How do you pantina copper green

[Bob Hallowell]

I have been trying several methods but none are working great for me.

Bob

[Craig Moulton]

Ospho is a mild phosphoric acid sold as a rust remover / converter for steel. You can usually find it at marine stores or some hardware stores. It turns copper green pretty quickly. I'd start with small amounts applied with a rag and allowed to dry for a day before putting any more on if you need a darker patina.

Naval Jelly I believe has the same working chemical, but it's pretty think, and you probably wouldn't want to leave it on there, or it would be streaky. Experiment, and see what look you like better.

[David DeCristoforo]

Go here:

http://www.artchemicals.com/

Get what you need....

[Tom Walz]

Try also searching for ‘patine’ and ‘patina’

Typically the color everyone wants is achievable only with time. You can come close with various chemicals.

For more info see:

http://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=233744

tom

[Larry Edgerton]

Piss on it.

I'm not kidding.

I found this out by accident. :)

I did a copper cupola with weather vane for a round gazebo I built, and to weather it we used my new found weathering technic, by making a case of Molson disappear after work and redepositing it on the cupola.

Sure enough the next day it was the perfect patina, and so I washed it off and installed it.

After it was installed the lady says " I must know how you get that patina, I just must! All of my friends want to know."

I told her it was a company secret, and I just couldn't tell........;)

[David G Baker]

Larry's answer was what I was thinking about posting but was a little bashful about doing it. I have read that urine will do the trick and has been used in the past to accomplish the patina. Coke, (the drinking kind) may also do the trick due the the phosphoric acid ingredient.

[Chris Padilla]

All kinds of chemicals work in different ways. A little bit of time on google will find you all sorts of recipes; I did this once but never saved it.

Things like ferric chloride, cupric nitrate, zinc chloride, and such will turn copper various colors. Peruse David Marks' site on diy network as he has done this sort of thing with copper on several different episodes of Woodworks.

[Jerry Murray]

Funny that Larry says piss on it.

I do some gunsmithing and it used to be (many years ago) that the brown patina on old firearms was made with horse urine. Works pretty good too.

[Myk Rian]

Funny that Larry says piss on it.
I was going to say the exact same thing. Piss on it. Start drinking a lot.

[Peter Quinn]

Funny that Larry says piss on it.

I do some gunsmithing and it used to be (many years ago) that the brown patina on old firearms was made with horse urine. Works pretty good too.

So, If you fed your horse a case of molson, and could get him to piss on your copper, would that work?

[Cody Colston]

I did a copper cupola with weather vane for a round gazebo I built, and to weather it we used my new found weathering technic, by making a case of Molson disappear after work and redepositing it on the cupola.


Does it have to be Molson? Will different beers give a different patina?

I only drink three or four beers a year but when I do, it's usually Corona. Will that work? :D

[Jerry Murray]

So, If you fed your horse a case of molson, and could get him to piss on your copper, would that work?

I guess that some beers would qualify AS horse piss...but that's a horse of a different color. :cool:

[David DeCristoforo]

OK... I'm stayin' outta this one....
(bites tongue)