Weathering plate armour

Weathering plate armour and making it look battleworn can be done with two relatively simple processes. Firstly, it needs to be a bit banged up. And the second step would be adding rust. 

Making dents and scratches isn’t too difficult to do. Grab some tools, like an axe, hammer or metal vile and a block to place the armour on, like a large brick or a wooden block. It’s important that the part of the armour you want to bang up is supported by the block, so you won’t bend the armour out of shape too much or break it. When you hit the supported part of the armour with an axe or hammer, you will create a dent similar to the denting armour would get in battle. You can use the edge of the metal file to create scratches on the steel.

Adding rust to steel armour can be done in two ways.

The most simple way is to just leave the item out in the rain for a while and let the water dry without wiping the item down. You can also bury the item in wet soil for a while. The steel will start to rust, which will give it an aged look. After the steel has rusted, you can clean it with some steel wool or very fine black sandpaper. 

Another method of aging steel is by using vinegar and salt. 

Fill a spray bottle with vinegar and a good amount of salt. Spray the mixture on the steel item and leave it on for a few days. The more of the vinegar and salt solution you use and the longer you leave it on, the bigger the effect. If you want a slower process, so you’ll have more control over the effect, you can dilute the solution with water. You can neutralize the rusting process with a solution of baking soda and water. Just like with the first method, you can clean up some of the rust with steel wool or very fine black sandpaper. 

Watch this video for more detailed instructions on how to weather your plate armour.

You can find our collection of plate armour here.