material wet will increase the speed in which it rust.

Does it come pre-rusted ?

Currently it does not, but for a premium price it could be done. Unless you have money to waste let nature do the work.

I'm guessing their stuff either isn't galvanized or at least not the same way as most of the galvanized panels I've seen. I like that they've included photo examples of how their panels weather; Stages Of Weathering Within a few weeks it looks nice and aged.

Thanks for the resource, Ben.

Bear

If you want the panels to keep their integrity, buy some iron powder varnish the panels sprinkle, the powder so it sticks to the varnish and spray with vinegar, 10 minutes later you will have rutsed panels.
You can also use the powder only in certain ares which would give a patchy look

Wonder what Coca-Cola would do? Skaters use it to get a rust overnight on non-galvanized steel pipe (used as coping on halfpipes)...

No offense to anyone posting above, but is this topic for real? I thought from the title it was a joke or euphemism or something.

Just this morning I met with a sandblaster about removing rust on some steel beams. Would anyone like me to post a new General Tiki thread discussing the exciting details? Scratch that - I'll just use the search feature and post in one of the existing General Tiki threads about rust removal on structural steel.

(OK, now I'm kidding, but really just a friendly suggestion to consider when something is truly offtopic for these forums)

-Randy

I don't think we are off topic at all. A good deal of discussion here is focused on tiki bar building materials - thatch, bamboo, rattan, as well as lighting, water features, tropical plants, etc.

As far as the original inquiry is concerned, if you want the rusted corrugated metal look, you might consider a product called Ondura, an asphalt composit roofing material available at your local big box building store. I used brown, but it also comes in a reddish-color.

Moved from General to the Home Tiki Bar Forum.

Right where it belongs.

Thanks Hakalugi.

Bear

Wondering if anyone has any new or other ideas for making new galvanized roofing look old?

Just a quick reminder of what someone said earlier...an actual rusty metal (not painted) will seep off the roof when it rains and stain concrete or anything else under it. It might kill any plants or mess up pond water too. If you want a real rusted roof, you should probably seal it with some kind of clear coating made for roofs (UV protected and whatnot)