Forcing Patina on Copper
Sept 27, 2022 0:00:39 GMT
Post by Ouroboros on Sept 27, 2022 0:00:39 GMT
Do you get bored sometimes?
Is it a boredom that makes you ask questions?
Are you just curious enough to be dangerous?
One day while enticing the refractory cement to dry quicker on my cheap mans foundary by staring at it... I asked myself if I could remember how to use household semprini to force a patina on copper (and by extension copper alloys like brass and bronze etc).
"Why, Ouro, why???" You bury your face in your hands. "Youtube and Facebook can tell you these things; nothing is hidden from The Algorithm..."
Who hasnt wondered this very thing while staring at their collection?? Sure, gunblue can do blue, very true, et tu? Liver of sulfur can blacken the brightest sterling ...BuT...
Maybe you have a horde of modern khopesh and need then to look like you just unearthed them?
Perchance your ancient Spear of Destiny refuses to tarnish?? And all you have is this lousy housecat n a bag of salt!!!
Maybe you bought something at auction and arr now wondering how they got it to look sooooooo old...
Here we go:
Hypothesis Ammonia and Salt are all i need to 'age' copper and copper alloys...
Materials
Copper sheet (double thin sheet presssed around reinforcing mesh)j
Ammonia (household strength)
Salt (noniodized)
Water.
House Cat + 1 bag bentonite clay liter+ 1 bag clumping litter (mixed 1:1:1) + time + willpower.
Experimental Model
Experiment jar 1 will test what happens when I fume copper in ammonia for 12 and 24 hrs.
Experiment jar 2 will test a light salt spray applied to the copper before fuming in ammonia for 12 and 24 hrs.
Experiment jar 3 will test a special all natural method ive read about elsewhere that involves Mr Peaches Olde Tyme Unsanitary Leavings
Method:
Using the same copper sheet, I cut 8 pieces roughly 1" x 1.5" and cleaned and degreased them. I did not sand nor mechanically deface the existing patina of age
Suspend them in mason jars (3 jars, 2 pieces of copper each jar) without touching the ammonia papertowel.
Add 1 paper towel to jar 1 and 2
Add 1 oz household ammonia to jar 1 and jar 2.
Add 1 clump of Olde Tyme Unsanitary Leavings to jar 3.
Gently aggitate in swirling motion all jars.
Seal each jar. (Shoulda done this first cause ammonia stinks and gets outa hand).
Place on exterior railing to avail myself of some UV penetration and heating feom the sun.
12 hours: check samples. Remove 1 each and test patina for how fixed it is to the metal.
24 hours: check samples.
Rinse in cold water.
Conclusion:
See the photo essay below but salt and ammonia seem secondbest to catpiss and bentonite clay with straight up ammonia bringing up the rear.
Results:
Fig 0.0 Controls, 12 and 24 hr "bakes"
Fig 0.1 control
Fig 0.2 12 hours salt and ammonia
Fig 0.3 24 hours salt and ammonia.
Note: the patina was gorgeous and more stable after 24hours but both were easily removed with finger rubbing pressure.
Continued experimentation may yield a stable patina yet.
Fig 0.4 12 hours ammonia only
Fig 0.5 24 hrs ammonia only
Fig 0.6 Mr Peaches Contribution
Fig 0.7 Mr Peaches Contribution side B
Fig 0.8 Mr Peaches sample cleaned up well and an almost stable patina??
We have work to do Mr Peaches...
*As a side benefit, the spent ammonia paper towels may be used to ward off skunks from tight places under sheds for winter. Shhhhh ole Cannuck out-skunk-the-skunk trick.
Cheers,
Ouro
Is it a boredom that makes you ask questions?
Are you just curious enough to be dangerous?
One day while enticing the refractory cement to dry quicker on my cheap mans foundary by staring at it... I asked myself if I could remember how to use household semprini to force a patina on copper (and by extension copper alloys like brass and bronze etc).
"Why, Ouro, why???" You bury your face in your hands. "Youtube and Facebook can tell you these things; nothing is hidden from The Algorithm..."
Who hasnt wondered this very thing while staring at their collection?? Sure, gunblue can do blue, very true, et tu? Liver of sulfur can blacken the brightest sterling ...BuT...
Maybe you have a horde of modern khopesh and need then to look like you just unearthed them?
Perchance your ancient Spear of Destiny refuses to tarnish?? And all you have is this lousy housecat n a bag of salt!!!
Maybe you bought something at auction and arr now wondering how they got it to look sooooooo old...
Here we go:
Hypothesis Ammonia and Salt are all i need to 'age' copper and copper alloys...
Materials
Copper sheet (double thin sheet presssed around reinforcing mesh)j
Ammonia (household strength)
Salt (noniodized)
Water.
House Cat + 1 bag bentonite clay liter+ 1 bag clumping litter (mixed 1:1:1) + time + willpower.
Experimental Model
Experiment jar 1 will test what happens when I fume copper in ammonia for 12 and 24 hrs.
Experiment jar 2 will test a light salt spray applied to the copper before fuming in ammonia for 12 and 24 hrs.
Experiment jar 3 will test a special all natural method ive read about elsewhere that involves Mr Peaches Olde Tyme Unsanitary Leavings
Method:
Using the same copper sheet, I cut 8 pieces roughly 1" x 1.5" and cleaned and degreased them. I did not sand nor mechanically deface the existing patina of age
Suspend them in mason jars (3 jars, 2 pieces of copper each jar) without touching the ammonia papertowel.
Add 1 paper towel to jar 1 and 2
Add 1 oz household ammonia to jar 1 and jar 2.
Add 1 clump of Olde Tyme Unsanitary Leavings to jar 3.
Gently aggitate in swirling motion all jars.
Seal each jar. (Shoulda done this first cause ammonia stinks and gets outa hand).
Place on exterior railing to avail myself of some UV penetration and heating feom the sun.
12 hours: check samples. Remove 1 each and test patina for how fixed it is to the metal.
24 hours: check samples.
Rinse in cold water.
Conclusion:
See the photo essay below but salt and ammonia seem secondbest to catpiss and bentonite clay with straight up ammonia bringing up the rear.
Results:
Fig 0.0 Controls, 12 and 24 hr "bakes"
Fig 0.1 control
Fig 0.2 12 hours salt and ammonia
Fig 0.3 24 hours salt and ammonia.
Note: the patina was gorgeous and more stable after 24hours but both were easily removed with finger rubbing pressure.
Continued experimentation may yield a stable patina yet.
Fig 0.4 12 hours ammonia only
Fig 0.5 24 hrs ammonia only
Fig 0.6 Mr Peaches Contribution
Fig 0.7 Mr Peaches Contribution side B
Fig 0.8 Mr Peaches sample cleaned up well and an almost stable patina??
We have work to do Mr Peaches...
*As a side benefit, the spent ammonia paper towels may be used to ward off skunks from tight places under sheds for winter. Shhhhh ole Cannuck out-skunk-the-skunk trick.
Cheers,
Ouro