Ammonia patina copper2/26/2024 ![]() You can use various containers, random amounts of ammonia, and most likely something will happen. In this tutorial I am using ammonia because I want to create the blue variation. Ammonia creates a more blue patina in color and vinegar a more green patina. How to make the patina happen? It’s really not very difficult or exact science. All you need to use are ingredients already in your kitchen cabinet. You can accelerate this natural reaction by exposing copper to fumes of ammonia and salt or vinegar and salt. You may have seen natural patina on statues and other copper elements that are exposed to the elements outdoors. The crystals are easy to grind into a powder which is a lighter blue than the crystals.How do you create patina on copper? I am talking about the natural way, without harsh chemicals or fake paints. For use as a pigment you would want to grind them into a powder but I prefer to keep it as small crystals as it is less messy if I spill it. Once separated from the verdigris it can be used as a pigment in its own right or can be used for its anti-fungal properties.Īs the crystals I was left with were rather small I put them in a small glass bottle as they were. This cuprous oxide tends to be a yellow colour when in a very fine powder, but if the crystals are larger it will appear more red. ![]() ![]() The good news is that it can be solved by adding water to the mixture as the copper oxide will not dissolve but the verdigris will and so can be separated by filtration or decanting. This can muddy the colour of the verdigris as it is a yellow to red colour. Occasionally, especially if the mixture has been left for many days there will be cuprous oxide (CuO) present, as the copper will react with water. I left mine on a radiator with no lid for about two days to fully evaporate. You could use it as it is as a dye however it is very dilute. Once you remove the copper you will be left will be left with the verdigris dissolved in water. Also keeping the reaction warm (around 30* C) helped to speed up the reaction. However, as I was making a small amount, I did not bother, as it only took about a week to make a few grams. Due to the strength of the vinegar, it takes quite a while so some people use hydrogen peroxide as a catalyst to speed up the reaction. The picture of verdigris in the intro is a sample made with distilled vinegar. ![]() Other vinegars can be used but tend to be slower, although they can provide slightly different colours due to impurities. However, vinegar is not very concentrated and even distilled white vinegar is only around 10% acetic acid. The easiest way to get acetic acid is to use vinegar. If you are using old 1 and 2 pence coins it is worth using a magnet to see if they are solid copper as more recent ones have iron cores and so are magnetic. Copper is easy to get and common sources are scrap copper piping and old copper coins. The easiest way to make verdigris is to react copper metal with acetic acid. If you are unsure of anything please research it further and do not do anything unless you are sure it is safe.Īlthough if you are sensible you should not hurt yourself. However, I accept no liability or responsibility for any problems due to any errors or omissions in the content of the instructable. I make every effort to ensure the safety advice and precautions contained in this instructable are correct and that you will not be hurt if you follow my safety precautions and any other sensible precautions. If you are unsure of anything please research it further. I make every effort to ensure the information contained in this instructable is correct and up to date. It is also used to recreate the art of history.ĭisclaimer of Liability Accuracy of information It is easy to make and is made as it provides a different colour to modern paints which don't use it due to its slight toxicity. Verdigris is a blue green pigment which has been used since ancient times, and is mentioned by Pliny the Elder in Roman times, and has probably been used since copper has been mined.
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