Hello. My hobby is transforming 1-18 scale die-cast autos and trucks into rustbuckets, old weather beaten, wrecked cars. I have no problem with the rust, but I cannot figure out how to create rusted through holes around the fenders, etc. The holes have to be done from the inside out to look right, I’ve tried using grinders and sandpaper drums in a Dremel tool, but it takes FOREVER, and the results leave a tad to be desired. I’ve considered looking into maybe an acid of some sort. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, thanks in advance.
i wonder (have no experience here) if you were to thin it with the Dremel from behind and then use Badger’s etching gun (about 30 skins at craft stores or hobby shops) to blow it through achieving a rough and unpatterned hole,then rust the edges as normal…it’s kind of like a mini sand blaster
You might want to invest in a set of diamond grinding bits. These typically come in sets of a dozen or so with different-shaped heads on 3 mm. shafts. They’ll fit your Dremel or Dremel-like tool without any problem. I’d suggest a fairly fine grit (180, 220, 260, around that range – certainly not less than 180). These should cut through die-cast metal from the inside out quite quickly.
They’re also cheap: sets sell on eBay all the time for about $15 delivered.
Word of caution: these are made in China and seem to have the diamond grit bonded fairly loosely to the head. So, use COPIOUS amounts of coolant (water or lubricating oil) lest the diamond grit debonds from the head.
Another word of caution: wear goggles or safety glasses. Even if the diamond grit doesn’t debond, you’re likely to have droplets of oil/water and tiny bits of metal shrapnel flying about.
The August, 2006 issue of Scale Auto has a most excellent article by Ken Hamilton about making rust out panels for plastic cars. ( using tin foil, copper sheet, and pc board etchant ) If his technique eats away tin foil and copper sheet like it apparently does, then it should work good on die-cast.