Ageing Copper Sheet
I used some spar urethane clear coat to try and freeze in the color exactly where it was.
Ageing copper sheet. Spray the copper with window cleaner then coat the item with the aging compound. Unfortunately this did effect the color some. Before placing the solution onto the copper thoroughly clean the copper piece with dish soap scrubbing it with steel wool. Let it sit for a few hours until you achieve the desired patina.
Immerse in boiling cupric sulfate solution about 15 min. Or until color well developed. This finish is the result of a patina developing. The aging process first spray the copper item while wearing rubber gloves with the alcohol glass cleaning agent you first used to clean it.
It changed the color from the brilliant blue to a more of a green color but is still very appealing nonetheless. Let this sit on the surface of the copper item. Boil immersion a b 10 min. Spray the item with the aging mixture and let it sit on the copper.
A solution of vinegar and salt or rapid fixer quickly ages copper and it is safe to use at home. Then immerse about 10 min. White vinegar can produce a green or blue patina on copper but requires another material to hold the moisture close to the metal. Aged copper whether a classic blue green or a deep cinnamon tone is simply stunning yet it can take years to achieve a truly aged look naturally.
Let the copper soak in a mixture of white vinegar and salt or bury it in sawdust or even crushed potato chips then soak the mixture with vinegar. At basic copper we sell pure copper c110 other alloys and tempers available upon request. The copper should not be touching the ammonia liquid but should be raised above it. The last step before using these patina copper sheets was to lock in the patina.
White vinegar salt steel wool dish soap paper towels and a sealant are needed to complete the aging process of copper. Copper sheets can also be hammered tooled or embossed for added texture and decorative or functional appeal and come in many thicknesses from very thin copper foil to thick copper plate. To age copper wipe down the surface of the entire piece with a lint free cloth to remove any oils and dirt. In a spray bottle mix an aging compound out of vinegar household ammonia and table salt.
Boil immersion a 15 min. Place copper object in a sealed trash bag with an ammonia soaked rag to sit over time. It also comes in many alloys that blend other metals with copper. Tent the trash bag with some bottles or cardboard inside something like that so nothing is touching the surface of the copper that will leave a mark in the finish.
Remove and wash in hot water.