Patina (pəˈtiːnə): a weathering formed on the surface of copper,
bronze and similar metals.
I love the
look of copper- especially when it has a beautiful green patina. We recently
installed these pieces at The 128 Cafe - I love how the colors change depending
on the time of day and the amount of light coming in the restaurant!
After the
holidays, I'm going to paint the duct in the front room with a metallic paint
that has another layer that goes on top and supposedly will patina it when
applied. That is a project for January - I will let you know how it works out!
Raw copper will
naturally patina over time, but here's an easy formula to speed up the process. You'll need:
- 2 cups white vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups non-detergent ammonia
- 1/2 cup non-iodized salt
- Mix solution in a plastic spray bottle until salt dissolves
Preparation:
- Spread newspaper in your work area
- Clean your piece with a Windex-type cleaner.
- Premix patina solution in Windex-type spray bottle
(Please use CAUTION when handing
and applying patina solution. Wear gloves and safety glasses, and follow safety
instructions on the containers.)
Application:
- Spray Windex cleaner on piece to break surface tension, leaving it on when you apply patina solution.
- Spray patina solution onto piece
Wait.
- Allow to set for 1 hour.
- Reapply solution where needed after seeing results of first application.
- If there seems to be areas repelling the patina solution, clean it off with the Windex cleaner.
More
waiting....
Allow to sit
overnight.
Finally:
The result
will be a bright green powdery patina! Do not rub off. In time (and
re-applications) this finish will become permanent and the brightness will fade
with time.
To reduce
green, cut back on the salt content. Color and effect is greatly affected by
application ambient temperature and humidity. Enjoy!
