Open flame is fine and all and you can get very beatiful colors, but I have a couple questions: I know that when people temper knives they often use a kitchen oven, there the metal turns different colors as the rest rises, yet, because of the controlled heat, it is a consistent color throughout the peice, would I be safe to assume this is the same for copper? What are all the colors copper can turn to because of heat? 

I am trying to make a chart for copper coloring via controlled heat and time, just like those made for tempering steel so any info would be awsome!

Great thread! I'e been torching copper, brass, bronze, and different types of steel including stainless for a long time. I've found the best product to finish your piece with is Sculpt Nouveau Color Loc. It is specifically designed to enhance the colors made through torching and actually makes the piece more vibrant. Use this as a base coat on bare metal. Works fantastic.

Hello all. Just joined the group in New Zealand. Totally new to all of this.. using sheet copper to experiment with colours. Anyone tried Everbright for sealing? 
 

Cheers

Kearvy

Aloha Everyone!  I just joined the group from Hawaii. I've been making jewelry forever, and have been an admirer of torch painted copper for a very long time.  Last week I thought, what the heck, let me torch my copper jewelry! So I bought a butane torch, watched a couple of YouTube videos and got to work.  My copper bracelet simply turned black.  But I didn't give up, I tried it again and this time the bracelet turned a deep, muddy, rusty red color. Yuck.  Maybe I overheated it. I am going to keep playing with it though... reading this entire thread is pointing me in the right direction.  Thanks for keeping this going!

Welcome aboard Mermaid, glad to have you. If you'll put your general location in the header you'll discover how many members live in the Islands. Telling us in one thread won't stick in anybody's memory longer than it takes to open a different post. 

Yeah, you're overheating it. For jewelry you'll want a needle torch or you'll heat the whole piece and not get the variegated colors. However experiment with the Bernzomatic anyway but on larger stock, say 6" squares of sheet. Heat SLOWLY and with a large area torch like a Bernzomatic use a soft flame and something to shield portions of the sheet. A brushing motion gives an effect, a FAST hot spot another effect. You can almost draw pictures with a needle flame

Another method on small pieces is to use an electric soldering iron or gun. The tip needs to be sanded clean, any residual solder will end up on the jewelry. An iron gives more choices, you can file a sharp point and literally draw, use an edge for radiated colors from a sharp line, or a flat face for large areas. 

You have to play with it and there'll be plenty of EWWWW! results till you get the hang of it.

And pictures, if you don't post pictures we won't believe . . . 

How about starting off with some pics of your work now? We LOVE pics you know. 

Frosty The Lucky.

Oh Thanks Frosty!  I think one of my problems is I'm trying to heat-color 14g and 16g dead soft Copper wire which I have hammered for texture.  I'm a wire jewelry artist.  But I see that in ALL the videos and articles that copper 'sheet' is being used, allowing much more surface area to work with.  I will try again tomorrow and not have the flame SO CLOSE to the copper and will attach pictures!  Aloha!

I watched a good YouTube video from George Goehl last night which gave me a better feel to more of a touch_&_go technique with my Butane torch, I was so excited to try it this morning.  On my first 2 failed attempts earlier this week, it was in the middle of the afternoon, in my kitchen, indoor temperature was probably 80 degrees, with all the ceiling fans running, I torched holding my pieces in the air with insulated pliers.  Watching other videos, sometimes it was mentioned how temperature, humidity, oxygen, etc. can all be factors in the outcome.  So this morning, it was cool outside with no wind, around 72 degrees and I thought I'd try it again. I took some '0000' steel wool to both pieces and started over, plus I had purchased a soldering board yesterday, and I turned the heat control down to it's lowest setting (where previously I had used it on it's highest setting).  I am very pleased with the results!  Here's a picture.  I can see I still have a lot to learn, but am excited to have achieved some vibrant colors by using more of a tapping motion, let the piece cool a moment, then tap again.  Ultimately, (maybe even today) I will order a few copper sheets, and give it another go. Any suggestions on what gauge thickness for earrings/jewelry making?

*I do have a question though, is there a setting I can enable which will send me an email notification each time this thread is updated?  

Aloha for now!

My daughter and I recently started making rings from coins.  We accidentally discovered that we could make the rings red and orange.  We were annealing the coins rings so they would bend easier in a reduction die. We covered the ring in soap so it would slide down in the die to get smaller.   We think it was the combination of soap and heat that produced the reds and oranges.   Can anyone suggest other additives or ways to make other colors?  We usually use quarters, that have a copper core.  Thanks for your help!

Welcome aboard Mark88. While waiting for an answer here, I suggest reading this to get the best out of the forum.  READ THIS FIRST   It is full of tips like editing your profile to show your location and many others.

 

Do a web search on the:  patination of metals

Thank you to Iron Dragon Forge & Clay and Thomas Powers -  I have followed your suggestions and found a lot of helpful information.  

Much Appreciated!

I did this with a mapp gas torch some time back. My stepdaughter battled breast cancer and won. She wanted a door hanger to represent breast cancer awareness.

Enter me, and copper sheet.

Then, I hand hammered a copper grasshopper logo for family's restaurant. Flame painted that with oxy/act torch and brazing tip. I coated that with lacquer, and promptly killed the colors.

I found that water based poly acrylic doesn't kill the colors. I got it in a spray can and started with light coat, dry, light coat as suggested earlier in this thread. Worked well.

On 10/23/2019 at 4:57 PM, Maui Mermaid said:

*I do have a question though, is there a setting I can enable which will send me an email notification each time this thread is updated?  

When you're posting, or posting a reply- theres a box at the bottom just above the submit reply button that says "notify me of replies." It shows up on my phone that way.

If you go into your settings under your account- you can modify how you're notified.

Welshj -The pieces look great !  

The patina came out beautifully Welshj. I'll have to write, "water base acrylic spray" down. 

Frosty The Lucky.

G'day from Western Australia. Love this page! Will just be starting this coming week to 'have a go' at flame painting. Wish me luck and thanks for all your wonderful guidance.  Cheers, Bobbie

I would like to see more discussion about preserving the color. Exactly what products have been used successfully over time?

Welcome aboard Laura, glad to  have you. If you'll put your general location in the header you might be able to meet up with members living within visiting distance.

Metal heads I know have been asking about preserving temper patinas since I've been online and as far as I know none work without darkening the colors. Different situations call for different preservation. If the object is stiff then an automotive clear coat is tough and lasts a pretty long time. However if it's flexible, say the same thickness as above but spans a distance and flexes then you need a more flexible preservative. Wax is old school as is boiled linseed oil (BLO) but they have a limited lifespan and are susceptible to abrasive wear say hand contact.

I'm sure more folk will speak up and I'll follow along in the hopes someone has discovered something long lived that doesn't discolor the patina.

Frosty The Lucky.