How to add pattern or faux etching to steel armour - Custom Steel Armour Part 1

In this video, I use bluing or blackening chemicals in conjunction with a stencil to create unique patterns on my armour.
The process is fairly simple, starting with removing the rust from the armour that inevitably builds up. I then use a degreaser to remove the oils and grease from the amour. I make a stencil on my Cricut and then apply it to the areas I want to have the pattern. Then I go through the steps with the 3 part blackening kit. Between step 2 and 3 I carefully use a scouring pad to rub over the armour in order to even the blackening out a little and dial it back slightly.
If you do not have enough chemicals to dip the armour in then it can still be done using a sponge and carefully covering the piece trying to expose it to the chemicals for the required time.
Items used.
WD 40 - amzn.to/3r1ck9r
Wire wool - amzn.to/3JwTk9a + amzn.to/46utBbd
Blackening / Bluing Kit - www.frost.co.u...
Pink stuff - amzn.to/434pz6L
Scouring pad - amzn.to/42XuUwB
Cricut maker 3 - amzn.to/44lh343
Black vinyl for cricut - amzn.to/3NxxNyr
Transfer Paper - amzn.to/3JzTJI0
Large bucket - amzn.to/3NwLHAG

[@CraftDViking]

Can confirm, looks great in-person, its nice to see how you did it and given me some idea's of what to do for mine.

[@thehermitworkshop2913]

Yes!!! This is what I want!! Looking forward to seeing what you come up with and thank you. X

[@anthonyclare6750]

Nice work, appreciate the effort

[@thehermitworkshop2913]

Thank you.!

[@markus4732]

Dude I found your channel by pure luck and it's sad to see how few subs you have for the quality of videos you produce! But then again it's a pretty niche hobby I guess haha Anyways I subbed and am hyped for more videos :)

[@thehermitworkshop2913]

Thank you very much! That's very kind of you to say, I enjoy making the videos and the items. I think at the start I thought maybe I could make this into a "thing" but then I realised I didn't like the pressure of churning it out and as you say, its pretty niche. With my work I get pockets of time where things are a little quieter but I am often working on a video in the background, they will be coming sporadically. Thanks again.

[@markus4732]

@@thehermitworkshop2913 Often times (not always) when people make their Hobbys to their jobs they lose the love for that hobby because they are always pressured to do it even if they don't want right now so I know exactly what you're saying. Also I have a question about this method - is it possible to "brighten" it up a bit If you overdo the darkening a bit? I want to use this to make my armour pieces a bit "dirty/gritty" as my character is traveling a lot. Shiny armour just doesn't work for that :) But I am scared that I just make it too dark. Or do you have other ideas instead for what I plan to do?

[@thehermitworkshop2913]

@@markus4732 100%! If you want to give it a bit more of an aged look then this is ideal as it's a very superficial way of colouring the steel. The chemicals only really affect the top layer of the metal and easily come off if not properly protected or if you want to dial it back. Just in the rinse stage, you can rub it a little harder with the scouring pad or steel wool. I have removed the etching effect on the shoulders as I felt they were a little OTT and not quite right for my character. I just went through the same cleaning process as when removing rust. I then reapplied the blackening chemicals to make them just plain black, softened them a little with a light scouring, and then oiled and done. It's a great method to experiment as you can always reverse it with a little polishing.

[@markus4732]

@@thehermitworkshop2913 perfect - thank you so much for taking the time to reply so detailed 🤗

[@thehermitworkshop2913]

@@markus4732 No Problem at all! I hope you can have some fun with the tinkering!

[@mckennainglett4633]

Would u ever do pieces for commission and ship it to people for sale i am curious ?

[@metalheadtribe]

Steel not steal! 😂

[@thehermitworkshop2913]

oops! Dyslexia strikes again! Should have corrected that now. Thank you