Rusting Question Options

[tsterling]

Here's my first carved/engraved steel practice piece (mild steel) with some rather hesitant practice cuts. I used my standard rusting formula of 1/4 cup hydrogen peroxide (steaming hot), as much table salt as will dissolve, and a little vinegar. After several applications developing a thick coat of red rust, I boiled it for an hour in strong tea. As usual, it came out quite black, but when I scrubbed it with a toothbrush (nylon) and non-abrasive soap, most of the black went away, leaving black spots and the gray you see in the image.

In the past, the nice black has remained, what did I do wrong here? Is it the mild steel, or maybe I used too much vinegar so the rust didn't "stick" to the metal, eating it off as quickly as it formed?


How do you do this, Ford? Jim? Anyone?