RUST F/X™ Tip:

QUESTION:

Hello Bill,

I have been using your RUST F/X and overall have been very pleased with the product. I have been getting inconsistent results though. I am using the product on 14 gauge steel that has been laser-cut. When I get the steel back from the laser-cutter, I clean the pieces with dish soap and water to remove the greasy film. I let dry and then spray with your product. During the summer, I spray them outside and get a nice evenly rusted finish. During the winter, I spray them in the basement and then get a finish that has a lot variation in color and texture. I get black areas, some areas rust much faster than other areas and also the texture ranges from smooth to the usual “sandy texture” rust finish. Am I do something wrong? How do I get a more consistent finish.

Thank you for your help!

Mark F.

ANSWER:

Hi Mark,

Warmer temperatures, both in ambient air & metal, aid in the rusting process using RUST F/X™.

A couple of things you can try:

Keep the area you’re working in as warm as possible w/o running up your electric bill too much. A space heater or infrared poultry (brooding) lamp, directed at the piece would be helpful.
Always try to keep the surface wet for the first hr. or two. Repeated mist applications of the RUST F/X™ (3 or 4) is helpful. Subsequent misting can be done with plain water, but not to the point of ‘run-off’.
Work with the piece horizontal whenever possible.

In the spring, summer & early fall, I prefer to do the rusting outside to allow the sunlight/heat to aid in the process.

One last thing you might try: (NOTE: I have NOT tried this, so I can’t personally vouch for it.) After 2, 3 or 4 Mistings of the RUST F/X™, and while the surface is still damp or wet, mist on some H202 (Hydrogen Peroxide). It’s usually in the strength range of 3%, as found in the drugstore or grocery store.

The reason this might work is simple: It’s an oxidizer, containing two molecules of Oxygen:1 molecule of Hydrogen.

3 things affect the speed & quality of the rusting process/finish: