How To Distress Aluminum Sheet Metal

Move the metal object you want to rust out to a yard or open garage on a hot day.

How to distress aluminum sheet metal. I used to be super intimated by the thought of cutting metal but it is actually really simple. Dab distress stain all over the metal s surface and dry it with a heat gun to create a blotchy rusted look. Spray the metal with a 10 percent saltwater solution every day and leave it to the elements to speed the rusting process. If you prefer a faux rust dab a white ink pad over the metal s surface and dry it with a heat gun.

Don t sand your metal it s not necessary and you might end up. If done properly it will give a hard black coating to the metal and works particularly well for steel and cast iron objects. Wipe off dust your piece. Direct sunlight helps speed up the rusting process.

How to paint metal for a distressed look. The easiest way to age aluminum is in the dishwasher. However the pristine shine of the new sheet metal you used seems to lack character. For my shelf with a raised design i just had to sand over the raised areas to remove the paint from those spots.

All i needed to distress chalk paint on metal was my sanding block. Once your metal is perfectly aged odds are that no matter what project you are working on you are going to need to cut those big sheets of metal. Add dents in flat metal by placing a block of wood beneath the metal and resting a few nuts and bolts on the top hammering the hardware to create dents. Make galvanized metal look even more used abused and neglected by distressing it a bit.

All you need is a pair of tin snips which are basically just strong scissors. Prepare your work area. If you want a similar distressed look definitely use clay or chalky paint. Aging aluminum is a good way to give it a cool distressed look.

The pristine shine of new sheet metal can sometimes appear to lack character and style. To add vintage appeal to your metalwork you can distress it using fine abrasives like sandpaper and steel wool. An alternative to oxidizing the metal is to season it the same way iron skillets are seasoned. Just wrap your object in aluminum foil and run it on the pots and pans setting with powdered dishwashing detergent and a teaspoon of trisodium phosphate also called tsp.

The paint and primer sanded nicely on the raised areas and made quick work of the distressing. This creates that nice antique metal look. If you just want to paint metal a totally new color without any distressing or chippyness to it spray paint will work too.