Yesterday I shared the evolution of our new building/barn/garage/whatever you want to call it. Today I thought I would share how the “B” came about and how we patinated the metal.

After the shutters and barn lights were hung, we felt like there was a lot of blank space at the top of the building and it needed a little something extra. Because if I’m anything, it’s not usual or simple and neither should be the barn. I’ve seen the barn quilts and the painted American flags – all nice but not what I wanted. We narrowed it down to something metal. But what? Then that dim lightbulb flickered in my head and the “B” was born.

I used Photoshop to find the font I wanted and created a mock-up file of the vision I had in my head. We guestimated the size and couldn’t decide between 4 feet or 5 feet so we compromised and went with 4.5 feet. We sent the mock-up to Brinkoetter’s Iron Works and they brought our “B” to life.

I’m 5’3″ and you can see how large it is – if you can get over my glaring beauty on that hot summer day.

It was time to pre-rust and seal the raw metal before it was hung. Google and YouTube for the win showing me how quickly metal can be rusted. It’s literally instant gratification. Here is what we did.

Gather 16 ounces of hydrogen peroxide, 2 ounces white vinegar and a 1/2 tablespoon of salt. Mix all ingredients in an old spray bottle and shake to mix. Using a sanding block or medium grit sand paper, scuff up the metal just a bit. Once sanded, throughly clean the metal with soap and water. Now it’s time for the instant gratification.

Spray the peroxide mixture generously over the metal and let sit to dry.

The metal will instantly begin to rust.

There were a few spots that didn’t rust as well, probably because I didn’t sand enough. No big deal. It won’t even be noticeable once hung 14 feet in the air.

We waited about an hour for the first coat to dry and then sprayed another generous coat of the mixture and let it fully dry again.

Here is an up-close look after two coats of the peroxide mixture. The final step was to spray a clear sealer on the front and back of the letter to stop any further rusting or deterioration of the metal once hung on the building.

Time to hang the monster. It wasn’t lightweight by any means. We drilled four holes in the metal “B”, used 3/8″ threaded rod couplings as spacers on the back to make the “B” stand out from the building just a bit and 3/8″ x 4″ hex head screws to secure to the building.

There it is in all it’s glory perfectly patinated and just what the space needed. If I had it to do all over again, I would have gone with 4 feet tall instead of 4.5 feet but there’s no going back now. We love it and that’s all that counts. In fact, I gifted my parent’s a 3 foot “S” version for their barn for their 50th anniversary. It would make a cool Christmas give, too, for those looking for a unique gift idea.