posted
Hello everyone! I am taking on a job to renovate an existing copper sign panel frame for a church. Historic unit, and has weathered ... slightly distressed with greenish patina ... but not enough, or in a way that is appealing.
Here are my questions.
Can the copper be brought back to a state where it is not shiny, but uniform. If so ... how?
Can, or should I instead try to make it age further to the greenish patina. If so, how and what products should I use.
There are two lanterns that someone has aged to a greenish patina entirely. MY last question is ... can something that has been aged to green patina, be brought back to a dull copper again.
I always seem to get the odd jobs, but hey ... I do it to myself, so I must like to stretch myself. haha
Thanks for any help. I know some of these questions are a bit out of the ordinary. That's why I brought them here.
Hope all of you are well. Been a long time since I have logged onto this site. I am still in the sign / graphics biz. It's still serving me well, and keeping the bills paid.
Cheers everyone! ~ nettie
-------------------- "When Love and Skill Work Together ... Expect a Masterpiece"
posted
Steel wool will make it shiny, beware and take precautions, copper oxides are poisonous. Sublimed sulfur will make it oxide to green, and thats another stuff that needs precaution. Maybe sub it out to some metal workers, like roofers, drain makers or coppersmiths.
-------------------- Stein Saether GullSkilt AS Trondheim Posts: 1183 | From: Trondheim Norway | Registered: Nov 1998
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and the they did not brush it clean before they made it green. Just poured ammoniumwater over it and left it there to dry. Beware of the ammonium gases, hard on the lungs,do it outdoors upwind and wear a mask for organic gases, gloves and eyeprotection.
posted
Hi Janette, I have cleaned copper with lemon juice and salt. It gets bright almost immediately but tarnishes again very quickly. The weird thing is on a piece I have, it goes from shiny to strange purple and green shades in a couple of days, then tarnishes brown. I don't know of any way to take only part of the tarnish off. Maybe just lightly steel wool.
-------------------- Chuck Peterson Designs San Diego, CA Posts: 1050 | From: San Diego, CA USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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When you first posted the question, I was hesitant to reply because my experience with cleaning and aging copper was restricted to my days in the Boy Scouts about 60 years ago! (Yeah, I AM an old phart now! )
I do recall using steel wool for cleaning the copper and I remember using something that smelled like rotten eggs to give it a patina, so it was probably some kind of sulfer based liquid, like Stein mentioned.
If I wanted a nice patina that would remain the same, though, I would probably be spraying it with a matte finish UV resistant clear coat once the desired finish was achieved.
Hope everything is well with you, Shirl and I are still going strong. When we are at home in the summer I see your "Letterheads on Main Street" panel every day as it hangs proudly in my computer room.
-------------------- Dave Grundy retired in Chelem,Yucatan,Mexico/Hensall,Ontario,Canada 1-519-262-3651 Canada 011-52-1-999-102-2923 Mexico cell 1-226-785-8957 Canada/Mexico home
posted
Hello Nettie, Hey, we're all glad to hear from anyone out there,,,really!!
-------------------- Signs by Alicia Jennings (Mudflap Girl) Tacoma, WA Since 1987 Have Lipstick, will travel. Posts: 3812 | From: Tacoma, WA. U.S.A. | Registered: Dec 1999
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posted
Sculpt Nouveau will have the products you need to go with a patina if you decide on that route. Much safer than some of the other products mentioned. Call them, I'll bet they will have some answers for you. http://www.sculptnouveau.com/
-------------------- Dave Sherby "Sandman" SherWood Sign & Graphic Design Crystal Falls, MI 49920 906-875-6201 sherwoodsign@sbcglobal.net Posts: 5396 | From: Crystal Falls, MI USA | Registered: Apr 1999
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posted
It sure is so nice to get some "hellos" here ... as well as some feedback of course.
I am rather nervous about this job. The cabinet is historic, and I'd sure hate to ruin it.
It may be something I should step away from. I figure I will call Sculpt Nouveau first and ask some more questions. Maybe investigate some Metalsmiths in town ... if they still exist!
I am also at a loss as to how to estimate for all of this. If I do decide to take it on, I think I'd better lean on the high end. haha
Wish me luck!
I spend more time on Facebook now, and I never have been able to manage spending much time on more than one forum. But still check in here every so often. I do miss our little community. Sad that we are losing some.
Time flies!
~ nettie
-------------------- "When Love and Skill Work Together ... Expect a Masterpiece"
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