32 DEC 2022/JAN 2023 MICHELLE HENRY There is a way of doing this to a budget, and you don’t even need to use metal. There are many iron-based paints on the market that you can apply to almost any surface and make them rust. I am going to tell you how so that you, too, can create the perfect rusty sign at a fraction of the cost. STEP 1: GATHER SUPPLIES This may seem like obvious, but you’ll need to purchase some iron-based paint. Porter’s Paints supplies one, which is readily available across Australia and New Zealand, called Liquid Iron. STEP 2: PREP THE WORK AREA Prep your work area. This will get messy, and rust is hard to clean off, so you want to cover any benches and equipment to protect them from overspray. We see this as an opportunity to reuse vinyl backing paper but if you do, ensure that it is wax side down. STEP 3: SANDING Take your chosen sign material and give it a light sanding with 120 grit sandpaper and clean off any dust. This paint can be used on many substrates. I have personally used it on acrylic, ACM, plywood, and foam PVC, but it can also be used on metals, plaster and even brickwork. Porter’s Paints recommend using a primer instead of sanding, but I found sanding to work just as well. STEP 4: APPLY THE FIRST COAT Put on some latex gloves, mix the paint well and apply a thin coat evenly over the sign, ensuring that you cover all edges. You can use a brush or a roller for application. Clean the brushes down after use and before they dry! Leave the sign to dry overnight. STEP 5: APPLY THE SECOND COAT Apply a second coat of paint (don’t forget the gloves!) and leave it until it is touch dry. Depending on the temperatures in your workshop, this could be anything from 2 to 4 hours. STEP 6: APPLY THE ACTIVATOR Whilst wearing PPE (goggles and gloves), apply the activator – this is the part that starts the oxidisation (rusting) process. In the first instance, apply only a thin coat of this and leave it to work its magic. You can apply this using a brush or by lightly spraying it on. Leave it for a few hours, and then apply another coat. You will then see the rust starting to take form. The more you apply, the more intense the rust effect will be. STEP 7: GET CREATIVE! You can experiment with this and create patterns within the rust by applying more of the activator in certain areas. For example, stand up the sign and, using a pipette, apply drips to the sign so that you replicate the effect of rust caused by running water. It’s also worth noting that temperature can affect the overall colour of the rusting. For instance, if you put the sign in a cooler room, which means the solution will take longer to evaporate, the colour is more intense. You can even try applying a basecoat colour to the surface of the sign prior to applying the iron-based paint, then sanding it back to reveal the basecoat in areas before applying the activator. The only limit here is your imagination. STEP 8: SEAL THE SIGN As this is real rust, it will leave a residue on anything that it comes into contact with. If the sign is external, stains will appear on the walls beneath the sign following rain. Therefore, it is important to seal the sign with a suitable topcoat or lacquer in order to prevent this. Wipe down the sign to remove any loose rust particles and any remaining activator, then apply a clear lacquer or Porter’s Instant Rust Clear Sealer. Again, this can be applied using a brush. There are many benefits to using various iron-based paints over rusting ferrous metals. The main ones are that you can control the rust development and stop it at the desired level. Also, the sign will not deteriorate like rusted metal signs will, meaning that you can offer it as a 10-year life product if you use a 10-year life material. Michelle Henry Signwise, New Zealand How to create the How to create the perfect rusty sign using perfect rusty sign using non-ferrous materials non-ferrous materials With aged and industrial styles becoming ever more popular, more and more customers are requesting rusty signs. Although many love the idea, they are often put off by the cost. The metal itself can be expensive, and then throw in all the labour and processes required to actually rust the sign, and the product cost starts adding up. Photo Credit: Vu M. Khuee (Unsplash)
