keeping the patina

[Jack Innes]

You will find rubbing the car down with motor oil or better, Rust Check oil, will remove the loose surface rust & darken the rest wile slowing further rust. If you rub it well it becomes alost a dry surface.


If you want to really preserve it without losing the patina you can treat the rusted areas with Tannic acid; see http://www.cci-icc.gc.ca/publication...s/9-5-eng.aspx . This is from a conservation institute point of view - you can simplify the process.


The car to the left has its original finish, now 108 years old, treated with tannic acid several years ago. I applied a film of Rust Check oil to the treated steel areas with a rag after the tannic acid treatment.
All areas with surface rust have become very stable with no signs of further corrosion.

This process is used in museums to preserve ancient weapons & other iron artifacts. The result is a black phosphate surface that stops further rusting.