tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086026991280831425.post1072849184189584368..comments2024-03-18T11:38:13.384-02:30Comments on Elfshot: Patinating Copper ExperimentsTimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11473674521424237610noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086026991280831425.post-25553338271201741382019-03-15T11:56:45.733-02:302019-03-15T11:56:45.733-02:30I am working with some copper sculptures that need...I am working with some copper sculptures that needed a full cleaning. That removed the patina on it. This has been a great help in learning how to go about putting it back on!<br /><br />My question is this: I cannot soak the pieces. Is there a way to keep the solution on the one side without soaking it? I was thinking of using flour to create a paste, but wanted to see if you had some advice before I do this. Thank you! Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08450295107273333971noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086026991280831425.post-74154525245043916012018-09-09T13:57:22.445-02:302018-09-09T13:57:22.445-02:30 I have the same question as Barbara. Use the mir... I have the same question as Barbara. Use the miracle grow and red wine vinegar to turn a copper fence cap green. What can I use to seal it to preserve the look?Sandihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13985066241496223322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086026991280831425.post-8347215170957178912018-06-25T14:52:38.889-02:302018-06-25T14:52:38.889-02:30Scrub (lightly) with 4-0 steel wool to get a satin...Scrub (lightly) with 4-0 steel wool to get a satin smooth - instead of shiny - surface and make sure you get all the steel off and do NOT use water excepting distilled water (we have chloramine here and it is death to metalwork as well as people). Also is a Nineteenth Century method that coin collectors used to preserve the patina on copper, brass, and bronze coins - lacquer. Sometimes they successfully lacquered uncirculated and even proof and pattern coins. Happy metalworking!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18416001355112116823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086026991280831425.post-43958498450972955332018-01-04T19:46:54.293-03:302018-01-04T19:46:54.293-03:30The surface probably wasn't rough enough for i...The surface probably wasn't rough enough for it to grabAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10713751596837846063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086026991280831425.post-7939940717315834322018-01-04T19:46:52.973-03:302018-01-04T19:46:52.973-03:30The surface probably wasn't rough enough for i...The surface probably wasn't rough enough for it to grabAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10713751596837846063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086026991280831425.post-31726407621571070522017-11-09T18:35:31.478-03:302017-11-09T18:35:31.478-03:30I guess I don't have all the answers.I guess I don't have all the answers.Timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11473674521424237610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086026991280831425.post-38483964957629626872017-11-09T16:26:40.242-03:302017-11-09T16:26:40.242-03:30no responses to long ago questions...no responses to long ago questions...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086026991280831425.post-45864814292457468582016-08-22T17:11:18.778-02:302016-08-22T17:11:18.778-02:30I have copper foil I'm trying to patina using ...I have copper foil I'm trying to patina using miracle gro and water and tried miracle gro and vinegar. I cleaned copper with acetone first. I brushed on the solutions and the water just slides off and I don see anything happening in the first hour. What am I doing wrong??Tinbirdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00251864121600216129noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086026991280831425.post-77675001885962879482016-01-10T09:26:10.960-03:302016-01-10T09:26:10.960-03:30hi! materials engineer here, you don't need al...hi! materials engineer here, you don't need all that salt to get the patina, just add a tea spoon for a cup of vinegar, you'll get the same effect and smaller cristal to brush off =) i'm also quite sure that you'd get the same effect addig HCl instead of table salt,the crucial ellement in this patinas is the Cl- ion, it's not important where it comes from. Chears!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13750510637126413106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086026991280831425.post-68743491770237424722016-01-09T22:39:01.250-03:302016-01-09T22:39:01.250-03:30I just found your site -- how do you preserve/fix ...I just found your site -- how do you preserve/fix the patina once you've "grown" it? Barbarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13747846783177833492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086026991280831425.post-38699204042343871632015-03-04T14:50:39.546-03:302015-03-04T14:50:39.546-03:30good for ornament work.....all surface change, tho...good for ornament work.....all surface change, though...have you found that, also......& also the people who wish to deceive for $$$ on fake copper artifacts are always about. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086026991280831425.post-18851420258773365502011-10-23T13:15:46.146-02:302011-10-23T13:15:46.146-02:30Luckily my Miracle Gro is in a plastic container -...Luckily my Miracle Gro is in a plastic container - with no holes. But just because we want corrosion in some places, doesn't mean we should forget how to store things properly. Good reminder, thanks.(I hope your father was okay)<br />Here are the results of liquid puddling on a copper blank as it dried. It created the most beautiful pattern, like tree rings or maybe a fingerprint.<br />http://www.franontheedge.com/crafts/ammoniatreatedcopper.html<br />I have 3 more blanks in this solution, which I may take out or leave for the vinegar to dry up natually... not sure yet.<br />But I want to try some more but with the red wine vinegar this time.FranOnTheEdgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05454342737829246279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086026991280831425.post-3222003072063813292011-10-23T08:44:05.054-02:302011-10-23T08:44:05.054-02:30A little word of caution. My father recently had a...A little word of caution. My father recently had a bad gas leak in his house caused by a box of miracle gro which had eaten a hole the size of a 50 p coin in the 22mm main gas pipe. lesson don't store the fertiliser next to copper pipes.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086026991280831425.post-11571438088865604522011-10-22T20:00:15.019-02:302011-10-22T20:00:15.019-02:30Thanks for posting your tests - I'm now experi...Thanks for posting your tests - I'm now experimenting with your Miracle Gro recipe, I didn't have red wine vinegar at the time (but went and bought some today! Lol!) so I used Malt Vinegar. I also had slow release Miracle Gro - does that matter do you think? I did have Maldon Sea salt though and I'm surprised at the different green this produces. I'll try and remember to pop a photo of this colouration on my website tomorrow.<br />But it's not as dark as your image suggests it should be. Not so much bottle green as minty/emerald green.<br />I must try the next batch with the red wine vinegar... and perhaps crushing the slow release Miracle Gro...FranOnTheEdgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05454342737829246279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086026991280831425.post-8118913641346001162011-10-21T15:51:20.815-02:302011-10-21T15:51:20.815-02:30Fran: Thanks for the links and the Salt and Vinega...Fran: Thanks for the links and the Salt and Vinegar chip recipe. I like those results and I love S&V chips! I'll definitely give this a try next time around.Timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11473674521424237610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086026991280831425.post-27251366641886689262011-10-20T20:46:12.381-02:302011-10-20T20:46:12.381-02:30I've been experimenting with patinating copper...I've been experimenting with patinating copper with vinegar and salt but I do it in a plastic container (an old curry container from Tesco) with Salt and Vinegar crisps.<br />The crisps are crunched up, sprinkled into the container and sprayed with a misting of water, then I lay the copper pieces on top and then add another layer of crisps, spray with water again - I press the copper onto the crisps a little to ensure decent contact with the crisp pieces - this is because the pieces of crisp actually help create the pattern of patination. Spray top layer of crisps with water too - and I usually add a dash or so of balsamic vinegar as well.<br />For this I use copper sheet that was gifted to me by a friend, it's fairly stiff but just cuttable with ordinary scissors. Some people use very thin copper sheets which are a bit stiffer than kitchen foil - and that stuff usually has a coating, for that you need to first soak the copper in fresh boiled water with a couple of handfuls of salt in it (while still hot) - some also sand the copper before using crisps.<br />photos of the resultant patterns of patination are here:<br />http://www.franontheedge.com/crafts/antiquingcopper.html<br />here:<br />http://www.franontheedge.com/crafts/copperworks.html<br />and here:<br />http://www.franontheedge.com/crafts/crispattack.html<br />Here are my first attempts with heat:<br />http://www.franontheedge.com/crafts/heatingcopper.html<br /><br />Fran B.FranOnTheEdgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05454342737829246279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086026991280831425.post-34814341304451505562010-10-31T10:38:20.615-02:302010-10-31T10:38:20.615-02:30Try thoroughly cleaning the copper first in a ultr...Try thoroughly cleaning the copper first in a ultrasonic cleaner with a good solvent used for cleaning old technical drafting pens. We used to throw pennies in the cleaner at work before the advent of computers and after a night of cleaning when dry they would turn green very quickly without anything else put on them. The ultrasonic gets them so clean that the atmosphere can do its thing immediately.Franknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086026991280831425.post-62805383062222286582010-09-24T20:00:59.416-02:302010-09-24T20:00:59.416-02:30It was about a teaspoon of miracle gro for every t...It was about a teaspoon of miracle gro for every tablespoon of vinegar.Timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11473674521424237610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086026991280831425.post-82919419192799831582010-09-22T12:36:43.050-02:302010-09-22T12:36:43.050-02:30About how many Miracle Grow pellets did you mix wi...About how many Miracle Grow pellets did you mix with the 1 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086026991280831425.post-22625578165491999522010-08-14T00:01:37.792-02:302010-08-14T00:01:37.792-02:30Any ideas on restoring patina on shield granite th...Any ideas on restoring patina on shield granite that has been pressure washed in error?Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11659178609499556207noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086026991280831425.post-6310364124043966982009-12-04T11:03:57.010-03:302009-12-04T11:03:57.010-03:30The mixture is still very fluid -- it doesn't ...The mixture is still very fluid -- it doesn't look or act much different than vinegar without salt in it. And yes, I had the same experience as you - the reaction needs air. I had the best results with a light sprinkling of solution and exposure to air. The submerged copper wouldn't patinate until the solution evaporated and exposed it.Timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11473674521424237610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086026991280831425.post-67830290496675562932009-12-03T22:27:44.444-03:302009-12-03T22:27:44.444-03:30Thanks Tim! Actually, my first experiments actual...Thanks Tim! Actually, my first experiments actually ended up working out a bit better than I first thought. Once I removed the wire from the solution they developed a better patina a day or two later. Not like your results but improved. I'll do another run at it using your suggestions.<br /><br />Just to clarify, is the resulting solution you mix up quite fluid or somewhat thick and pasty?Arnoldhttp://aureolestudios.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086026991280831425.post-69992131216420638042009-12-03T11:19:40.936-03:302009-12-03T11:19:40.936-03:30Hi Arnold, when I added the sea salt and the mira...Hi Arnold, when I added the sea salt and the miracle gro to the vinegar I stirred it in slowly and it dissolved into the liquid. When it stopped dissolving and started settling out I stopped adding salt/miracle gro. I didn't really measure how much I was adding - I used pretty much the maximum amount of salt or miracle gro that would disolve in the vinegar. The reproductions I was working on were very small, so the amounts were approximately 1 tsp of salt/miracle gro for a tablespoon of vinegar.Timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11473674521424237610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086026991280831425.post-62263565480772786782009-12-02T22:20:34.152-03:302009-12-02T22:20:34.152-03:30Very interesting. I experimented unsuccessfully wi...Very interesting. I experimented unsuccessfully with this, but perhaps it was because I used the liquid version of miracle grow. Also, I am unclear as the ratio between miracle grow and red wine/salt blend. Could you please clarify?<br /><br />ThanksArnoldhttp://aureolestudios.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086026991280831425.post-89774107106385093602009-09-27T10:36:37.214-02:302009-09-27T10:36:37.214-02:30Hey Tim. Great piece. very Alice the Alchemist. I ...Hey Tim. Great piece. very Alice the Alchemist. I believe the recipe for 'verdigris' which is malachite right? or something medieval painters would pound into powder for green paint. I read that they would suspend copper ribbons in a wooden box inside a dung heap. They would leave it all winter, and the ribbons would be so corroded they'd crumble but you prolly dont want that, nor do you likely have a dung heap full horse manure handy...robhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14934159418646747117noreply@blogger.com