Rusted Wheels... custom
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: 02-12-2009
Posts: 534
From: Boutte, Louisiana
Rusted Wheels... custom
Alright, this is just a proof of concept, but i like where it's going. I love the old rusty look, but don't feel like destroying perfectly good parts, so i used Plasti-Dip 
First, I started off with my gloss black wheels, then laid down a base coat of flat black Plasti-Dip. This was done mostly as a barrier between my wheels and the rust. Next I misted on a little white dip, hoping to lighten up the color a bit. I then sprayed on a couple light coats of Plasti-Dip Pearlizer, followed by one heavy wet coat. While the last coat of Pearlizer was still wet, I blasted some iron filings ( metal powder used in magnetic experiments and such ) onto the wheel. I then let the dip cure with the iron embedded in the surface. This is where the rust starts
. I sprayed the wheel down with Modern Master's brand Metal Effects Rust Activator, this does just what it says... activates the rust 
. After a few coats of activator, it got good and rusty. Finally i sealed it all in with some flat clear Plasti-dip.
Hope y'all like what I've come up with, enjoy some pics
First, I started off with my gloss black wheels, then laid down a base coat of flat black Plasti-Dip. This was done mostly as a barrier between my wheels and the rust. Next I misted on a little white dip, hoping to lighten up the color a bit. I then sprayed on a couple light coats of Plasti-Dip Pearlizer, followed by one heavy wet coat. While the last coat of Pearlizer was still wet, I blasted some iron filings ( metal powder used in magnetic experiments and such ) onto the wheel. I then let the dip cure with the iron embedded in the surface. This is where the rust starts
. I sprayed the wheel down with Modern Master's brand Metal Effects Rust Activator, this does just what it says... activates the rust . After a few coats of activator, it got good and rusty. Finally i sealed it all in with some flat clear Plasti-dip. Hope y'all like what I've come up with, enjoy some pics
Senior Member
Joined: 03-20-2012
Posts: 292
From: Dallas, TX
Yowza! I must say...that is badass, and I am going to steal the process. I LOVE the rusted & patina looks...as you could probably deduce from my custom job on my grill, mirrors, and beauty bar. I gave them an old vintage look with several layers of paint & sanding, but it doesn't produce results near as authentic as this process...
This will take it to another level. I never thought of embedding metal powder and then using a rust activator...very clever. Thanks!
This will take it to another level. I never thought of embedding metal powder and then using a rust activator...very clever. Thanks!
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: 02-12-2009
Posts: 534
From: Boutte, Louisiana
Thanks guys, glad ya like it
I'm quite pleased with how the patina turned out, and there's nothing more realistic than actual rust. Plus it is removable, so I can switch back to gloss black / whatever color I choose... Ya know I can't stop changing it up
Anyways, I encourage anyone to try this, and put your own twist on things. If you want something more permanent than Plasti-Dip, Modern Masters has Iron based paint that yields pretty cool results too. I chose to coat it with metal powder because painting over Plasti-Dip makes it very difficult to remove. Oh, and Slide_Rite, they have a copper paint too
I'm quite pleased with how the patina turned out, and there's nothing more realistic than actual rust. Plus it is removable, so I can switch back to gloss black / whatever color I choose... Ya know I can't stop changing it up
Anyways, I encourage anyone to try this, and put your own twist on things. If you want something more permanent than Plasti-Dip, Modern Masters has Iron based paint that yields pretty cool results too. I chose to coat it with metal powder because painting over Plasti-Dip makes it very difficult to remove. Oh, and Slide_Rite, they have a copper paint too
