[oakwoodforge]

Natural Copper Patina/Cleaner from household chemicals:

3 Parts Apple cider vinegar
1 part sea salt ( or non iodized salt)


To use as a cleaner and polish: Wet surface with mixture, and buff with a cotton cloth. For heavy polishing, pour extra salt onto the wet cloth.
This gives a nice shiny copper finish, just make sure to rinse well.

To use as a patina: pour mixture into spray bottle and mist surfave severl timas a day until the color looks right. The heavy green vendegris takes several days to develop. The solution can also be diped into or brushed on.

To Fume Color Copper items . Take a shallow dish like a styrofoam plate or margerine tub, suspend the copper peice on 2-3 small strips of wood resting on the rim of the dish. Pour as much solution as will fit in with out touching the wood slats. The fumes of the solution do the work , this can give you greens, reds, blues, browns or blacks. Brushing or misting the solution on, will speed up the process and can give interesting patterns as well. This method works best when warm.

To block the etching and coloring:
A 75/25 mix of Beeswax and olive oil, heated and mixed in a double boiler or microwave. Paint on to the polished surface before treating with the vinegar & Salt mix

Note : Fingerprint oils will affect the coloring process, I reccomend wiping the cleaned and polished surface with acetone or paint thinner ( these are dangerous, use your head, be safe ) before attempting any coloring process.

Have fun experimenting !


Jens Butler