Faux rust effect

[old_picker]

I have a wood project that needs to look like weather rusted iron. I have looked at the various rust effect finishes available and not too expensive until you add in the horrendously expensive bottle of activator.

This is fairly basic chemistry and as I understand it the the base coat is a medium that carries a high percentage of powdered iron. The activator when applied attacks the surface iron particles promoting rust.

So what is the the active ingredient in the activator? Whenever I search, the results are swamped with advertising material from the manufacturers of designer rust effect paints. I have seen vague references to a mixture of salt, vinegar and hydrogen peroxide and even vaguer further references to something mixed with bleach. These are usually however to do with rusting steel and iron.

Hopefully some one with some knowledge of paints and chemistry can point me in the direction of a few resources that may shed some light on a DIY approach to making my own brew of the paint and more importantly the activator.

Thanks to any and all who respond

 

[SFK]

Old,
I would expect that the "horrendously expensive bottle of activator" is simply an Originator.
There are several methods shown here using two main chemicals (HCL and H2O2) and using salt as a good conductor (lots of dissociated ions) to accelerate the process.
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=m...-ab&gfe_rd=cr&dcr=0&ei=CjvTWaHZOojH8AfQuZ3YBw

Careful though, these are corrosive materials, and even if you know how to handle them, the post/mailman will not be impressed if they leak on route (and might be illegal to ship).
SFK