Tips & Tricks 5: Creating rusted mufflers with real rust

Here's a „How To“ creating real rusted mufflers. I learned that method from Austria's master modeller “Georg Schachinger aka Wikinger“, some know him from PA – He is the one with the „Großdeutschland StuG III Ausf. A“

No painting comes closer to nature as nature itself so the first – boring – step is to create your own rust pigments:

The procedure of making rust pigments (Takes about one week):

1. Take 00 steelwool (i used 0 steelwool but 00 is preferreable!)

2. Separate a little bit of the wool and place it into a bowl



3. Fill the bowl with a little bit of tab water - not too much, not too little ... make sure 1-2cm of the wool is covered with water (check the size of the wool in my pic and you know of the dimension and amount of water)



4. - VERY IMPORTANT!!! - Turn the steelwool around at least twice a day so that the wet metal exposed to the air can build up rust! Repeat that every day until all the water has gone. If you don't do so all you will get is rusty mud! If done correct you end up with this:



5. Go over the rust with a magnetic screwdriver or something else magnetic to draw blank metal out of the rust:



After that, when doing a muffler follow the next procedure:

1. Take your muffler parts and cut them from the sprue:



2. After gluing together the muffler pieces cover it with putty either completely or in a pattern you like



3. Sand down the putty a little bit





4. Mix black and brown oil colors to a dark brown color - don't use any diluting agent, just use the pure oil colors and apply gently on the muffler (not too thin - you really need the colors act as some kind of thick primer!)

Sorry for the bad picture but I hope you see how it should be:



5. Take a break of about 15-20mins to let the color set

6. Take one of two flat brushes cut to an angle and apply the rust (again more is better than less!) in a poking way



6.1. Again a lousy picture, sorry! The applied rust builds up some kind of bubbles and looks way out of scale:



7. Change brushes and with the second one gently wipe and poke the pigments into the oil color mud until you are satisfied - if needed apply some further rust!

And after that you have wonderful real rusted mufflers:









Total amount of time for a muffler (without waiting time): 15 minutes!

Give it a try - it really looks phantastic and mostly realistic! My photos don't do the outcome justice at all!

cheers

Looks really authentic , I will try this technique for sure . Do you think Jenny would mind if I chopped one of her paintbrushes like that ?

Richie

Lot of work, I will stick to my fordom tool, putty and paint.
Panzer

I really love this technique , I need to get some fine steel wool , Hmmm do they shear steel wool from a hydraulic ram ????

Richie , if you cut one of my good brushes , I will cut your hair like that , ok?

Now Chris , what is a Fordom tool ??? Share

Jenny

Thanks Laura for the reminder. I'd tried this some time ago and really liked the results.

It does take a little forthought to rust out the steel wool, but once that's done your set.

Rick

It's a professional grinding tool.
http://www.foredom.com/
Panzer

Panzer wrote:It's a professional grinding tool.
http://www.foredom.com/
Panzer

Oh I have one of them but mine is a dremel , but how does it make rust ?

Jenny

I use a similar technique, except I use steel dust from my metal cutting band saw. I probably saved 10 pounds of the stuff this year alone. Why I don't know.