Letter 15155

Create patina on pewter

I am a collector of antique beer steins. Most steins have pewter lids and thumblifts. Occasionally, I'll find an antique where someone has cleaned the natural patina from the pewter. Antique stein collectors prefer the age-showing dull look. A shiny lid just doesn't look right on an old antique. Is there a simple method for a hobbyist to get natural patina back onto pewter (without waiting another 100 years)?

I've seen some other posts here and a book was recommended. If a book has this solution, I wouldn't mind purchasing it. Can anyone direct me further?

Thanks,

Jody Wyse
- Inman, South Carolina

The book you've seen recommended here is for patination of copper and brass, not pewter. But check out letter 12714. Although it's about silver, not pewter, I'd conjecture that the sulphide from eggs will tarnish pewter too.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
finishing.com
Brick, New Jersey

You can use this solution for black colouring of tin and pewter: 200 gm. iron chloride ,water 1 lit. The article is immersed in solution!

Goran Budija
- Zagreb, Croatia

+++

Instead solution from my first letter(which is simple and ingredient is easy available) you can try one of these two recipes:

BLACK FOR TIN
molibdenic acid........7,5 gm ammonium chloride.....30 gm
H2O..........1 lit.
Hot immersion(60-80 C)

black for tin 2
bismuth nitrate........5 gm
nitric acid..........50 ccm
tartaric acid.........80 gm

Goran Budija
- Zagreb, Croatia

+++++++

Hi I just saw your question on patinas for pewter. I have successfully used a product called Novacan Black patina -->

It is a product used in the stained glass field to darken the came. It comes in a form for tin based metals and for lead based metals. Choose what is appropriate for your use. I just finished a pewter sculpture today and painted it on, rinsed it off and went over where I wanted my highlights with a 0000 steel wool [link is to product info at Rockler] pad. I came out BEAUTIFUL!!

Good luck I hope this helps. It sure beats trying to mix your own!

Cindy Brown
- Arlington, VA, USA

September 28, 2008

I read the recent posts on creating a black patina on Pewter with interest. I am looking to create other colors as can be done on copper with livers of sulphur and other chemicals. Does anyone have experience with other patination processes on Pewter?

I am a wood turner who is beginning to incorporate metals in my turnings. So far I have been using leaf; both copper and silver and patinizing them with quite nice results. I am hoping to get a dark and lustrous effect with some coloration using pewter.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Bradford Chaucer
wood turner, metal worker artisan - Sneads Ferry, NC, United States

October 1, 2008

Hi, Bradford. I'm not sure that there are colorful patinas for pewter. That is, there may be no reagents that will turn the metals in pewter red or green or blue. I believe that what is often done instead is the article is "painted" with a copper-based patinating solution.

Regards,

Ted Mooney
finishing.com
Brick, New Jersey

October 4, 2008

Thank you Ted. By painting with a copper based patinating solution do you mean the paints that have an acrylic base with copper particles in suspension that come in various grades of copper? I understand that they can be chemically colored while still wet (not totally dried)

Bradford J. Chaucer
- Sneads Ferry, North Carolina

October 12, 2008

Hi, Bradford. That may work just fine, but what I was actually referring to was copper-based patina solutions like Jax -->

Good luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney
finishing.com
Brick, New Jersey

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