How to quickly rust welded metal art

In this video I will be showing you how to chemically rust up your welded metal art projects for that ultra unique look! I will be showing you all of the supplies you will need, the recipe for the rapid rust solution, the procedure, some tips on how to mask certain parts, and the results of using a clear coat on this type of finish.
I decided to do a 2 tone finish on my welded sheet metal fox because of the results of a poll I put out where my subscribers wanted to see a rust/polished fox that looked similar to a real red fox coloring.
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Quick reference jump points in the video.
00:40 Movember cancer research fundraising
01:27 What supplies do I need for this?
02:22 What can I expect to see from this process - considerations?
03:34 The rapid rust recipe
03:56 Experimenting with the process to see the colors we can get
09:32 Masking up the fox to protect the polished areas
11:04 Rusting up the fox!!! Yikes!
13:23 Removing the masking tape to reveal the polished areas
15:08 Spraying on the clear coat
18:22 Final fox showcase
Wanna make the paper version? Link below
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This video is part of a new welding series called "How to Become a Welder"! This series is about anything and everything about welding including safety, setup, proper operation, diagnosing bad welds, and making cool welding projects.
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Disclaimer: These videos are intended for entertainment and inspiration. Working in a wood shop, metal shop, welding shop, or auto shop is dangerous without proper safety and experience. Always seek professional advice and training before using any power tools/machinery/equipment. If you have any uncertainty before performing any shop procedure, stop and get certified training so you can learn the safe method/technique. Do not attempt anything simply because you saw it in one of my videos. Be smart, use common sense, respect your power tools/machines, and be safe.

[@pheonixwood1]

This fox blew me away! My heart sank after the first coat of clear-coat. My favourite hobbies have become woodworking, metal working and fixing cars/things. Interestingly, one of the subject areas I most regret taking in high school is wood shop, metal shop and auto mech (and yes my grade, middle and highschool had all of those some 35+ years ago), focusing instead on the 'university path'. And this is without a teacher with an interest and passion in it that you clearly have! You do an amazing job, informative, interesting, funny, relevant. You are JUST the type of champion the trades need. I can't believe I haven't discovered your channel before now but glad I have now! Thank you and keep up the great work!

[@wayofthewrench]

Thank you very much for the kind words Rob! I do try very hard as a shop teacher and KZbinr to make the best demos/videos I possibly can so it's always nice to hear back from subscribers. If you deem me worthy, I'd really appreciate it if you could share my channel on your social media so I can help more people. Yeah the fox turned out nice but it would have been cooler to leave it the colour it was....oh well. Welcome to the channel Rob!

[@MultiMarty100]

What a great Channel😍! Thanx for all your projekts, ideas and tipps & tricks. nice greetings from Austria

[@wayofthewrench]

Thanks dude! Glad you like the channel! If you deem me worthy, I'd really appreciate it if you could share my channel on your social media so I can help more people. I'm a big fan of Vienna, I've spent lots of time there as my family live in Bratislava. Thanks for the watch!

[@kathrynspatuck726]

still looks amazing!! great work!

[@wayofthewrench]

Thank you very much Kathryn! Yeah Rusty turned out pretty nice and is chilling in my living room! Thanks for the watch!

[@dennisvanotterdijk]

Thanks for the great video and also sharing all your struggles! So much valuable info in your videos!

[@wayofthewrench]

Keeping it real! Life's all about learning and sometimes mistakes are the big lessons. Thanks for the encouragement and the watch! Cheers!

[@starlite369]

So glad you decided to rust it! Stunning

[@wayofthewrench]

Thanks! Yeah Rusty turned out great. He's chillin on my fireplace mantle watching Cobra Kai with me. Thanks for the watch!

[@sadhucat4476]

Beautiful work man, learning a lot from your techniques and struggles. Really appreciate you sharing the process

[@wayofthewrench]

Thanks Sadhu! Yeah it was a challenging but fun project and it turned out great. Glad you liked the video and got something out of it. If you found it entertaining, I'd really appreciate a share out on your social media so I can help more people. Thanks in advance and for the watch. Cheers!

[@lars-andersbrnn6927]

I feel my thanks need to bee conveyed! I'm currently reeducating myself with a welding course, and i have to say that i get so much more from watching your videos vs standing in ''those guys'' shop figuring out pros and cons by myself. so a big shoutout and lots of love and thanks 4 u mr. ''wrench'' for sharing your expertise and experience with wannabe welders like my self! :) (pardon my typing errors)

[@wayofthewrench]

Thanks Lars! I'm happy to help and I'm glad your enjoying the welding videos. If you deem me worthy, I'd really appreciate a share out on your social media so I can help more people. Thanks for the watch!

[@ArcanePath360]

It sucks when a project goes sideways and you end up making things worse with all the time and effort put in. I've been there so many times, but it's how we learn. And we take that into our future projects until we perfect them.

[@wayofthewrench]

Yeah you're right! Always lots to learn and improve for next time. Plus you guys get to learn from my mistakes too. Rusty might not have turned out how I wanted him but realistically he is still a cool project and won't leave rust all over my living room. Thanks for the watch!

[@ArcanePath360]

@@wayofthewrench I've learned that lacquer isn't great sometimes. I use it to seal my steel welds and it does protect from rust, however you loose the highly polished look. For some reason it takes a bit of the shine away. Maybe I'm not applying it right but I give at least 3 coats. I find I sometimes have to buff it with a car polish compound. Even when I use it on plastic 3D prints. I have started to use anti spatter spray and noticed it doubles as a protectant. It seems to add a wet look so I might just use that instead, at least on indoor projects not subjected to the elements

[@wayofthewrench]

Interesting. Yeah there's lots of different ways to do it. Kinda wish I just left it bare but then again, my wife would kill me if the rust went on the furniture. Cheers!

[@jonathankerner2094]

Great work - so kind of you to share and instruct. Why not use spray paint to get your color? Rust is neat, but hard to control.

[@wayofthewrench]

Thanks dude! Yeah you totally can spray paint it whatever color you like....but any Joe Shmo can spray paint. Nobody plays with rust and I love the way the color of rust looks great for a red fox. Plus I got to learn some new stuff and share it with you all. Thanks for the watch!

[@susantau]

i love your fox. I did like the brighter orange better, but it's still amazing!! As far as clearcoat, I have just discovered Flood Penetrol. It penetrates the metal, halting rusting inside the very molecules, while preserving the intended rust on the surface under a clear solid coat that's dry to touch in about 24 hours. Thank you for your video that helped me to understand the rusting process better . That's so cool how you masked out the fox's white fur!!

[@wayofthewrench]

Flood Penetrol eh? I'll have to look into that. Yeah I liked the look of the bright orange rust, I might redo the fox sometime in the future. Thanks for the watch!

[@susantau]

@@wayofthewrench I think this vid is where I learned about Flood Penetrol: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iaewap1uYt-Vr7c It's still going to darken the rust. I'm still looking for the exact way to end up with a brighter orange.

[@wayofthewrench]

Ya know, I think you just leave it rusty with zero coating. It will be really easy to scuff or wipe the orange rust though. It should self "heal" a bit but you'll see the scuff. Let me know if you find something that works! Cheers!

[@brosius85]

I've had matt finishes go milky like that. I think they have zinc in them that can react. I got away from matt finishes and stick to satin finish it's not reactive like that. Amazing work mate your commitment to the project and this channel is inspiring.

[@wayofthewrench]

Yeah it was kinda a kick in the pants to see it go cloudy/patchy on me.....oh well, this channel is all about learning and trying new things and it still turned out cool. Thanks for your kind words, I really do put a ton of effort into my content so it's nice to hear back from my subscribers. Thanks for the watch bruh!

[@rogersalgado10]

congratulations for the magnificent work! is there a specific site to download the images of the most varied designs and sizes are the plates cut manually?

[@wayofthewrench]

Thank you very much! I don't know of any but a quick google search, I'm sure you could find some pdf plans and/or pay plans you like. Thanks for the watch!

[@Un0wnn]

I was thinking what if you masked it the other way round ? protect the shiny parts with clear coat and then let the other parts rust it will take a long time to completely rust through even if you leave it like that.

[@wayofthewrench]

Yeah that would totally work too, I just wanted to try the chemical method and have something to show you guys. Thanks for the watch!

[@alanm3438]

Wow, the fox looks nice. I just bought a PDF of a dog. There was like 14 pages with 4 parts per page. I took each page to CAD and redrew them without the glue tabs but I did add relief cuts on the bend lines (just like you told me). That step took me 6 hours. Next I have to get all the parts on one page in CAD and then resize them. I used to rust and clear coat some things. I think that you did not rise it with clean water when you were done rusting. I used to prevent rust in the Air Force and to on purpose rust something just goes against my nature. 😃😃😃😃😃

[@wayofthewrench]

Nice, I'd really love to see your project when your done, send me a dm on Instagram. Yeah it's a lot of work but these projects turn out pretty sweet. Yes I think you are right, I didn't rinse the solution off because I didn't want to rinse off the rust but I did let it dry. I rinsed a sample piece and a lot of the cool rich red rust comes off so I didn't rinse the fox off. I also will probably never matte clear coat again as it kinda dulled the look of everything. Yeah rusting metal projects goes against my nature too, I'm a Tool & Die Machinist by trade. Thanks for the watch and good luck on your sculpture!

[@alanm3438]

@@wayofthewrench I just finished resizing my parts, X2, and the programs are ready to run. Now I have to see if I have enough steel to cut them all out.

[@wayofthewrench]

CNC plasma or laser?

[@alanm3438]

@@wayofthewrench I used to be a laser operator but got laid off in2019 at the age of 58. I have a CNC plasma cutter and I have been making metal art since 2013. I used the scraps of steel from work. I used to live just south of Milwaukee but now I live in north west Wisconsin. The towns are very small up here. Go to my KZbin channel and see some of my metal art. Thanks for your interest.

[@wayofthewrench]

Sorry to hear that. That's cool you have a cnc plasma, what brand do you have? Maybe you could dash cut the fold lines? I'll check out your channel, what's it called?

[@jeremietregret8280]

Beautiful job. I was wondering how much would you sell it? I am actually planning to do the same kind of sculpture and to make a bit of extra money. I am not a welder, so I have a lot to learn but I have few skills and I want to try… Anyway, thank you for your video, that inspired me.

[@wayofthewrench]

That's awesome that this video got you excited to try this! My job here is done. The funny thing about art is that it usually takes so much time and materials that the fair price for a piece is usually way higher than most people would ever pay. However, sometimes a person will pay more if they commissioned it or you start to have a name for yourself. This fox was a ton of work so I wouldn't sell it for less than $1500 but once again, people probably wouldn't buy it for that price. Thanks for the watch!

[@barrybritt2210]

humidity causes laquer to cloud up and turn white

[@wayofthewrench]

Yeah could be but it turned patchy almost like a chemical reaction. In retrospect, I would have left the fox in the perfect rust state and not clear coated it but it is what it is. Thanks for the watch!

[@angelmom916]

I loved it so much better when it was the shiny metal...If it had stayed the orange brown then it would be awesome...It also has some funky areas on front that should not have stayed silver....I would have just cleaned it up and clear coated it in a gloss....jmho...

[@wayofthewrench]

Yeah the final result was less than perfect. I wish I left it at the orange and silver but Rusty is still cool chilling on my fireplace mantle. Maybe someday I'll strip him and redo the finish. Thanks for the watch, cheers!

[@walter2670]

Looked better with paint wet. Maybe glossy would’ve been better. Overall fantastic job. A piece I would absolutely love to have.

[@wayofthewrench]

Thanks Walter, I agree. To be honest, I wish I didn't clear coat at all. Rusty is sitting on my mantel staring at me while I play pinball. Thanks for the watch!

[@ASHFILMS1138]

Terrific Work and a lovely figure in dear Rusty - Pro-tip having learned the hard way like you - Coating patina is it's own science and preserving the powdery matte and complex coloration of rusted steel is something we worked on for weeks - the only real way to lock that superficial rust as is is a lacquer specifically formulated to do just that - Permalac . Permalac Matte spray in a can will work, but it works far better and is more controllable using the canned ( non-aerosol) liquid through an airbrush . Note : Superficial reactive rust is not a true patina - real patina will effect the underlying base metal even when rinsed (Though it does still need to be sealed as well) Thanks, great channel.

[@wayofthewrench]

Thanks! Yeah the rust didn't come out like I thought but it's all good, as long as you're learning and having fun. Thanks for the tip, I'll have to try that Permalac in the can! Thanks for the watch!

[@ASHFILMS1138]

@@wayofthewrench Learning a tonne! After 25+ doing special effects for movies I finally got my first flux core machine and all the surrounding gear and about to make our first sparks in the next day or 2. I'll let you know if I still have all my fingers after my first beads. Nervous about making my first arc but excited too.

[@wayofthewrench]

You still have all your fingers?

[@ASHFILMS1138]

@@wayofthewrench Oh wow yes, but man that second finger that helps guide the torch sure gets cooked during long runs! I'm loving every minute of the work and we're generating far better finished work that I'd have dreampt 3 short months back. I might have to shoot you a link once everything gets photographed - it's partly thanks to you! (Just about to load my first 10lb spool...those 2lb'rs just don't last...!)

[@wayofthewrench]

Any pics yet?

[@tareq4841]

It looked so good before I think it would be better if you sandblast it and redo the rusting process

[@wayofthewrench]

Yes I would agree. I was thinking I might do that later when I have time, which is a way of saying it'll probably never happen as I am constantly moving on to the next project....right now I'm building a custom virtual pinball cabinet and starting a plasma cutting project. Ya know sometimes my videos tell a story and show the real process of projects and the mistakes/changes are a very real part of the process. So I'm ok with how Rusty turned out and my viewers and I now know all of the different "looks" that are possible for future metal projects. Thanks for the watch and the suggestion!

[@user-kq8tq5fi2g]

А мне кажется что фигура смотрится когда она чисто просто отполированна...и всё-просто чисто металлический цвет..а после покраски..превращается в какую то " топорную работу и теряет весь свой шарм...

[@wayofthewrench]

Yeah I hear you but I wanted to try something new that not a lot of people try. Thanks for the watch!

[@ramil8541]

It looked better before

[@wayofthewrench]

Ah man, I know....I should have left it. I might grind off the clear coat/rust and try again in the future. Lesson learned....don't put flat clear coat over chemical rust solutions. Thanks for the watch!