Patination

[ralphus]

Does anyone know any patination recipes that don't involve scary chemicals?

I've found a couple on the internet which turns metal a greenish colour - one with ammonia, white vinegar and salt and another with urine  .  Apparently you can get other colours using general household stuff but I can't seem to find them.

As always, any help much appreciated.

[beads-on-toast]

hard boiled egg in a sandwich bag

[sparrow]

If you've got a few bob to spare, I can thoroughly recommend Jinks McGrath's Jeweller's Guide to Decorative Finishes - it covers hammering, rolling, etc., but also lots of patination for various metals - I seem to recall tobacco featuring heavily. But I'd still invest in liver of sulphur if you want to patinate silver - it really isn't difficult to handle (grind up, add warm water, dunk), and the colours are stunning - well worth the effort (and the smell!!!)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jewellers-Directory-Decorative-Finishes-Enamelling/dp/0713670932

[LittleHen]

Does anyone know any patination recipes that don't involve scary chemicals?

I think you'll find that all patination involves chemical.  They are only scary if you don't handle them according to the instructions!!
Just give it a go with LOS and wear gloves and a nose peg 

[ralphus]

If you've got a few bob to spare, I can thoroughly recommend Jinks McGrath's Jeweller's Guide to Decorative Finishes - it covers hammering, rolling, etc., but also lots of patination for various metals - I seem to recall tobacco featuring heavily. But I'd still invest in liver of sulphur if you want to patinate silver - it really isn't difficult to handle (grind up, add warm water, dunk), and the colours are stunning - well worth the effort (and the smell!!!)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jewellers-Directory-Decorative-Finishes-Enamelling/dp/0713670932

Thanks Sabine and Mari.  I actually have this book on loan from the library and had forgotten all about it.  Actually looked at it properly tonight and I might have to buy it!

What colour does liver of sulphur produce?

[ralphus]

hard boiled egg in a sandwich bag

Thanks Anna.  I'm assuming that you have to shell the egg and mash it up a bit.  How long do you leave the metal (copper at the moment) in for or is it a matter of experimenting?

[ralphus]

Does anyone know any patination recipes that don't involve scary chemicals?

I think you'll find that all patination involves chemical.  They are only scary if you don't handle them according to the instructions!!

Thanks Jessie.  I also don't know where to get scary chemicals from and I'm likely to damage something!!

Will invest in a nose peg 

[sparrow]

LOS does all kinds of colours, depending how long you leave it before you take it out and rinse it - you can either dunk the silver in or paint the LOS on....in order, I think it goes straw/gold first, then red, then...errr.....green, then bluey/purple and finally black. The attached pictures aren't great, but this was LOS painted on in various layers and rinsed every time I had the colour I wanted - the earrings go darker the further inside you go...might have to do this in two messages...let's see...

[sparrow]

Yup...sorry...still not great with attachments!

[ralphus]

Lovely pieces Chrystal and Sabine.  Thanks for showing them. 

George, thanks for the link.  I'm a shiny shiny shiny person too but I'm being forced to experiment in my classes!