turning copper green??

[WildBill]

does anyone know how to turn copper green and if so what is the correct name for doing it, with chemicals???

Thanks alot

Bill

[dee]

you want a GREEN patina, not BLUE, correct?

I dont recall the chemistry, it was simple and I believe it was a sulfur compound easy to mix yourself and stunk of rotten eggs.

The turquoise-blue patina chemistry I have leaves a lot to be desired, though.

If we dont get an answer in a day or so I'll look it up at work...

[arcdawg]

patina

bill i did some searching and found these few hints to patina copper.

diy.net has a recipe so you can check it out, same with hgtv...

acid etching patina can be puchased at the local hardware store.

muriatic acid works well or at least thats what the search would lead me to believe.

house hold vinigar will also work, i guess that its got to do with the acidity of the vinagar.

and last but not least human urine , or put the piece in used cat litter

the key is to cover the piece up, so i would think that a rag soaked in vinagar covering up the piece would work good or a vinagar bath.

i would use the vinagar first,cheap and non toxic and you wont have to use your work piece as a toilet.

then they say to maintain the color use a clear laquer.

hope that this will help, brian

[Roger]

From Complete Metalsmith,
Green copper Patina;
1 Tbsp Ammonium chloride
1 Tbsp salt
1 oz. ammonia
1 qt. water pure
Copper clean & dry. Sprits metal until wet and air dry. Repeat at least 4 times. For smother patina mix with liquide with saw dust, leaves, grass, kitty litter, ect until damp, place in plastic bag with workpiece and seal.

Blue copper patina;
water
salt
ammonia

Urine contains ammonia as it ages from bacteria action and salts.

[malibu101]

I have heard, don't know if it's true or if I'd want to try to get some, that horse urine will turn raw copper green in a very short period of time.
Again, I never tried this, so, use at your own risk

[49degreesnorth]

If you are really into this, a book called The Coloring, Bronzing, and Patination of Metals by Richard Hughes is a good one. It is elegantly done with color pictures. Amazon says its out of print, but I bought it from them a couple months ago and I saw it two days ago in a book store (Elliot Bay Books in Seattle). It is like $60 but is of coffee-table quality and exhaustive in its recipes.

Google on copper patination and you'll find a lot of stuff. I recently used a bleach/salt/water combination which turned the copper a little too blue. You can always clean the piece and try again.

Chris

[JamesEMcIntyre]

Bill. I’ve turned copper green by peeing in a pump spray bottle and placing the copper outside, spraying it every time it dried until it reached the desired patina.

it sounds gross but it’s chemical free and cheep.

[Dale M.]

Ummm.... It's a 16 year old post you answered....

Dale

[MAC702]

Just set it outside and the dog does it for you.

[JamesEMcIntyre]

Dale MMMM
I know. Better late than never. Lol

[JamesEMcIntyre]

Mac. I hope your dog has a good aim. :-)

[JamesEMcIntyre]

Dale. I’m new to this forum. Is it ok with you if members post information to old post?
I found this site while searching for answers.
I though I could add my experience to the question asked here.
Thank you for welcoming me to Hobartwelders.com

[Dale M.]

Most of the time after a thread is a year or two old ts pretty certain that the OP either found his/her answers or moved on....

It's ok to answer, but most likely its just a waste of your time.....

Dale

[Nipper]

::Two years later::

: )