How to make your own RUST for weathering scale models
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.พ. 2025
- There are aftermarket rust powders, pigments and paints out there to buy, but they are $$$ EXPENSIVE. Why not try making your own rust to use for weathering your scale models? It's easy, it's cheap as chips, and best of all, it gives you actual real rust you can apply to your models. You can't get more authentic than that! This stuff is great if you're new to weathering or rusting models and want to try techniques before you shell out big bucks on pricey paints and pigments. Plus it's just fun (and funky) to make. All you need is steel wool, vinegar, and patience.
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I've always made my own iron oxide (rust) for over 15 years now. I put about 3 or 4 rolls of 0000 steel wool into a quart jar and fill it up with vinegar and put in the window for a couple months. When it's all turned into a big mess, I pour it out into a flat pan (11x14 photo processing stainless steel pan) and wait for a couple of weeks for it to dry. Then I use a single edge razor blade to pulverize it into a fine powder and store it in little (snuff) tins. Every batch I've done comes out a little different color. Works great 'cause it's real rust. To use it on models, you can mix the powdered rust with some lacquer thinner and apply as much as you want and adds a lot of texture to the surface. Cheers from eastern TN
That's fantastic! Thank you for sharing your tips. Cheers from Melbourne, Australia - Dave
Ah, that is exactly the bright orange color I needed, and I get to play mad chemistry! Excellent !
Good to hear!
Been doing this for decades! I. Leave the jar open to dry to a powder. Use as a pigment. Its an old woodworkers trick for ebonizing wood. The liquid is great for aging wood for dioramas.
Hi Jennifer, that's good to know about leaving it open to become a pigment / powder. Nice one, thanks for sharing :) Cheers, Dave
Jennifer how long does it take for the solution to turn into powder?
Ohh... I love that Idea for aging the wood! Thank you Jennifer!
That's a genius technique, using real rust to make rust on a model. There isn't much better than the real thing! Just like using real mud on a model too. I really like the actual texture that you get with it, like you said it does look like how metal gets when rusty when it kind of bubbles up and the primer or whatnot starts to peel off when the rust gets underneath. That's something that's hard to get with pigments since the powders are so fine, which of course has its own benefits. I'll shoot you an email about another idea I've been having.
Oh and if you're worried about the fumes, we did this kind of reaction in my Chemistry class and you're probably getting Hydrogen Sulphide or other sulphuric gases. They won't kill you but they could make you a little sick for a day or so if you breathe in too much. So probably not much worse than your average paint thinner fumes we deal with :)
Thanks Panzermeister36! Yeah, that texture is quite interesting. I love this technique for big, chunky rust - it can be a little heavy-handed for fin streaks, but it's do-able. Chat to you soon, Dave
Dave's Model Workshop It seems you could also add pigments,paint etc to the homebrew?
Definitely. I'm not sure how much you'd have to add to influence the colour, but it would be a fun experiment to play with :) . Cheers, Dave
Panzermeister36 cinnamon works well to. Just delute white glue brush it on and sprinkle the cinnamon over it. Looks great when it dries
(Hubby here) Dave genius! Great tip for a guy like me who loves to "experiment". That's the main thing I love about the modeling community - the sharing of information.
Just getting into modelling and this rust effect is by far the best I have seen. Thanks Dave, I’ll try it out
Thanks Daniel!
Daleko od oduševljen... Veliko poštovanje za ideju. Za nekoliko meseci idem u penziju i ovo bih radio. Hvala puno.
Is there a way to make it stay on for good , like glue or a top coat?
Fantastic crafting tip! Thank you very much! This will definitely help with what I needed it for. Cheers!
U must be a man of meny women with techniques like this thank u for your honor and wisdom 🙏
Bwahaha, we all know the scale modellers get all the ladies! ;)
Moment you said how to make rust at home I was running to my kitchen and then down to basement preparing jar of steel wool, lol.
The thing i like about your vids the most is that you make it the cheap way,nit thr MOST EXPENSIVE like other youtubers
Heh heh, I do love to do things the inexpensive way if at all possible!
I ran across your video yesterday looking for a rust weathering technique. It was perfect as I has steel wool and lots of vinegar. I let it soak overnight outside. It didn't look like much today, but I could see some rust color on the wool. It brushed on clear, but dried in minutes. WOW, perfect rust patina that popped when it dried! I don't have the chunkyness of yours yet, but I'm going to seal it up and let it sit for a few months and see what happens.
I'm glad it worked so well for you! If you're going to leave it to develop, just check after a week or so. It requires oxygen for the reaction, so if you "seal it up" as you mentioned it might stop the process - just check after a week, and if it's not doing anything maybe open the jar and see if that gets it cooking again :)
Sounds good. I can leave it out on the porch and see what happens. Thanks!
WOW! That looks really great and so cheap too, well done Dave. I might just give this a try and see how I get on with it. Many thanks for sharing this top tip with us today.
Have fun,
Joe
Thanks Joe. You know me mate, I'm a cheapskate! If there's a non-expensive alternative, I'm interested ;) Cheers, Dave
Being 'cheap' means that one's creativity is set free...this is what separates one from the pack I would think. Splendid work Dave! Cheers from Roswell New Mexico.
WOW thanks for all these "make your own" its amazing i'm new at this (1year and 1/2) and i still make ugly effects with pigments i buy but after this video my scale models are so good. Huge thanks from me :)
Keep it up
This is a great technique! I mixed up some and it is fantastic! Your caution about the lid is right on. After letting mine sit for a week, tried it, great outcome but I pulled a dumb ass and when I put it on the shelf above my work bench next morning the stuff was all over my bench! Dummy here tighten the lid. So yes do not tighten the lid when your done. I have started a new batch that I intend to use on Panzer II I'm working on.
Hi Sooner Steve, ah, mate, that is not good. I've been lucky and haven't spilled this stuff yet, but I imagine it's an absolute *&^%$ to try to remove the stain! Dave
Another beaut Dave. That's really clever. Best regards from England.
Cheers Norman!
I really love this video! After finding a blatantly fake "restoration" video in my recommends, I was discussing with my boyfriend how we can make rust paint from vinegar and steel wool. BOOM, the perfect video to demonstrate exactly how it looks and works! Miniatures and models are an entire world of fun in and of themselves! Yet i always fantasize about creating wonderful films; using scores of minis and models to bring life and a real environment to fantastical places, relived moments of history, the seemingly impossible done in real time. I think these types of props, used properly, can be far superior to the CGI worlds most (edit: modern) movies seem to be made of... There's such a charm to a world recreated, it's something a collection of data files just isn't.
Wonderful weathering jobs, looks so realsitic!
Thanks so much... I tried your rust technique, and it works, saves my money too. Natural is power
Love it. Never seen this technique before. Will certainly give it a try. Thanks for the video.
Thanks mate. It's tremendously satisfying!
Absolutely fantastic, Dave. Thank you so much for sharing this tip. Cheers,
tony
Give it a crack Tony, it's great stuff once you've made it.
I've got a jar in the yard now! LOL . Thanks again buddy! Great tip. I do wonder about how to seal it though...? Dullcote?
I finally got the rust, but just used water sparingly & ended up with a kind of powder which work great with wet brush..but I never have tried without this video so thank you sir!
I'm so glad it worked for you mate! Excellent news! Cheers, Dave
Definitely a useful technique for that crunchy look.
Love the technique! Long ago I used to thin out flat/matte enamel paints to use as a fixative for clay dust "mud" and "bearing grease ooze" on AFVs. These days I am more fascinated by STEAMPUNK and your Steel Wool Rust is Perfect for that kind of Nitty Gritty... Once dried overnight, the rust could potentially be tinted and/or moved around with a fine brush, using the thinned enamal fixer I mentioned above. Your vids are Aces Dave.
Staff car looks bloody awesome Dave 👍🏻🇦🇺
Wow ive been modeling for quite some time and i like how the first way to make real rust ! That blew my mind hahah ty very much
Glad you liked it Tim! Cheers, Dave
This is a great tip! Those weathering kits are pretty expensive. I just left my steel wool outside in vinegar. I have an Amtrak locomotive that has a smear in the paint. Hiding it with a rust stain will be a perfect solution.
Cool, I hope it works perfectly for you. Good solution.
Great economy tip Dave. I go a little cheaper, by useing worn out S.o.S pads. Once I have scrubbed the soap out cleaning something I put them in a container with water to dissolve what's left in a jar. Never used vinegar, but that works fast it seems. Loved the texture. My Titanic wreck model 1/ 700 will require a sea floor covered in rusty bits. I plan to blend the wet plaster with some pieces of rusty chuncks , letting the rivers of rust run to the low spots. Like the R.V. footage in the pictures. This is a perfect shmutz to spread all over the wreck! Thanx for sharing Dave.
Lance Caldwell that sounds amazing. I can’t wait to see your Titanic diorama. Will you replicate the water in any way? (Which sounds like a nightmare, btw!)
Excellent video! I actually have a jar of this sitting right here - I mix it up tho, for the liquid. If you paint actual wood (like popsickle sticks, matchsticks whatever) it chemically reacts with the wood and turns it dark in various shades, great for a worn look in dioramas etc. I'd not thought to use the solid left over bits as well! Definitely going to try it out. Thanks very much!
Excellent video Dave, thanks so much !
Greetings from The Philippines
Eric Rausch thanks Eric!
Top tip! Cheers mate, I always like to do stuff as cheap as poss as don't show models but looks great to me.
Thanks Paul!
That looks great. Got a 1/10 scale 79 ford bronco RC that I want to weather
Awesome work, and thanks for the tips on making rust in a jar .
Great video.
Mike Espo . New sub to you today.
This is brilliant! I will follow❤
wow cool......never seen rusting like this before....
These are such great videos .... on a budget and as an old beginner, thanks very much 👍
Thanks David. Glad you enjoy them. Cheers, Dave
@@DavesModelWorkshop... I’ve made my rust jar up and drying some earth out now...on my second build now.... bought a cheap airbrush and had great fun practicing and using on the first model and trying and making my own pin wash and other wash out of oil paints... all new techniques to me and from one of your commandments.... it might not be to any winning standard but to me who looked at models in the shop and thought I wish I could .... it brought satisfaction to me and will learn from the mistakes and have the confidence to try anything.... I might be sad but I actually don’t mind cleaning my airbrush 😊
I have used rusty old metal from an exhaust pipe in the past. It gives you rust colour but without the texture bits. This method looks really good though.
Great tip!
There are some many ways to do rust, and this is a very good one to do. Nice video my friend :)
Great idea Dave. Thanks for the tip.
Nice video, what kind of material is this model? Will it have the same effect if I apply it to plastic? Thanks.
Fantastic idea and presentation. I love it. Thank you.
Hi dave,
Same question as Michael. Do you seal/clearcoat afterwards ?
Derek McNulty hey mate, I don’t bother sealing it. You certainly can, although it does darken the effect and removes quite a lot of the subtlety. I just leave mine as is, and try it to handle the finished model.
This is fantastic. It is a real rust . How do you keep it from wearing off
You can seal it with a clear top coat, but it does lessen the subtlety of the rust effect somewhat, it makes it darker and less subtle.
Interesting and very well detailed. Came across this when looking at rc scale crawler body painting and the channel linked this video as a recommendation. As water gets rid of it, I assume a form of lacquer on top (even cheap hairspray) will protect it a little from the elements when taking the rc trucks out into the wilderness through some watery splash conditions?
You would definitely want to seal it somehow for a RC truck that's going to be exposed to water, grit, etc. Hairspray is water soluble, it will eventually wear off. you'd be better with a matte clear coat of some kind, but be aware the clear coat will dull the effect a little, it will make the rust darker and it will lose some of it's subtlety.
Simple idea, brilliant & cheap! Will definitely try it.
Hi David, thanks very much. Simple and cheap is how I work ;) Cheers, Dave
Works superb! Thanks Dave!
Brilliant!!!! I'm doing this when I get home from work today!
Thanks TescoVee - let me know how it works out. Dave
It's a great effect. My question is how would you seal it? I play tabletop wargames and everything is gonna be touched....often.
You can seal it with a clear coat, but it will lose some of the subtlety and the rust will get a bit darker.
I did just as the video suggested and used steel wool and apple cider vinegar. It's been almost 2 weeks now and nothing. The steel wool still looks brand new.
I would suggest adding a little bleach and see if that kick starts the process. But please be mindful of fumes!
I've found an acrylic craft paint that looks incredibly like rust. It's called Espresso and Latte which translated means coffee and milk. I use it on all my railroad wheels. Cheers from eastern TN
How did you apply it on your model?
Thank you in advance!!
Good stuff bro' thanks again for all your help... I'm looking forward to trying this and other tricks I've been learning from yourself and others on YT!!!
Before and after applying the rust, should I spray the model with anything to seal the surface? Thanks. Great video.
Hi Kent, you can seal it with a clear coat after you have applied it, not before. Be aware though that the rust will get darker, and lose some of its subtlety.
Hi Dave if I wanted to do this to an RC car how can I protect it and stop it coming off when wet just lacquered I guess
Massive thank you! This made weathing so easy!
Excellent!
I'm curious if you coat either of your rust methods with flat clear coat spray when you are done? If not do you think that would work to keep it more permanent?
@@FreeXenuProject I don’t usually. You can, but it dulls the subtlety of the effect.
@@DavesModelWorkshop Gotcha, thank you.
Hi, awesome tutorial, could please post a link to purchase the little jar where you put the steel wool in?
Thanks you in advance!!
I think it was just a baby food jar, nothing special.
Thank you! What products is in it?
@@edcaz-v4x sorry, I can't remember, the video was 6 years ago...
Hey, Dave, just wondering if you would recommend clear coating models after doing the rust weathering? Thanks, Mac
Depends how much its going to get handled, if you do clear coat it I'd advise Matte coat but fair warning, it will darken down the vibrate oranges
do you laquer it after to seal it on
hi, only mix the vinegar with the metal wool in the same bottle and wait?, how much time need to be ready?. Thx for this tip, u have a new sub.
Hi Antidoto35, yep, that's all you need to do. Mix vinegar and steel wool in one bottle, and leave it for maybe 2-3 days. A week would be better, but 2-3 days would give you a useable rust. Cheers, Dave
Wonderful weathering job Dave! looks so realsitic! i have 1 question... yesterday i tried making it my self and in the jar, i placed the steel wool and filled it with white vinegar but today i saw and happened nothing 🤣🤣 how much vinegar is required??? Love from Greece!!!!
I used about 150-200ml of vinegar in the jar you can see in this video. I basically put the steel wool in, and poured in as much vinegar as the jar would hold. i hope this helps.
@@DavesModelWorkshop thanks! I will try again.
Very cool trick. Thanks man.
BRILLIANT thanks ,nice work.
Although 2 years ago but great tip. My question is can i spray seal on this? Coz im guessing these rust is not permanent over long period of time? Or can get removed when your cleaning the model from dusts for example.
Hi Peter, you can seal with with dullcoat but it will darken the rust, it looses a lot of its subtlety. Better to just leave it unsealed and be careful when cleaning.
I love this super cheap technique though I have a question. Will it come out the same when applied to any material Is (plastic, paper, metal, etc)?
Painted on to anything the result should be similar. I'd be hesitant about painting it onto paper, perhaps, purely as it is such a liquid it would soak in a lot, might distort the paper?
@@DavesModelWorkshop Yes that would be obvious, but the paper I'm using is a sticker paper but I assume it'll have the same result. Thanks a lot! I love a good penny pinch.
Hi mate does this stuff rub off easy because I want to make a rusty vw golf and I'm worried it may rub off once touched. BTW great video mate
Just learning, great stuff, but what do you use for a top coat, or is it left as is, thanks
I never seal it in. You can if you want, but it will dull the subtlety of the effect and will also darken the colour of the rust.
You can also use aluminum soda can that's been burnt with a torch, it makes very nice surface for heavily rusted-through parts
idk if i’m doing it right or worng but i been having the jar open for like 2 today and it’s still clear what else do i need to add
Awesome! I have to try the steelwool. As for the pigments: How to fix them? Clear Code? PVA Glue?
I generally don’t fix them in place, I just try to not handle my models once the pigment is in place. If you do want to seal the pigment, I recommend any matte clear coat. But be aware it will darken the colour of the rust, and make it a bit less subtle.
Very good tip. Great video. Thanks for sharing
Great video, I love the texture of the rust, would love to try it myself. Either with vinegar or water as another user suggested. One question has been on my mind, what material would you use to seal this in?
I would say most anything you would use to seal a finish on model. I prefer to paint my rust on using acrylics mixed with ground pastel.
This helped alot Dave!!
Nice work buddy... Why don't you try about 100 copperhead Bbs and a copper colored sos pad in vinegar 🎉 it'll be rusty like RUSTY 🎉
Awesome. Love any money saving tips. How about burnt rust on exhaust?
I guess you could apply this rust effect, and then airbrush a burnt colour over the top of it?
I'm wondering if you could strain or press out the liquid and then add in gum arabic to the liquid for a binder?
Hi! after the oxide effect is dry, which is put on the vehicle so that the effect does not come off? Thanks!!!
Try an acrylic matte varnish by vallejo.
@@Marauder623 would this also work for pigment as well?
I'm giving this a go. Would adding some bleach to the vinegar speed things up?
Sorry if this has been asked already, but do you need to spray a fixer on the diy rust? If so, what do you use? Thanks in advance.
Hi John, you certainly can airbrush a matte clear coat to seal it in if you expect to be handling the finished model much. But it will make the rust darker, and you lose a lot of the subtler tones of rust. i never bother to.
If you wanted to keep the larger rust flakes would a couple mat clear coats protect them?
I’m thinking of going really heavily on a lexan RC crawler body...
Looks ace!
Was,wondering the same thing
orange rust effect..new rust...thanks for sharing
I’ve also tried you dirt, mud, and flat earth mixture to get mud effects. And loved it but instead of flat earth I used burnt umber Acrylic paint and also liked the effect. Cheers fro Canada
Hi Craig, glad to be of help mate! Cheers from Australia.
Good video. Thanks for the tip!
You just saved ne a lot of money , great channel ! Subscriebed !!
Hi Ioan, I love to hear that I've saved people money! Glad you were able to use this. Cheers, Dave
Hi
This is a great video. I decided to try and make rust myself, using the steel wool and vinegar method. But how long does it take? I put a roll of steel wool in a glas jar, covered it with vinegar, but until now I can not see anything has happened at all. Its only been a few days though, but how long time (approx) before I can use it?
Thank you. Mine took about a week. Some people have reported longer, some shorter, and a very few unlucky people haven’t had reactions at all, I guess it depends on the atmospheric conditions and/or the wire and vinegar used.
Awesome information. Thank you
That is awesome. Thanks 🙏🏻 for the help man
My pleasure!
Awesome 👍👍👍 Thanks buddy. I'm going to try on my old Tamiya Mountaineer
Awesome video..........
What's varnish do you recommend to fix this or other brand rust washes?
I never varnish mine, it dulls the effect and darkens the rust, so I can't comment sorry.
Hi, looks super! 👌. 2 questions, does the rust go on over your finished paint? And do you lacquer over the rust? Thanks.
Yes, the rust does go on top of the finished paint. And yes, you can add a clear coat over the rust if you wish to. I don't bother, I just try to not handle that part of the model and it stays on just fine. But if you are going to be handling it, add a clear coat - just be aware that it will darken the rust colours, and you will lose some of the subtlety of the rust. Cheers, Dave
@@DavesModelWorkshop thanks
Can this process be clear coated?
A quick question, if I may Dave. Should I leave the top of a jar loose/off to allow gases to vent, while doing this?
geggy5151 definitely leave the top off while the rust forms, it needs oxygen to rust. It’s more about letting air in than letting gases out.
Cheers Dave. Sorry for the tardy reply, I forgot to check back! Doh! I've 4 jars on the go. 2 with white vinger, (one jar 1/2 full the other full), one tap water and one rain water. The best so far, is the 1/2, full vinegar. Can't wait to try it!
Super great idea, top. Thanks for showing 👍 👍 👍
Hey Tom, my pleasure mate. I'm all about saving money where we can in this hobby. Cheers, Dave
Did you clear coat the model before doing this. I pretty much exclusively use acrylic paints and am wondering if the liquid part would do to much damage to the paint
No, I didn’t clear coat first, but as long as your paint has dried properly I can’t see the rust liquid affecting it. Maybe try on an inconspicuous section first?
@@DavesModelWorkshop Thank you very much
How do you seal it, so it no longer can be brushed off? Also, the other pigments. Do they need a varnish?
TerminatorFiles I don’t bother sealing it. You could spray a Matt varnish to seal it, but I find this makes the pigments darker and less subtle. I just try to not handle the finished model too much.
Amazing outcome
Thanks Scott!
can i use anything else to replace vinegar ? really dislike that smell of vinegar
That looks awesome