Sealing copper? and.... (yet another question!)

[Veebee]

sorry to keep asking stuff!
I have been reading up on working with copper, and I have a couple more questions. 

1. I would like to colour copper using heat. I don't have a gas cooker, so what can I use? I have my Hot Head with map, or a butane cooks torch. Will these be too hot & melt the metal?
2. I have read that you can seal copper to preserve it, either with a sealant or a wax. Does anyone here do this? Can you even do this with copper jewellery? If I trhen sold it, I'm guessing that I would have to warn people that it has been sealed and what it has been sealed with....
3. Can I paint silver slip onto the dried copper clay before firing?

Thanks for all your help so far, I think I'm almost ready to take tha plunge 
 

[Helen G]

Hi Veebee, pm'd ya 

[ebj]

Hi - I'm not sure about the wax, i know you can but havent done so myself. As for your other two questions,  I know that you can heat copper with a torch for a range of Patinas - of even on your gas stove - once your piece is the desired colour lift it off with tweezers and quench. And painting your dried copper with silver paste or slip wont work. Metal Clay Adventures Copper Clay needs to be fired in carbon which creates an oxygen free environment - in which the silver clay will not sinter or fire.

Hth             

   

[helenfc]

If it helps at al
l, we were all given copper to learn with at uni before we were let loose on silver because it is virtually impossible to melt! Your butane torch will be able to give various patinas depending on how long you heat it for.you can certainly get laquers to seal it from walsh's, not too sure about the waxes. Copper II Nitrate will turn it turquoise,platinol painted on thinly will give it a petroleum look, and I have accidentelly turned it a lovely rose pink by overheating it! Just have fun,experiment with different temperatures and lengths of time and see what you can do!! Hope that helps!     

[helenfc]

Ps. When you heat it really intensley with the torch it will turn sooty and black.if this has happened,don't worry, just quench it and the soot will peel off easily revealing the colours

[Veebee]

Wow, thanks everyone, you have answered me perfectly! And HelenG, my G says you are lovely 
Thanks again,
Vicki
x