How to Rust Brass Hinges

Brass hinges can be used to open and close front doors, cabinet doors, as well as a number of other objects. Usually, people want to remove rust from a hinge, but some people like the look of antique metal. Rusted brass hinges are used as a decorative element. Fortunately, there are a few easy ways to rust brass and other metal hinges.

Things You'll Need

• Scrubbing pad or steel wool
• Bowl or container
• Table salt

Instructions

1. Scrub off the protective coating. Use steel wool or a scrubbing pad to wear away the protective rust-proof coating of the brass hinges. Natural wear and tear usually leads to the rust-proof coating fading away, thereby making the hinges more susceptible to rust.

2. Apply moisture to the hinges. Submerge the brass hinges in a bowl or container of water to accelerate the rusting process. The idea is to keep the brass hinges in contact with moisture for a long period of time.

3. Add salt to the water. Pour a tablespoon of salt into the bowl of water. The salt or sodium chloride helps to rust metal.

4. Put hinges in sunlight. Put the brass hinges on a paper towel and place it in the sun. The sunlight and high temperature also helps to increase the growth rate of rust.

References

• Metal Web New - A Primer on Rust
• Als Net Biz - Fighing Never Ending Rust