Rust Like Look Wood

[theodoropoulos]

i wanted to paint the body of a guitar to look like rust ...can anybody help me to achieve that result ?

this kind of guitar i have in mind...

http://www.scottwalkerguitars.com/Fath1.html

thank you

[supplebanana]

This is the guy you need to contact..... NotYou

you'll see from the pics he knows what he's doing...

[WezV]

so thats done as bronze over alder, and then aged to get a patina

So the first question is how to bronze the alder. possibly by plating ??? - not sure of the process but if they can bronze plate babies shoes i cant see a wooden guitar body being out of the question

also, possibly not quite what you are after but i think it could get you close. I have been experimenting with the effects possible with metal leaf - i have tried a copper leaf finish which i managed to get some verdigris on with a vinegar and salt water solution. this shows the early stages of ageing the copper

http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.ph...43336&st=30

it has aged a bit more since then and you can see how very different effects were achieved on the front and back by applying in different ways. For instance i think something like that guitar could be achieved with a weak vinegar solution and see what happens with a few months hanging.

[NotYou]

The process for rusting is very similar to the process for that bronze finish, just with different materials.

I'm pressed for time right now, but I might be able to explain it a little later.

Edited May 11, 2010 by NotYou

[theodoropoulos]

thank you for responce.What kind of finish do you use over those surfaces?waterbased?nitro?poly?

[Tim37]

so thats done as bronze over alder, and then aged to get a patina

So the first question is how to bronze the alder. possibly by plating ??? - not sure of the process but if they can bronze plate babies shoes i cant see a wooden guitar body being out of the question

also, possibly not quite what you are after but i think it could get you close. I have been experimenting with the effects possible with metal leaf - i have tried a copper leaf finish which i managed to get some verdigris on with a vinegar and salt water solution. this shows the early stages of ageing the copper

http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.ph...43336&st=30

it has aged a bit more since then and you can see how very different effects were achieved on the front and back by applying in different ways. For instance i think something like that guitar could be achieved with a weak vinegar solution and see what happens with a few months hanging.

if iwas gonna do that i would paint it bronzing woudl just be too much of a PITA to do. layered wright a little airbrush work and some back sanding and you could get that pretty easy if ya know what your doing with paint.

[NotYou]

thank you for responce.What kind of finish do you use over those surfaces?waterbased?nitro?poly?

It's an acid blocking acrylic then water based poly. The acid blocker needs blotted on softly and the poly is diluted then wiped on. At least that's the best method I came up with.

I'm still running around right now, so I can't go into too much detail. The chemical that untimely makes the rust is copper sulphate (the result of mixing sulfuric acid with cooper oxide) on iron. It's potent stuff, so you also need an acid blocking primer (and wear gloves ) How you get it really looking like rust is the tricky part.

[WezV]

if iwas gonna do that i would paint it bronzing woudl just be too much of a PITA to do. layered wright a little airbrush work and some back sanding and you could get that pretty easy if ya know what your doing with paint.

paint effects is one approach... but can easily end up looking damn hokey and always like a paint effect.

It will also loose the wow factor of a patinated metal guitar in the flesh

having a look at scott walkers website he describes the guitars with this finish as

'Bronzed Alder body with patina'

so i would be looking into how to bronze alder and how to get the patina - if that was the exact look i was after. obviously notyou's rust efefcts are also pretty damn nice - but it is another different look

i dont know any more than that about the processes involved. just a little about getting patinas to develop

now if bronzing did turn into a major pita another suggestion i have would be to use a thin bronze or copper plate on the front (and possibly back) of the instrument. this could be could be aged sperately before being screwed of glued into place - similar to how gigliotti do there engine turned tops

http://www.gigliottiguitars.com/

the obvious down side to that method is its really difficult to do with anything that isnt a flat top... and the process clearly looks quite nice around carvings

[Tim37]

i was just thinking that bronzing would screw with neck fitment but on the other hand the guitar would be fully shielded.