How to age brass?

In recent years, has been very popular. patination - The technology of the so-called aging of the surface of any metal by applying special compounds. As a result, metal products outwardly resemble antique objects. In our review we will talk about how to age brass; how to artificially darken brass objects at home.

To begin with, we note that the meaning of the definition of “patina” is in no way interconnected with staining techniques.

In previous centuries, it took a very long time to wait for brass to oxidize by itself, and the result could be completely unexpected. Today, there are techniques that can speed up the process. Moreover, the process itself is so simple that you can perform all the necessary manipulations even at home on your own.

To do this, you need the following materials and tools:

• powder patina in the desired shade;
• liquid solvent;
• brush or sponge;
• glass or plastic tanks, metal are undesirable, since they can interact with the paint;
• directly brass items that you plan to blacken.

Particular attention should be paid. compliance with safety regulations. The fact is that any means for performing patination involves contact with chemical reagents. All work should be carried out in a well-ventilated area.

In case of contact with acidic compounds in the eyes, as well as in case of burns, rashes and any other pronounced skin changes, immediately see a doctor. Be sure to protect yourself - All brass patination work is carried out only with protective gloves.

Using brass oxidation, very interesting tinting solutions can be achieved. The most common shade of patina is considered greenish - It is he obtained as a result of oxidation of copper. Nowadays, the choice of patina colors is very wide and varied, you can buy powder in any construction supermarket. The most popular colors are the following:

• aged silver;
• pure gold;
• oxidized copper.

In addition, users may like rich and vibrant colors for example, red, blue and violet - these tones allow you to achieve quite stylish effects on brass.

Artificial aging of brass requires the most serious metal surface preparation. First of all, it should be absolutely even, no signs of rust are allowed, since it will not allow the surface to be properly primed, as a result, the upper layers of the patina will quickly bubble up and peel off.

We pay attention to the fact that the aging effect looks most beautiful on brass items painted in dark color. The painted product should dry thoroughly, otherwise the patina will not lie down well and the expected effect will not work.

Blackening of brass is often performed using table vinegar. To do this, produce a few simple steps.

1. If the brass surface is coated with a layer of varnish or enamel, then it should be removed beforehand. For this, the metal is kept for some time in a small container with acetone or another solvent. After that, the brass thing is poured with heated water and washed so that the varnish comes off completely.
2. If a brass item has no additional coatings, it will be quite sufficient to just thoroughly wash it in a soapy solution.
3. The patination process cannot be started before the product is completely dry. To speed up the drying, you can use a hairdryer. However, in this case, you should first make sure that there are no remains of the previous decorative coating on the brass, otherwise it may catch fire.
4. After you complete all the preliminary work, you can start the vinegar treatment directly. You can either dip the item from brass into vinegar or apply it to a sponge and treat the item well. If you want to get a patina in a greenish tone, you can add a little salt to the vinegar.

For blackening brass is often used ammonia. Before starting the manipulation, brass products should be filed with a file; such preliminary preparation allows the metal to be completely cleaned of dirt. To make patination, ammonia, any container with a hermetically sealed lid, cotton wool and a small lid will be required.

A cotton pad is placed in a small lid, thoroughly saturated with ammonia and placed in an airtight container, and brass products are sent there. After 10-20 minutes, you will notice how the surface of the brass is covered with a patina.

Before you blacken brass, it is necessary to cook directly sulfuric liver. To do this, the sulfur powder and potash are mixed in a ratio of 1 to 1, transferred to a tin container and put on low heat. As soon as the mixture begins to melt and darkens, the sintering stage is activated. After this, you should wait a quarter of an hour and remove the can from the fire, its contents should cool.

Then you can proceed directly to making a solution for aging a brass product: the cooled sulfuric liver is mixed with 3 g of fine salt; This ointment is diluted in 1 liter of water, the resulting solution is thoroughly mixed and the copper alloy products are lowered into it. As soon as the metal gets the expected grayish-green hue, you can get the product, do not forget to rinse it with water and dry it with a soft cloth.

Aging is often used. acid fluids.

Some masters carry out oxidation peroxide and vitriol.

To obtain different shades, different compositions are used.

• For a light brown patina 5 g of 18% ammonium sulfide are mixed in 1 liter of cool water, 125 g of sodium dichromate, 15–20 g of nitric acid and 5 g of hydrochloric acid are added. The solution is carefully applied with a brush, left for 4-6 hours, and then washed off. The procedure is repeated two times.
• For a dark brown color 10 g of ammonium persulfate and 50 g of caustic soda are mixed in 1 liter of water. This liquid is heated and brass objects are lowered into it for 5–20 minutes, depending on how rich the color you want to get. Processing is carried out three times.
• To get a golden tone 1 g of copper sulfide, 200 g of milk sugar and 200 g of caustic soda are diluted in 1 liter of water. The mixture is heated for 15 minutes, not allowing to boil, then the products are lowered into the composition for a quarter of an hour.

If you do not consider yourself an experienced specialist in the field of chemistry, then best use ready-made formulations to age brass or use the simplest methods, for example, using ammonia or vinegar.

If you have chemical skills, you can try using prepared acid solutions. Avoid any solutions containing hypochlorite, as this substance is quite difficult to control in a domestic environment, and if handled carelessly, it can be harmful to health.

To fix the effect of aging, you should use paraffin or wax. After some time, when you need to carry out a second procedure, these substances will be washed out much faster and easier than varnish. If you have any doubts as to whether your alloy is brass, take it to any pawnshop or antique shop. A professional can very quickly determine what kind of metal your item is made of.

The following video will tell you how to age brass at home.