A NO Cost Alternative to Patina for Steel

Here is a cheap way to patina steel without having to spend money on expensive patinas and without having to wait for something to rust.

you pee on it.

First you clean the metal with acetone to remove any oils. Oils protect the steel and will keep the process from working.

exposing the raw steel and removing mill scale will also aid in the process

Clean your hands afterwards

Remember that if the steel is fully submerged and does not contact oxygen, then it will not oxidize.  A technique could be to use a pan filled with gravel, urinating into the pan, then covering with a plastic bag to seal in the moisture but keeping the steel out of the urine with the gravel.

wash the steel afterward.

warning: it will smell fairly rancid... like 5th and Market in San Francisco on a warm muggy day...