Comments on: How to Age Brass - Ultimate Guide http://www.architecturalclassics.com/blog/how-to-age-brass/ At the Architectural Classics blog, we combine traditionally comprehensive information on caring for your antiques, with the offbeat ‘Art Deco’ style fun and trivia from the world of old homes and door furniture. Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:02:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Eve http://www.architecturalclassics.com/blog/how-to-age-brass/#comment-67320 Eve Mon, 14 Jul 2008 02:18:35 +0000 http://www.architecturalclassics.com/blog/how-to-age-brass/#comment-67320 I tried vinegar, I tried heat. Vinegar was way to slow, heat was too dark and uneaven. Then I thought I would try chemicals, but didnt want to spend a ton of time looking around. So i put on my thinking cap and realized that I had some copper sulfate.......it is easy to buy. It worked great! Basically, I tried the cotton ball, and it seemed to work ok, but what worked even better was to just keep it wet with a cheap artists brush. The easiest way to get copper sulfate is to go to fish store and buy "Had a Snail". It is pretty cheap, and you dont have to mix it with water. It will bronze the brass. I wanted mine darker, so i heated it after treating it with Had a Snail.It turned out great! I tried vinegar, I tried heat. Vinegar was way to slow, heat was too dark and uneaven. Then I thought I would try chemicals, but didnt want to spend a ton of time looking around. So i put on my thinking cap and realized that I had some copper sulfate…….it is easy to buy. It worked great!

Basically, I tried the cotton ball, and it seemed to work ok, but what worked even better was to just keep it wet with a cheap artists brush. The easiest way to get copper sulfate is to go to fish store and buy “Had a Snail”. It is pretty cheap, and you dont have to mix it with water. It will bronze the brass. I wanted mine darker, so i heated it after treating it with Had a Snail.It turned out great!

]]> By: Matt http://www.architecturalclassics.com/blog/how-to-age-brass/#comment-40661 Matt Tue, 01 Apr 2008 10:15:58 +0000 http://www.architecturalclassics.com/blog/how-to-age-brass/#comment-40661 What would be a good alternative to the Liberon Antiquing Fluids, especially the tormaleen brown product they other, for working with brass and copper and alloys of the two? What would be a good alternative to the Liberon Antiquing Fluids, especially the tormaleen brown product they other, for working with brass and copper and alloys of the two?

]]> By: Steve http://www.architecturalclassics.com/blog/how-to-age-brass/#comment-15901 Steve Sun, 06 Jan 2008 19:33:55 +0000 http://www.architecturalclassics.com/blog/how-to-age-brass/#comment-15901 To remove lacquer I use the military brass trick of soaking the item in ammonia for an hour. Remove the Item and using an onld tooth-brush scrub the item, rinse off in water and dry. Then return the item to the ammonia for another hour, brush it again, rinse with water, dry then proceed to your choice of aging. Of course in the military we didn't want aging but polishing with Brasso. To remove lacquer I use the military brass trick of soaking the item in ammonia for an hour. Remove the Item and using an onld tooth-brush scrub the item, rinse off in water and dry. Then return the item to the ammonia for another hour, brush it again, rinse with water, dry then proceed to your choice of aging. Of course in the military we didn’t want aging but polishing with Brasso.

]]> By: Neil http://www.architecturalclassics.com/blog/how-to-age-brass/#comment-3321 Neil Mon, 01 Oct 2007 12:39:43 +0000 http://www.architecturalclassics.com/blog/how-to-age-brass/#comment-3321 Hello and greetings from Edinburgh, Scotland. Please let may say how much I enjoyed reading your notes about various brass ageing methods. The information provided has proved to be most valuable not just educationally but also financially. I have saved a small fortune 'antiquing' various objects. I thought I would share the approach I tried as it has rendered easy, quick and excellent results. It is a combination of two of the methods you have mentioned. That of using household ammonia and a blow torch. Plus a few pennies - a major sacrifice for a Scotsman :-) Let the pennies and ammonia solution develop a 'copper ion /ammonia' bath. Items were placed in the bath for only a matter of minutes, removed & drip-drained, and then blow-torch dried. Heat was applied until the typical green flame of copper ionisation was observed. Then dropped into cold water to cool. A deep bronze like patina resulted. A lighter patina was achieved by heating for shorter periods. I have clean pennies too :-) Many thanks again for providing the information you have. best regards Neil Hello and greetings from Edinburgh, Scotland. Please let may say how much I enjoyed reading your notes about various brass ageing methods. The information provided has proved to be most valuable not just educationally but also financially. I have saved a small fortune ‘antiquing’ various objects.

I thought I would share the approach I tried as it has rendered easy, quick and excellent results. It is a combination of two of the methods you have mentioned. That of using household ammonia and a blow torch. Plus a few pennies - a major sacrifice for a Scotsman :-)

Let the pennies and ammonia solution develop a ‘copper ion /ammonia’ bath. Items were placed in the bath for only a matter of minutes, removed & drip-drained, and then blow-torch dried. Heat was applied until the typical green flame of copper ionisation was observed. Then dropped into cold water to cool.

A deep bronze like patina resulted. A lighter patina was achieved by heating for shorter periods. I have clean pennies too :-)

Many thanks again for providing the information you have.
best regards
Neil

]]> By: ACF China Blog http://www.architecturalclassics.com/blog/how-to-age-brass/#comment-3317 ACF China Blog Mon, 01 Oct 2007 06:24:29 +0000 http://www.architecturalclassics.com/blog/how-to-age-brass/#comment-3317 [...] over the complete look of a piece, here is an excellent article by Architectural Classics entitled How to Age Brass - Ultimate Guide. Definitely worth a look if you are interested in the specific [...] [...] over the complete look of a piece, here is an excellent article by Architectural Classics entitled How to Age Brass - Ultimate Guide. Definitely worth a look if you are interested in the specific [...]

]]> By: Brass Scrubber http://www.architecturalclassics.com/blog/how-to-age-brass/#comment-839 Brass Scrubber Fri, 13 Jul 2007 14:49:20 +0000 http://www.architecturalclassics.com/blog/how-to-age-brass/#comment-839 Good compendium of methods. May I propose my own : 1. remove any trace of varnish / polish / dirt as described above (I use a fine abrasive like "silver paste" or "white paste") 2. wash the object thoroughly (no need for distilled water though) 3. scrub the object with sulphur powder, some water and a toothbrush. Sulphur is not soluble in water, it's just to prevent the sulphur powder to spread. Make sure you scrub heavily and, most importantly, evenly the whole surface. In a matter of half a minute the object should begin to tan. The coloring will mainly depend on the purity of the brass and the uniformity of its alloy. Stop the process by washing the object with soap & water (you can even scrub it with the cleaned-up toothbrush, the patina will stay). 4. Apply oil/wax at will. Enjoy. Good compendium of methods. May I propose my own :

1. remove any trace of varnish / polish / dirt as described above (I use a fine abrasive like “silver paste” or “white paste”)
2. wash the object thoroughly (no need for distilled water though)
3. scrub the object with sulphur powder, some water and a toothbrush.

Sulphur is not soluble in water, it’s just to prevent the sulphur powder to spread. Make sure you scrub heavily and, most importantly, evenly the whole surface. In a matter of half a minute the object should begin to tan.
The coloring will mainly depend on the purity of the brass and the uniformity of its alloy. Stop the process by washing the object with soap & water (you can even scrub it with the cleaned-up toothbrush, the patina will stay).

4. Apply oil/wax at will.

Enjoy.

]]> By: Brad http://www.architecturalclassics.com/blog/how-to-age-brass/#comment-601 Brad Thu, 28 Jun 2007 10:02:37 +0000 http://www.architecturalclassics.com/blog/how-to-age-brass/#comment-601 Can I distill it from salt and vinegar chips ... ?! Can I distill it from salt and vinegar chips … ?!

]]> By: Brad http://www.architecturalclassics.com/blog/how-to-age-brass/#comment-600 Brad Thu, 28 Jun 2007 09:47:02 +0000 http://www.architecturalclassics.com/blog/how-to-age-brass/#comment-600 Where should I be able to buy Cupric Nitrate, Barium Sulphide, and all of that?!! I asked the chemist, and they looked at me like I was a terrorist. Where should I be able to buy Cupric Nitrate, Barium Sulphide, and all of that?!! I asked the chemist, and they looked at me like I was a terrorist.

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