The Armour Archive

I've done a few searches and couldn't really find anything on how to get that rustic look that Knotwolf uses sometimes...? I love it!!!

just totally unsure on how its done...

I was wondering because im still working on my plannishing and figured if i cant do that just yet, then this should fix that....


Thanks guys

Old somewhat pitted metal, heated and dipped in used motor oil. Comes out with a cool reddish hue. He's doeing a refinish on my helm now.

Judging by what happened to the sheet stock I left on my porch..

Have a bitchy neighbor who makes her dog pee on it. Then, WD-40, and a scrubby.

Or, if you wanted a clean way.. you could do what Knotwolf does.

Actually I have heard that you can pee on a helmet and dump it a hole in the ground for a while and get a nice even rusty patina to start with. I do hate to think of Richard peeing on something I put on my head so I choose not to ask.
He does finish a helm in his "special way" for $25 plus shipping.

Maybe ill just buy one of his helmets...

Owned one for nearly 10 years. Excellent helmet and he stands behind his work. Can't wait to see how my refurbish job turned out.

Try google for steel patina.
A number of process usualy involve weak acid and prolonged exposure.
I know one person that packs the steel in sawdust and vinager and just leaves it for a while.

I rather accidentaly learned that the vapor from muratic acid (sold at hardware stores for cleaning bricks and pools) will rust steel overnight.

If I were going to do a russeted piece, I would

Get big plastic tub.
Put old grill or cookie cooling rack or something in the bottom
Dribble a splash of the acid in the bottom, just enough to get some in there.
Put my work on the rack.
Close tub.
Come back 2 days later to find mondo rustage.
Oil the snot out of it.

Because you were somewhat interested in it...

The way I did rugged.

Hammer texture all parts. This took a special hammer, basicly just something with a rounded face. Rather than planish it with a flat faced hammer, I beat it with that, giving me very deffinite and firm hammer marks all over.
I then baked it in my oven, hot as it would go for a couple hours. The heat discoloration was used as a 'primer coat'.
I then blackened it with gun blue solution. Follow the directions, and there is not nearly enough emphasis on leaning it before hand.
after blackening, I oiled it, and wnt at it lightly with some steel wool to bring out the highlights on the hammered texture.

For another project I'm working on I made some stamps.
I found some haigh carbon steel and made some blanks.
I flipped one of my harborfreight cheapie anvils upside down and founs the roughest, gnarliest, ugliest part of the leftovers from the sand casting.
Heated my blanks up in the forge, and beat the ends into this rough cast part.
Harden/temper. Presto changeo. Texture stamp. Gives a very rough organic texture.

Are you looking for color, or texture, or both? There's lots of ways to go about achieving any of them.

Huzzahs

Patina:
I am studying this as we speak.

I use old pitted steel and do a heat blue after the acid bath.
Lots of 3-in-1 oil and scrubbies.
I like to highlight the high spots.
Wipe down with a paper towel... Good to go.

I especially like how it leaves the bottom of the rivets darker.
Use this contrast to your advantage.
Play the scrubbies across the reflected light.
Allow the Muse to look over your shoulder.
This makes metal look used.

To make them really old looking:
Bury them in dirt mixed with battery acid for several months.
It is an old trick at the trade fair.
The newbies buy antiques.
YMMV

Hal

_____________
Caveat Emptor

Really, you are better off buying a helm for Sir Richard, if you want one for use.

He's the fellow that has spent the time developing the techniques to produce that stuff. I am positive that there is a relatively steep learning curve. You will end up spending a lot of cash to learn how to do it.

If, however, you are really turned on by producing armor with that finish, rather than wearing it, learn the techniques.

If you were planning on doing to commercially, I would not expect him to help you learn it.

f

Just curious really, im trying to free up some ends so i can get a helmet, i love knotwolfs and Matt i loved that closed face spangen and as soon as i get it together, you will be contacted... I've thought long and hard about making a helm just to attempt it and understand how its done...

I poked into your posts to see anything about how much shop you've got. Found this:

Deykin wrote:I'll just be making cops and spaulders for now.... maybe try out a cup hilt...

Which suggests you've got a basic shop, nothing fancy: stump, couple hammers, drill. What do you do for cutting your metal? Do you have a lot of different files? An angle grinder? Sounds like you've got enough to make the riveted types of helmet and helm.

Above all, your copy of TOMAR? That book has a whole chapter on equipping a shop right up to the professional level.

That's about it, plus an anvil, drill press, MIG welder... vice, angle grinder... I'm wanting to try out a 4 panel spangen with a face plate... mix between a st Justina and a nasal...

I use a technique very similar to Mattmaus, he explained it perfect, better than I could. On this piece I used salt water instead of acid. Acid would probably be better, much faster. If I remember right, this one took about 2 weeks of "rinse and repeat" with the salt water. To get rid of any flaking and darken it, some oil and a wire wheel would do the trick.







On the other hand, Knotwolf's helms are worth every cent. A local Knight has been using one for as long as I can remember, looks great, solid, a great investment.

If you try it yourself, make sure to post some pics.

O'Quinn

Lord O'Quinn wrote:I use a technique very similar to Mattmaus, he explained it perfect, better than I could.

To be fair, I haven't actualy tried it.

Rather, I was experimenting with undiluted muratic for etching purposes. Testing it on very small pieces in a yougurt cup less than a third of the way filled.

Negligently, I left the cup, no lid, sitting on a bench where several projects had gathered to collect dust, and went away for the night to get a shower, some dinner, and troll interweb forums.

The next day everything within 3 feet of the cup that was steel or iron was orange.

So... I learned something without intending to, and have been more than careful to cap my acid bath religously since.

mattmaus wrote:

Lord O'Quinn wrote:I use a technique very similar to Mattmaus, he explained it perfect, better than I could.

To be fair, I haven't actualy tried it.

Rather, I was experimenting with undiluted muratic for etching purposes. Testing it on very small pieces in a yougurt cup less than a third of the way filled.

Negligently, I left the cup, no lid, sitting on a bench where several projects had gathered to collect dust, and went away for the night to get a shower, some dinner, and troll interweb forums.

The next day everything within 3 feet of the cup that was steel or iron was orange.

So... I learned something without intending to, and have been more than careful to cap my acid bath religously since.

Ha,

I know the feeling, I thought I had the lid on a secondary container of muriatic acid tight. Nope, once that gets airborne it's game over for most metal in the surrounding area. I Had a sheet of 14GA behind the shelving bench unit where the bottle was sitting and you could see outlines in the rust. Quickly opened up the bay door when I saw that.

Well, in any event, you explained it well. Either using the custom hammers or the crusted "anvil" face is the trick. It is the difference between a piece that looks darkened and unkept, and a piece that looks like it has been passed down through the family.... and, unkept

O'Quinn

Very tired, but I will try to write a coherent post

1. Soak your steel in vinegar overnight.
2. Degrease if you want an even patina. Omit this step if you want the patchy look.
3. Paint on some muriatic/hydrochloric acid. Leave for 15 mins then rinse off with a hose. Observe all the usual precausions ie. face shield, lung protection, rubber gloves.
4. Sprinkle iron filings on the steel.
5. spray the steel with a salt water solution. Let dry.
6. Spray the steel with hydrogen peroxide. Let dry.

Repeat steps 5 & 6 until you get the desired patina. This works fairly quickly - if you're at home for 2 days you should get the finish you want. I have other jobs on the go inbetween treatments of step 5&6. I collect my own iron filings with a magnet from around my vice and the base of my linisher.

I'm 1/2 way through treating a piece of steel, when it's done I want to try a liquid rust converter that will also blacken the piece. Hopefully it will look like old iron. Then wax to finish.

If you look in the essay section, there is an essay on how to get a russet finish.

If you search the forum, there is a post that I started with a pic from Halberds with a russetted helm

Don

arty dave wrote:4. Sprinkle iron filings on the steel.

That's great, nice tip. How does it appear when used? Or is it more for speeding up the russeting?

O'Quinn

More awake now

My thought is that it adds more surface area for more oxidising reaction on the piece of steel. And yes, seems to speed up the process.

Have you ever noticed stainless getting rusty - maybe not rusty but stained - when in contact with rusting mild steel over time? I've been treating a piece of stainless with the same method as a test, hoping the rusting filings will stain the stainless

I'll try to organise a photo this w/e before and after the rust converter. And the stainless test piece.

Cheers,
Dave.