How to Patina Copper
Patina is that tarnish coating that develops outside metal, like copper, over time. Not only does it add an attractive appearance to copper, but it also provides protection to harsh outdoor elements. Patina develops for a long time, but if you want to hurry the process, there are some easy methods you might find helpful. Here are a couple of examples.
The Salt Tactic
What You’ll Need:
Copper
Salt
liquid dish soap
Water
Spray bottle
Paper towels
Procedure:
Clean the copper’s surface appropriately, using warm water, paper towels and the dish soap. Make sure you remove the dust and dirt. Even if its brand-new make sure you clean it as well. In some commercial products, there’s a thin coat of oil. You have to remove it otherwise the procedure won’t work.
Remove the soap suds by rinsing the copper with clean water. Dry the piece using paper towels.
Get the spray bottle then mix a strong solution of salt and water. Natural seawater can do this, but if you don’t have any, just mix a half cup of salt with 12 ounces of water. Shake the bottle well.
Spray the copper item with the mixture. Make sure the item’s well covered with the liquid Don’t touch, wipe or dry the water, and allow it to naturally air dry.
Spray repeatedly as you deem necessary. Every salt water application causes more patina to develop. When the copper reaches the stage you like, stop the application.
The Egg Method
What You’ll Need:
Copper
Egg
Jar with lid
Knife
Boiling water in pot
Lukewarm water
Procedure:
Put the raw egg in a pot and allow it to boil for seven to nine minutes. You’ll need a perfectly hardboiled egg.
Once the egg is hardboiled, and the center is firm enough, transfer it to some cold water. Break it in half using a knife. You can remove the shells or not; it won’t make any difference.
Get the jar and put the egg halves at the bottom. Put the copper you want to age in the jar, but make sure it’s not touching the yolk directly.
Cover the jar firmly and leave it overnight.
The egg yolk’s sulfur will be strong enough to age the copper quicker than usual. If the results the next day still looks insufficient. Do the procedure again with a new egg.
Once you’ve reached the desired patina coat, rinse the copper pieces in lukewarm water.