# How to make new tin old?



## shakey gizzard (Aug 11, 2011)

Anyone have a formula to age / rust new tin?


----------



## 243Savage (Aug 11, 2011)

Is it galvanized?


----------



## win280 (Aug 12, 2011)

Take a wire wheel and scuff areas of the surface.Than apply a 50% solution of water/muriatic acid. DO THIS OUTDORRS WITH GLOVES AND FACE SHIELD. let it sit for 5-10 minutes and wash off.Mist water on it at dusk and it will start rusting.
Or ask local farmers if they have some old tin taken off a barn you can have or buy. If you are not in a big rush I will be taking some off a barn in west central Ga you can have .It would be about 12 pc 12' long.


----------



## shakey gizzard (Aug 12, 2011)

243Savage said:


> Is it galvanized?


Yes


win280 said:


> Take a wire wheel and scuff areas of the surface.Than apply a 50% solution of water/muriatic acid. DO THIS OUTDORRS WITH GLOVES AND FACE SHIELD. let it sit for 5-10 minutes and wash off.Mist water on it at dusk and it will start rusting.
> Or ask local farmers if they have some old tin taken off a barn you can have or buy. If you are not in a big rush I will be taking some off a barn in west central Ga you can have .It would be about 12 pc 12' long.



Instead of the wirewheel I wonder if a torch would be faster? I've been watching Craigslist for the last 3months but cant find nothing worth driving 300 miles for. Ill try to expeiriment this weekend on some scrap. I need 24 8'x2's ! Thanx for the info!


----------



## CAL (Aug 12, 2011)

Curious to know what you are doing with old tin?I do know old rusted tin will have a beautiful blue color when scrubbed with steel wool to remove the rust.Almost like blued metal.


----------



## shakey gizzard (Aug 12, 2011)

Dilapidating the roof of a shed.


----------



## GAFLAjd (Aug 12, 2011)

You could always ride down the road until you found a building with the stage of "old" tin you desire and offer the owner new tin installed in excange for the old tin you want.


----------



## creekrocket (Aug 13, 2011)

Vinegar will make it rust pretty fast..


----------



## safebuilder (Aug 13, 2011)

Industrial Metals has 1 gallon bottles of a solution to "rust" metal. The muratic acid will also work to some degree


----------



## dawg2 (Aug 13, 2011)

creekrocket said:


> Vinegar will make it rust pretty fast..



This is easiest and safest.


----------



## Backlasher82 (Aug 13, 2011)

shakey gizzard said:


> Instead of the wirewheel I wonder if a torch would be faster?



I know that welding galvanized gives off *very* toxic fumes. I don't know how hot you'd have to get it with a torch to burn the plating off but I would expect it to be just a dangerous. 

Muriatic  acid is nasty stuff too including the fumes. 

If vinegar will get the job done it'll be a whole lot safer and cheaper.


----------



## shakey gizzard (Aug 13, 2011)

Backlasher82 said:


> I know that welding galvanized gives off *very* toxic fumes. I don't know how hot you'd have to get it with a torch to burn the plating off but I would expect it to be just a dangerous.
> 
> Muriatic  acid is nasty stuff too including the fumes.
> 
> If vinegar will get the job done it'll be a whole lot safer and cheaper.



Metal fume fever! I learned that one the hard way bout 20yrs ago. The remedy was drinking  large quantities of milk. I'll add vinegar to the list


----------



## no clever name (Aug 14, 2011)

Please don't force the panels to rust if you're putting them on your house.

I'm assuming you purchased either 5-V or corrugated from a lumber supply or one of the big box stores.  If so you probably have 30 gauge (.0125) G-45 material.  

Once you remove the galvanized coating and start the rusting process you have around 5-7 years before you'll start getting pinholes in material that thin.  The reason old barn panels are still usable is they are typically 26 ga (.0195) or 24 ga (.024) G-100.  The old barn panels are much thicker and have twice the galvanized coating as the panels at the big box stores.

You can dull the finish on your new panels to a dark gray with a scotchbrite pad and vinegar.  If you choose to force them to rust, it's going to take a few years for the panels to weather and have a consistent look and a few years later you'll start getting pinholes from rust through.  

If the panels are going on anything that needs to be water proof you need to deck the structure and put high temp ice & water shield down before the panels are installed.  After you've done all that it would have been easier and cost about the same to buy panels made from corten steel or one of the painted panels that mimics rust.


----------



## rjcruiser (Aug 15, 2011)

Coke will rust things pretty good as well.


----------

