Rusted pickguard
- Thread starter Edlennon
- Start date
JB_From_Hell
Jomo's Nimions
Re: Rusted pickguard
It depends on what type of metal it is, too. Do some research.
It depends on what type of metal it is, too. Do some research.
Edlennon
New member
Re: Rusted pickguard
good idea, a friend of mine has enough steel at home, we'll cut a piece out and try it, maybe brush it after it, we'll see how it works...
good idea, a friend of mine has enough steel at home, we'll cut a piece out and try it, maybe brush it after it, we'll see how it works...
Edlennon
New member
scottish
WeirdScienceologist
Re: Rusted pickguard
Basic high school chemistry here man, lol. I cant tell you specifics because its been so long though, hehehe. However, make the pick guard out of something that conducts electricity and will oxidise to form rust (a lot of metals actually dont do this). Put it in a bath with high salt water, and run a current through it. Connect one electrode to your piece of metal, and consult the table of electronegativities which you will find on line. Make your other electrode out of something that is not close to your metal on the table....and it'll rust in no time at all.
Here is the catch, i cant remember whether your metal would need to be above or below the other electrode on the electronegativity table and i also dont remember which one you would make the positive terminal. I could do about 5 mins of reseach and find this out...but im lazy and im sure you can do it if you are interested.
Basic high school chemistry here man, lol. I cant tell you specifics because its been so long though, hehehe. However, make the pick guard out of something that conducts electricity and will oxidise to form rust (a lot of metals actually dont do this). Put it in a bath with high salt water, and run a current through it. Connect one electrode to your piece of metal, and consult the table of electronegativities which you will find on line. Make your other electrode out of something that is not close to your metal on the table....and it'll rust in no time at all.
Here is the catch, i cant remember whether your metal would need to be above or below the other electrode on the electronegativity table and i also dont remember which one you would make the positive terminal. I could do about 5 mins of reseach and find this out...but im lazy and im sure you can do it if you are interested.
Edlennon
New member
Re: Rusted pickguard
Oh my god, I have a fvckin' bad mark in chemistry, just 4 points (from 15 lol)...
But it sounds good, I*ll ask my chemistry teacher for it, thanks
Oh my god, I have a fvckin' bad mark in chemistry, just 4 points (from 15 lol)...
But it sounds good, I*ll ask my chemistry teacher for it, thanks
lex666
New member
Re: Rusted pickguard
Be careful. Water and electricty don't mix... Sounds like an accident waiting to happen...
I'm just picturing a guy with a metal pickguard in one hand and a hair dryer in the other getting into a bathtub filled with salt water....
Be careful. Water and electricty don't mix... Sounds like an accident waiting to happen...
I'm just picturing a guy with a metal pickguard in one hand and a hair dryer in the other getting into a bathtub filled with salt water....
big_black
Opaqueologist
Low_fidelity2100
New member
Re: Rusted pickguard
Quickest (and safest) way I know of to quickly Rust steel is..........put it in a bucket filled with Clorox (or really any other brand of house hold bleach). It'll rust the instant you put it into the bucket with bleach. So fast you can literally SEE it rusting. But, it's only surface rust initially. So Taking it out of the bleach and wiping it with a Rag will remove the majority of the rust, Leaving a weird Semi-rusted look (similar to Hetfields pickgaurd).
For another kool effect ya can do on metal (I've only tried it on steel though), Take a piece of steel and heat it until its red hot. Then Dunk it into a bucket filled with warm ammonia. When it hits the ammonia it will cool quickly (same as dunking it into water), and the ammonia vaporizing on the metal as it cools will create these weird colorful swirls and blotches, sorta like that weird rainbow effect you get when water has a thin layer of motor oil on top of it, or mixed in with it. For a lighter less vivid version of the same effect, just put the ammonia in a spray bottle and lightly spritz the red hot metal instead.
But make sure you use Pure ammonia, not that house hold cleaner ammonia, as that stuff generally doesn't have much pure ammonia in it. And also DO NOT breathe in the fumes when dunking the hot metal into the ammonia. Not only does it smell horrible, But I also really have no idea what it would do to your lungs/health. But I'm guessing its pretty harmful to breathe in. (Just guessing based on the fact that after I breathed it in on accident, when I did that the first time, I got really dizzy and naughus.)
Quickest (and safest) way I know of to quickly Rust steel is..........put it in a bucket filled with Clorox (or really any other brand of house hold bleach). It'll rust the instant you put it into the bucket with bleach. So fast you can literally SEE it rusting. But, it's only surface rust initially. So Taking it out of the bleach and wiping it with a Rag will remove the majority of the rust, Leaving a weird Semi-rusted look (similar to Hetfields pickgaurd).
For another kool effect ya can do on metal (I've only tried it on steel though), Take a piece of steel and heat it until its red hot. Then Dunk it into a bucket filled with warm ammonia. When it hits the ammonia it will cool quickly (same as dunking it into water), and the ammonia vaporizing on the metal as it cools will create these weird colorful swirls and blotches, sorta like that weird rainbow effect you get when water has a thin layer of motor oil on top of it, or mixed in with it. For a lighter less vivid version of the same effect, just put the ammonia in a spray bottle and lightly spritz the red hot metal instead.
But make sure you use Pure ammonia, not that house hold cleaner ammonia, as that stuff generally doesn't have much pure ammonia in it. And also DO NOT breathe in the fumes when dunking the hot metal into the ammonia. Not only does it smell horrible, But I also really have no idea what it would do to your lungs/health. But I'm guessing its pretty harmful to breathe in. (Just guessing based on the fact that after I breathed it in on accident, when I did that the first time, I got really dizzy and naughus.)
firebirdV
New member
Re: Rusted pickguard
I think ammonia is basic, so if you do this (which I wouldn't really suggest), use gloves, goggles and wash anything that it touches right away. Also, do not under any circumstances mix bleach and ammonia! It's very dangerous and can kill you or give you permanent lung damage.
I think ammonia is basic, so if you do this (which I wouldn't really suggest), use gloves, goggles and wash anything that it touches right away. Also, do not under any circumstances mix bleach and ammonia! It's very dangerous and can kill you or give you permanent lung damage.
DepecheMoses
New member
Re: Rusted pickguard
Ammonia is extremely basic. I try not to work with anything that far from 7 whenever possible. But it's your call.
Ammonia is extremely basic. I try not to work with anything that far from 7 whenever possible. But it's your call.
PFDarkside
of the Forum
Re: Rusted pickguard
Lex, it's not like you are connectiong the metal to 220V.
You use a low voltage, low current supply like a lantern battery. Did you do that in Chem to plate a penny with nickel?
Anyway, the best way is to use a product specifically for this purpose. I can't for the life of me remember the name, but it's a finishing system (etcher and sealer) for metal to get that look. See if they have it at Home Depot, or do some searching online. It's safe and effective, not to mention, do you really want an unsealed rusty and sharp piece of steel where your hand is flailing? Hope the tetanus is up to date...
Lex, it's not like you are connectiong the metal to 220V.
You use a low voltage, low current supply like a lantern battery. Did you do that in Chem to plate a penny with nickel? Anyway, the best way is to use a product specifically for this purpose. I can't for the life of me remember the name, but it's a finishing system (etcher and sealer) for metal to get that look. See if they have it at Home Depot, or do some searching online. It's safe and effective, not to mention, do you really want an unsealed rusty and sharp piece of steel where your hand is flailing? Hope the tetanus is up to date...
ericmeyer4
New member
Re: Rusted pickguard
Balls! Reading this thread reminded me I need my tetanus shot updated.
Lex, it's not like you are connectiong the metal to 220V.
Anyway, the best way is to use a product specifically for this purpose. I can't for the life of me remember the name, but it's a finishing system (etcher and sealer) for metal to get that look. See if they have it at Home Depot, or do some searching online. It's safe and effective, not to mention, do you really want an unsealed rusty and sharp piece of steel where your hand is flailing? Hope the tetanus is up to date...
Balls! Reading this thread reminded me I need my tetanus shot updated.