Hold the brass in the solution and move back and forth to dislodge air bubbles. Make sure the solution covers the entire object, but doesn't reach near the top of your gloves. Air bubbles that remain on the brass will cause bright spots where the brass was not aged. Turn the brass object in your gloves so you get even exposure to the solution. Watch the color change and pull out when the desired color is reached. It should take between a few seconds and a couple minutes to begin changing colors, moving from pink to red to brown to black.
Pull it out when you see the color you're aiming for. If you plan to brighten your object with highlighting see below , let it get slightly darker than the color you want.
Don't worry that you'll ruin your brass. If you pulled it out too early, simply put it back and shake again. If you pulled it out too late, scrub with a scotch-brite pad or lightly with steel wool to remove the color so you can try again. Rinse the object to highlight optional. Rinse with hot water and clean off the resulting white powder using a sponge or scotch-brite pad.
This results in a brighter, accented object compared to the darker, even patina it had immediately after treatment. If you are trying to create a black or almost black patina, you'll have better results getting the patina to stay if you dip it in two or three stages, rinsing between each one. Dry evenly. Once you are satisfied with the color, immediately dry the whole object.
Wet patches will dry darker than the rest of the surface. You may want to use a paper towel or rag, since some color could rub off onto it. Treat with lacquer or wax to preserve the current color optional. Applying a brass lacquer or other brass finishing treatment will prevent the brass from aging further. This is recommended if the brass is handled frequently or if you want to preserve the current color.
Method 4. Apply ammonia periodically to produce the most natural aged appearance. Ammonia is a caustic substance that should be treated with caution, but it does come closer than any other method to creating the green brown appearance of naturally aged brass. Ammonia will eventually evaporate off the brass, so you'll need to commit to repeating this process every time your brass returns to its old appearance. How long this takes depends on the exact qualities of your object. This process will not succeed if you do not follow the steps for Preparing Your Brass beforehand.
Buy ammonia and a sealable bucket from a hardware store. You'll need "full strength" or "clear" ammonia, not the dilute household ammonia more commonly sold at supermarkets.
The hardware store is also a good place to buy a plastic bucket with airtight sealable lid, sometimes called "pickle buckets". For tiny pieces of brass, you can use a glass bottle with airtight cap instead of a bucket. Tie it with a cord and suspend it over a small amount of ammonia, screwing the cap firmly to hold the cord in place and trap the ammonia fumes.
Wear rubber gloves, safety goggles, and work only in areas with excellent ventilation. Ammonia fumes are toxic and should never be inhaled. Work outside if possible or in a room with great air flow. Place a wooden block in the bottom of the bucket.
You should create a stable, flat "shelf" large enough for the brass object to sit on. Use a piece of plywood for large objects, stacked on top of several pieces of wood to make it stable.
Pour ammonia into the bucket. Keep the ammonia level below the upper surface of the wood. You don't need too much, although more ammonia may hasten the process.
Place the brass objects on the wooden "shelf". Make sure they are stable and in no danger of falling into the ammonia. If they do, remove it with gloved hands and wash in warm water. Dry before returning to the wooden bucket. Seal the lid and check back periodically. Depending on the temperature and humidity, freshness of the ammonia, and exact characteristics of your brass, the antiquing could take hours to take effect.
Check back every hour or so to see how its progressing, taking care not to breathe the fumes that escape the bucket. Open the lid slightly for a quick glance, then close it tightly to keep most of the ammonia fumes in. Let the brass dry in a ventilated area. Once the desired color is reached, let it dry naturally in an area with flowing air.
Wax it if you want a more polished effect. The aging effect of ammonia is only temporary, so you probably don't want to lacquer the brass since you would eventually need to remove the lacquer to re-antique the brass.
You can use the same ammonia bath to treat other brass objects, but not indefinitely. Eventually the ammonia's potency will be used up and you will need to replace it. I used an antique brass spray paint and was very pleased with the results.
The bed was not brass originally; it was just a metal bed. I would recommend trying that as a last resort, if nothing else. Not Helpful 2 Helpful 2. White vinegar is fine. All vinegar is acetic acid, which is the active ingredient. Not Helpful 0 Helpful 3. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. If you have the proper lab equipment and chemistry experience, you can make your own antiquing solution.
Test out a new solution on a small corner before applying to the entire object, as this list is compiled from a variety of sources.
Helpful 3 Not Helpful 1. Whichever method you followed, you can apply a brass wax or lacquer to the object once it is dry to prevent it from aging further. Helpful 3 Not Helpful 2. As a faster technique to that method is to use water to speed up the process. Put your brass into a container and fill it to whatever level you seem fit, and let the water evaporate over time.
It may not work the very first time so a repeated process might be necessary. And if you want to clean the brass before all methods of aging see How to Clean Metal by Electroplating for a much safer and easier way.
If you want to save the brass from becoming too aged, any clear coat of any material will work whether sprayed, brushed, or stuck on. Helpful 2 Not Helpful 4. The piece must not come in contact with the liquid ammonia. Screw on the lid and wait a couple hours. You can check the piece to see what color you want to stop at.
The ammonia odor on your piece should fade quickly, but if you want, you can leave the piece out for a while before very gently buffing out any high points for contrast.
Of course you can use the tried and true, non-eco-friendly method of adding a patina to your metal with the use of chemicals like Liver of Sulphur, Black Max, and Antique Patina Solution. Some chemicals can be caustic and must be handled with care, both during the process of patination and while disposing of the chemicals afterward.
Here are some safety tips:. Choose which chemical you want to achieve the patina you want. The most important first step is to make sure your piece is clean before you start.
If the piece is all metal, I usually dunk the whole thing in a very warm solution of Liver of Sulfur and water. I will dunk until I get the color I want then immediately dunk in a cup of cold water with a teaspoon of baking soda mixed in to stop the oxidation process. Liver of Sulfur is probably my favorite for getting different colors on Copper and Silver. Black Max is the best for getting the metal completely black. You can use Liver of Sulfur to get your pieces black but it will take longer.
I always dip my oxidized pieces in a solution of cold water and baking soda to stop the oxidation process no matter what chemical I use. I then gently wash the piece in a solution of dish soap and water, rinse and dry. Dawn dish soap is my favorite but any will do as long as it is transparent. The ones with moisturizers in them just make them greasy, in my opinion. Depending on the look you are going for, you can either use a clean soft cloth to buff the piece for a nice shine or if it has raised areas you can use a Propolish Cloth, Sunsheen Polishing Cloth or green 3M scrubby to gently remove the patina from the raised area while leaving the recessed areas dark.
Keep in mind that the patina on oxidized metal is temporary, unless you seal it with some kind of fixative. You can use an acrylic spray, acrylic liquid, or any other clear fixative to seal in the surface color. I would not recommend patinas on rings though. You wash your hands and rub against many things with your hands so the chances of that patina being scratched off or worn out will happen quicker than you will like, even with a fixative. Store your pieces in a clear bag so they keep their patina and do not get darker or cause other jewelry to tarnish.
Answer: If your wire is already coiled, wash it before you oxidize it. Sometimes before I use my wire I will run it through a high grit sand paper or fine steel wool to give it some tooth. Then oxidize it before you make coils. When you are done doing whatever you are going to do with the wire you can use either a sunshine cloth or pro polish pad to bring up highlights or lighten the patina.
I usually lightly sand the surface with either a green scrubbie pad or fine grit sponge prior to oxidizing as it will give the metal some tooth to hang on to the oxidation. Also make sure that the copper or brass is clean, even though it maybe polished, it might not be clean from any polishing compound you may be using. You can use any number of clear fixatives to seal in the color such as Future floor polish crazy as it sounds, it is basically a very thin acrylic sealer, use a paint brush or a spray acrylic fixative.
Keep in mind though that when you apply an acrylic layer, any irridescent color you have achieved will dull because you are covering it with an acrylic. Hope this helps. Very nice post! One question though - is it possible to "cure" the oxidation layer? For most procedures, you will need a container big enough to hold the brass item and plenty of space to prevent discoloration on your carpets and furniture.
You will be able to regulate how much tarnish you want on your brass fixture and hardware as you go through the process. However, if you add too much patina, you can always remove it by using a more delicate grade steel wool, such as steel wool. The first technique for how to tarnish brass is to use a darker vinegar, like balsamic or cider vinegar.
This DIY mixture is one of the best ways to age brass and achieve that verdigris appearance, or greenish-blue color. First, soak the brass in a mixture of cider vinegar and table salt in a plastic container for about an hour. Afterward, remove the item from the container and place it on the cooking sheet. Bake in the oven for an additional hour. You may want to leave the brass in the oven for longer depending on the look you want.
Repeat this process by soaking the brass item in the vinegar for 15 more minutes, then baking again for an additional 30 minutes. To attain that verdigris look, dunk it one last time in the vinegar for approximately 10 minutes. Afterward, let it air dry on a soft cloth, and finish with a clear coat of lacquer.
A second alternative to darken brass is to use white vinegar, salt, and hydrogen peroxide. While white vinegar and salt make an effective coin cleaner , adding hydrogen peroxide speeds up the aging process.
Below is a list of tarnishing supplies you need to get started. Coat your brass object with white vinegar, then let it sit for about two hours or until dry. Afterward, create a mixture using the above ingredients. Coat the brass with the mixture, and let it soak until it reaches the desired look. Once your brass looks the way you want it to, rinse the object under the faucet using warm water.
Make sure the brass is thoroughly dry before adding lacquer. If you have pewter or brass pieces that are discolored and dull, you can clean pewter tarnish with a vinegar, salt, and flour paste to make it look new again. Rub the paste over the tarnished areas, rinse clean and dry.
Another popular solution for how to age brass is by using ammonia. Ammonia is a potent chemical that is best used outside of the home. Make sure when using ammonia that you also use the proper protection and never reuse containers from the antiquing process.
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