# Aged Iron



## Haywire (Aug 10, 2010)

HI all,
I have a sign, I believe made out of resin, that I want to look like an aged iron sign. Something like you'd see on the gates of a cemetary. Just wondered if anyone could provide any quick tips. Are there any sprays available? Thanks in advance


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## Bone Dancer (Oct 7, 2005)

For any rust effects that I have done has been by using three layers of spray paint. I start by painting the whole thing flat black which is what the iron would look like if it were brand new. The next layer is a medium brown. I stand off a bit (2 ft. aprox) and give it a lite dusting so that some of the black still shows through. Last is a lite dusting of a red primer color. It doesn't need to be primer but just that tone of red. If I hit the red to hard I may go over again with the medium brown to tone the red down a bit. It's all done by eye so there is no exact way to do it. --- Also you should to a "Search" in the forum for "rust" or "aged iron". There are a number of other methods used.










Some plastic chain that I painted with this method


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Check out Jaybo's excellent thread on rusting effects:

http://www.hauntforum.com/showthread.php?t=21644

If you want to go for a more aged copper look, check out his thread here:

http://www.hauntforum.com/showthread.php?t=26593


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## Rahnefan (May 1, 2009)

Nicely done!


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## Uruk-Hai (Nov 4, 2006)

For my rust effects I also start with a coat of flat black spray paint but then use a natural sea sponge and a dabbing motion to get a mottled rusty look. I like it because it's fairly quick and looks good under haunt lighting. I use 2 sort of terra cotta colours - one lighter, one darker. I first dab on the darker rust colour, leaving areas with the black showing through and then apply the lighter colour here and there. Here's some pics with more on my website...

http://www.hectorturner.com/halloween/fence.html


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## Haywire (Aug 10, 2010)

wow fantastic. thanks for the information...this is exactly the sort of information i'm looking for...I'd like it to appear more grey/iron with some ageing to it, or rusting..
Thanks for this information!


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## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

I use spray paint for the same effect. They key is to take it slowly (after the base black coat is on) and mist it and spray in diff directions. I also will smear the paint while its wet to get diff textures. Sometimes I will schmutz some sand into the paint for a texture. You can also dry-brush on the rusty look. I sometimes hit it with some grey primer or white for a moldy look. Just play around...if you don't like the look, just re-base coat it & do it again.


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## Haywire (Aug 10, 2010)

I would like the sign to be mainly metallic grey first, and then age it. Right now the sign I have is grey, but I wouldn't say its metallic looking. Any suggestions on what base grey paint I should use first?


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## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

Start dark, then go to lighter tones over top.


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## Haywire (Aug 10, 2010)

ok thanks any particular brand of paint you recommmend?


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## Bascombe (May 18, 2010)

This isn't about rust, but it is about getting flat black to look like wrought iron. Getting the iron to look right first is half the battle.

Step 1. Spray the item flat black

Step 2. Next mist the item with silver spray paint. Hold the spray can back about fifteen to eighteen inches. If you have a fume hood, even better as the vacuum will drag the silver dots over the surface evenly.

Step 3. Spray the whole piece liberally with Design Master, Glossy Wood Tone.

The result will be a beautiful wrought iron that you may then rust as you will.


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## Up_Up_And_Away (Jul 19, 2008)

Bascombe said:


> This isn't about rust, but it is about getting flat black to look like wrought iron. Getting the iron to look right first is half the battle.
> 
> Step 1. Spray the item flat black
> 
> ...


Do you have any photos showing the finished product?


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## krough (Oct 7, 2004)

To add more Faux rust/iron to the mix. Dave Lowe recently added a nice video to his blog the other day http://davelowe.blogspot.com/2011/08/79-days-til-halloween-building-better.html

Years ago I started using rust patina's from Sculpt Nouveau. 
http://www.grimvisions.com/products/creating-realistic-rust-patina


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## Bascombe (May 18, 2010)

Up_Up_And_Away said:


> Do you have any photos showing the finished product?


I don't have photos right now, I don't know if they'd show very well, but it has a richer look than just spray painted black.

I'll try to post something after our camping trip.


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## GrimleeFeindish (Jan 23, 2009)

Be careful, rusting can be addictive. I did my big cauldron last year and it looks a hundred percent better, it looks like a big, rusty, nasty, heavy, old cauldron. This year I am going to do the same thing to my graveyard fence. The sad thing is that I am probably the only one that will notice these changes,but its worth it.


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## stick (Jan 21, 2009)

Here is another site that sell "metal effects" paint that will rust and looks great. You can see pictures in my album. http://shop.modernmasters.com/home/index/4107.0 
http://www.hauntforum.com/picture.php?albumid=292&pictureid=11057


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## fontgeek (Jul 24, 2006)

Two things to consider, one trivial the other not so much.
Ornate fences like the one shown in this thread are not wrought iron, but cast iron. This was made popular in the early to mid nineteenth century in France, and was brought to America where it was used extensively in New Orleans and later in San Fransisco and New York. Cast Iron doesn't have all the hammer marks and such that Wrought Iron does. Cast Iron can achieve great detail and shapes where Wrought Iron had to be pounded into shape, making things like leaves, fleur de lis, roses, etc. all but impossible to achieve, especially in repeat like the ornate fence shown. Cast iron tends to rust faster because it's not as dense as wrought iron. All the compression/pounding eliminates pockets of air and potential pits for water to collect and start rusting.

For the rust, if you can observe some real rusting ironwork and see where and how the rust occurs. Typically it occurs where water pools/remains for long periods of time, and the biggest give away is usually not the rust on the metal it self, but the trails where the iron oxide runs down onto surface it rests against or drips onto. Big open areas especially top facing surfaces tend not to rust because they dry out too fast for the rust to start. Probably more than you really wanted to know, but it might be helpful.


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## Spooky56 (Jul 31, 2009)

Uruk-hai, do you have to then seal them after using the acryllic paints?


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## Uruk-Hai (Nov 4, 2006)

Spooky56 said:


> Uruk-hai, do you have to then seal them after using the acryllic paints?


Never had a problem with them. Actually I've never sealed anything with the exception of paper mache props. The acrylic paint is essentially plastic so once it's dry it's totally water proof.


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## rpick3488 (Sep 26, 2010)

So many methods of rusting. Looks like I have a little experimentation to do this weekend!


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