So I finally decided to try to do sumthing about my glaringly silver helmet.
After talking to several people in the sculpture department about the best way to rust mild steel, I discovered that salt water and time was all it took. So I stuck my helm in the tub, mixed up some salt water in a spray bottle, and sprayed the helm down. Every 15 mins or so I would douse it again. I did that for about 5 hours or so last night then before bed I soaked it down really well, wrapped it in a bag and left it over night. In the morning I had this:
Overall it was just pretty nasty. Not only was it all splotchy, but it didnt even rust around the rivets or where the crest meets the helm. After a little thought I remembered that the helm had been coated in grease when I got it. I had wiped what I could off with a rag and didn't worry too much about it. Apparently there was still a thin film on many parts of the helm and lots in the crease by the crest and around the rivets. So I took it to school and sandblasted it:
Not only should that take care of the grease, but I'm hoping the matte surface will rust more quickly and evenly than the polished surface did.
It's been about 3 hours or so and this is how it looks so far. It's still wet, so the color isn't as bright as it will be when it dries:
It appears that the metal is rusting more evenly though it is still splotchy. I'm hoping that it's just a matter of time before the color evens out.
I've noticed that the metal seems to go black before it starts turning rust colored...
Mon 4/11 -- Here's what the patine looks like now:
You can see where some of the grease has seeped out around the face opening. I'm going to give it a light brush with a wire brush and see how it looks. After that I may spray it down some more or test the wax overcoat.
