The new patina on the roof of Steampuk Treehose is starting to take shape.
Our goal is to give the roof some really aged blue-green color by applying a fresh layer of paint on the rusted metal, and then systematically (and artfully) destroying that layer of paint.
Last weekend we laid down the first even layer of paint and then we added an additional, splotchy layer, which you can see in this first photo.
Then we started grinding away the paint to expose both the rust below the paint and the fresh metal below that rusty layer.
In the third photo you can see Joe and Jeremy with one of the roof panels after the grinding.
Next, we heat the metal with a week burner, and spray it with aqueous feric nitrite. The heat allows the water in ferric nitrite to rapidly evaporate and leave behind an even, coat of the chemical. Additionally, the heat also burns off some of the paint and discolors the rest.
In the third photo, you can see Bender (who uses this method on his own work) applying the heat and chemical.
Of course, there is lots of standing around talking about what parts of the damage we like and what parts we don’t.
In the final photo you can see a close of up of what the treatment does.
