Thread: Ageing Brass fittings and hardware?

Salt and amonnia.
Im sure I got the recipe off this BB
From memory you rub salt onto the object, then put some ammonia on a rag and place in an air tight container with the brass.
Just make sure the brass and the rag dont touch.
I tryed it, and the brass came out looking like it had copper oxide on it.
Sort of bronzey. :confused:



Al

oh ok ..... doesnt surprise me it would be ..... I am unfamiliar how to search this forum but will give it a go

Thanks!

seriph1,

I have some recipes, but will have to wait until I get home to dig them out.

You'd be surprised what chemicals can be obtained from hardware’s, supermarket etc.

ie to make copper carbonate, get a small packet of copper sulfate from the nursery - dissolve to saturation in warm water. Then get some washing soda (sodium carbonate) from the supermarket, and dissolve to saturation in warm water. Add the washing soda solution to the copper sulfate solution. A pale blue precipitate will immediately form, this is copper carbonate (the remaining liquid is mainly sodium sulfate). Filter this off through some paper towel - bobs your uncle ...

PS, don’t stir the copper sulfate mixture with a steel or stainless steel teaspoon - it will become copper plated!

FWW November/December 1996 had an article on aging hardware.

Brass:
1) Soak in lacquer thinners to remove protective coating (overnight).

2) Suspend ABOVE ammonia in a jar containing same. Don't let the piece come into contact or it will mark in an undesirable way! This can take as little as a few hours for a light patina, or overnight for a dark blackish look.

3)If the brass hardware has a thin plating, after 2) scrub it off with 0000 Steel Wool and do the ammonia thing again.

4) Protect with carnubia wax.

(Looks really nice in the photos!)

Let's know how it turns out.

Cheers,

P

What about the salt?


Al

Throw it over your right shoulder and it'll give you good luck!

P

thanks heaps!

If you could have a look when you get home and let me have what you come up with that'd be great.

Cheers

ps. Man this has been answered in record time!!! Thanks to everyone who contributed - I will be having a go tomorrow morning after going to the nursery and the hardware shop ...... I too, wanna know what to do with the salt and the steel wool (and of course, to the large welts that are likely to appear on my body from all this Frankenstein-ing)

Thanks too to the private post-er who told me about Brass-Black and Barrel-Blue from O'Rielly's Sporting Goods (guns apparently) in Thornbury, Victoria

Originally Posted by bitingmidge

Throw it over your right shoulder and it'll give you good luck!

P

You are talking about salt?
Arent you?

Al

You are talking about salt?

Oh MANNN!!! Here we go again...at least this time the question has been answered before we hijack the thread!!

Of course I was talking about the salt, but then again we could always rub it in some of those nasty wounds from the accident thread.

No salt needed with this method...maybe the lacquer thinners is a salt substitute...might try that on the old lamb chops in the morning.

"You first darling..........!" :eek: :eek:

Cheers,

P

OK Steve,

I have done some checking at home and located two recipes. I know there is a third one somewhere ….

Recipe 1 calls for a concoction of goodies. It sounds like you may have come across this recipe.

Copper carbonate 3 parts by mass
Copper acetate 1 part by mass
Ammonium chloride 1 part by mass
Sodium chloride 1 part by mass
Cream of tartar 1 part by mass
Acetic acid (10%) 8 parts by mass

Mix in a big glass jar (about 1 litre). Will froth and foam as the acetic acid reacts with the copper carbonate. Stir. Leave to settle. Stir, leave to settle, stir, leave to settle …. Until it settles down for good. Will have a thin creamy consistency.

Any brass used must be clean and degreased. Wash well in solvent thinners. Dry well. Paint mixture onto the brass and watch the change happen.. The longer you leave it, the more developed it will be. Wash in water, dry, and lightly wax. You may want to burnish high spots to simulate polished wear.

A chemist (pharmacist) should be able to help you out with the ingredients. I have told you how to make copper carbonate, you can react this with acetic acid to make copper acetate. But you will need to get ammonium chloride and acetic acid.

Method 2:

Fumigate with ammonia vapours – see midge’s method.

Some things to note:

Must be degreased and DRY. Any water left on the brass will react with the ammonia and cause spots.
You need to obtain 0.88 ammonia, not household cloudy ammonia (which is a very dilute solution of ammonia and a detergent). The 0.88 refer to the specific gravity, which is a concentrated solution of ammonia in water. You may be able to obtain a small amount (you only need a about 30 ml) from your pharmacist.

If you want to concoct your own, mix a few heaped tablespoons of ammonium sulfate (available from a nursery if you don’t already have it) with luke warm water to just dissolve most of it. Add a teaspoon of sodium hydroxide pearls (drain cleaner from the supermarket). BE VERY CAREFUL. Sodium hydroxide will liberate a lot of heat when added to water, be careful it does not boil out. Don’t put your face over the jar when doing this! Note that the caustic mixture will etch the glass jar – so don’t use something that matters.

Please, please, please be careful and wear the right PPE - a good pair of washing up gloves (no holes), safety goggles, and do not directly inhale the ammonia fumes – it will knock you for a six. Read the safety directions before handling the sodium hydroxide I suggest you do this outside with plenty of fresh air around.

Note that both these reactions act on the copper component of the brass. Crap brass has a lower copper component, and may not ‘age’ as well.

PS – the reference of salt and ammonia refers to a cleaning method. You can moisten the brass, then coat with salt. Leave for a bit and rub with ammonia solution. Never tried it, probably never will. Not sure what it would do to brass.

Hope this helps.

you guys have attained official

legend


status with me - I will be posting several images to show folks the results - and the finished project.



Thanks heaps for your guidance - how bloody good is this internet thingie?

This is serious.......... but I have heard that deep frying can achieve the desired effect, in vegetable oil not motor oil.

I will try it

while standing a respectable distance away