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I Forge Iron

Stainless and copper finish


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The craft shows being at our doorsteps, I decided to give jewelry a try.
I would like to keep the "look" and colors as they are and i'm not sure if I should heat and use my usual beeswax, boiled linseed oil and mineral spirits mix.
Copper tends to change color fast when heated.
Any suggestions ?
Thanks !
Naz

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I use "incralac" to protect my shiny copper art. It maintains the shiny finish for years. The prep is very extensive, involving sanding, alcohol, rubber gloves, more sanding, and then spraying it with incralac before it has time to oxidize. If you do it all very carefully, the results will be good. Copper will oxidize if you look at it crooked, so you need to be very careful.

I believe that there are other coatings available, such as Permalac, but I have not used them.

Richard

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Thanks Fe-wood,I found Johnson's paste wax for floor / polish. Is that the right one ?
Should I mix it with anything?
Many thanks !
Naz


Yup! Thats the one. Use it straight. I'm using somthing in the shudio now but I couldn't find it on the web to give you a referance. It's HARD wax. I used it on some Patina samples I did the other day...
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Using a electric acid gun works wonders on removing the black oxides from things like that but even just muriatic acid and a little time should get them clean pretty easy an anox gun will clean them almost entirely in less than a minute to finish you could buff to mirror if it had no pitting

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  • 3 weeks later...

The one I have used is made by walter its called an anox gun I dont know how it works exactly I figure its low voltage 12 to 24 volts you put the ground on and hit the button and it cleans the weld of oxides you can also use pickleing paste for the same purpose now that I think of it its pretty expensive but you dont use very much its about 100 dollars for a small container but like I said it goes a long way. If you can tig weld nicely you shouldnt grind the welds unless your making a square corner or polishing it smooth

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I have used one of those units when I was at the Jelly Belly Candy co. Removes the oxides really fast.

CLR like you use in the bathroom will pop off oxides on copper in seconds. We use that at work sometimes.

I believe caustic soda will give a satin finish to copper. The piping, and copper kettles in the kitchen at JB had a really nice satin finish.

Most of the copper I have seen in jewelery is allowed to oxidize to develop a patina, and highlights are formed where it is worn off in normal usage.

Brass instruments are lacquered to preserve the bright finish.

Nice design on the pendant.

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