Faux Aging Brass ?

Dr. Rob · Jan 17, 2007

Just finished a repair job on an antique brass item. Looking for a trick to age the part to match old, ancient patina.

Just a little heat helps make the part more yellowy than golden; that's good. Now I need a little brownish, and maybe some wax.

Anybody know a quick trick? (level of required quality not so high)

tomwalz · Jan 17, 2007

Look up patina and patine. It's been a few years since I did it but i think patine is technically correct.

I woud imagine many will post here. If not contact me and I will go through some books for you.

tom

Jim Williams · Jan 17, 2007

New Hermes sell their brass black to darken engraving on brass. It has selenium dioxide and does a pretty good patina. The cold gun blue formulations usually have the same ingredients and work pretty well on brass and copper. They can be purchased at many places. Tomwalz has the best approach to do sophisticated work.

Jim

Forrest Addy · Jan 17, 2007

Clean the brass good and soak it in urine (honest) for a few days. Sound yukky but it works great.

L Vanice · Jan 17, 2007

I use Precision Brand Tool Black, from MSC and other sources in quart bottles. It will blacken steel, which is the advertised purpose. But it will also produce a dark patina on brass and other metals.

If you only need a couple of fluid ounces, try Birchwood Casey cold gun blue, from any gun dealer.

You can dip it if the object is small enough. Otherwise, use rubber gloves and a gauze pad. Rinse with water and blow dry with a hot air gun. Brush with a stiff bristle brush (not steel wire) or rub with a dry cloth, still with the gloves on. Wax is optional.

Larry

surplusjohn · Jan 17, 2007

Picaso used to tell his kids to pee on his bronze sculptures to patina them.

Charles Dolan · Jan 17, 2007

Forrest is right, degrease the item and brush or soak it in pee!(cat pee is the best) other wise you can rub egg yolk on it for a nice mellow tarnish. Both will work better if you warm the piece first (hand hot). The more frequently you do it the deeper the colour.

Charles.

Ries · Jan 17, 2007

Just dont eat asparagus the day before- it might change the color.

Pretty scientific, you guys.

If you did want to use a repeatable commercial product- these guys sell a pretty complete line-
http://www.surfinchemical.com/

Andy Warhol did a big series of "pee paintings"- 4x10 sheets of copper on the studio floor, and whoever came by to visit was asked to contribute.
I saw some in the Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh the last time I was there, and they are actually pretty impressive looking.

jim rozen · Jan 17, 2007

Bury it in the cat box.

Jim

akbc · Jan 17, 2007

Vinegar & salt, will turn it green & even pit it some if you want it to look really ancient. Butch

Sea Farmer · Jan 17, 2007

Try these:
http://www.birchwoodcasey.com/antiquing/index.html

They'll be consistent whether you ate asparagus or not.

Useless trivia fact: the asparagus effect is ageneticallyilinked trait, like the ability to curl your tongue. Doesn't happen to everybody.

old-biker-uk · Jan 17, 2007

Made these for friends who lives in an old farmhouse, the catchs are spending the winter hanging on a tree in a French orchard to gain the appropriate patina.

Mark

Sea Farmer · Jan 17, 2007

Very sweet, old-biker. Is an orchard-hanging patina different than a vineyard-hanging patina :cool:

gmatov · Jan 18, 2007

Depending on its size, suspend it in a suitable container and pour some household ammonia i the bottom of the container and cover the container. The fumes will "age" it.

It's the "active ingredient" in the abovementioned urine, cat pee has more than most so that would be why it would work better than just saying "Piss on it!".

Might have to heat it some for extra fuming, if it's cold in your shop.

BTW, ammonia works on oak, too, called "fumed oak".

Cheers,

George

Skeeter · Jan 18, 2007

Check this site.

http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/nenam/liver_of_sulfur.htm

This explains about Liver of Sulfur. How it ages steel and bronze.

Can be bought at Hobby stores and Jewelery supply houses.

This stuff is low in price.

Dr. Rob · Jan 18, 2007

Okay, thanks everyone. I actually do have a supply of cat pee in the shop.

I don't know. Ask her.

.

gmatov · Jan 18, 2007

Dr Rob,
Link to Fuming Brass: http://www.whitechapel-ltd.com/tech/antique_brass.shtml

Read the second section.

Re-reading your original post, you just want to repair the finish on the part you cleaned and fixed.

I don't know if fuming will do just that, or will make the rest of it darker than it was.

Regardless, if cat pee will do it, then household ammonia, at about 69 cents for a half gallon jug will surely do it quicker. Easier to get than to ask your tomcat for a donation, too.

Litter boxes don't smell nearly as bad on day 1 as they do on day 2.

Whatever, go get a sample from your cat.

Cheers,

George

Dave Burnett · Jan 18, 2007

Sweat and urine do a great job. Use them together.

Dave Burnett · Jan 18, 2007

Sweat and urine do a great job. Use them together.

Mortgaged · Jan 18, 2007

I've had good success using the Birchwood Casey Antiquing formulas and they are readily available at most gun stores. You can use them on other metals as well. I touch up small repair spots with a small sponge brush or a simple scrap of cloth.

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