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Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
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for Metal Finishing 1989-2025
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How to do verdigris finish on copper
Q. I am a visual artist, and wish to speed the verdigris process on my work in copper. Someone suggested urine. Please have an alternative!
Ellen Peterson- Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
A. Dear Ellen,
Maybe the application of a urine patina might work as some kind of visual artistry. Try the literature section, there are some good books on the subject. Believe it or not, but the acids in your urine will color copper! It seems like the more green-friendly, all natural way to go, don't you think?
Jake KochG. J. Nikolas &Co.,Inc.
Bellwood, Illinois
A. Ellen--
Ammonia works, too. You'll end up with a bright blue rather than turquoise or green, if that's what you're looking for.
Martin Jacobson- Atlanta, Georgia, USA
by Hughes & Rowe
on eBay or
AbeBooks
or Amazon
(affil links)
A. copper nitrate ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] combined with salt sprayed on copper will give you a verdigris patina. You must leave it undisturbed after several applications. It is delicate but the longer you wait the tougher it will get. A couple of weeks should give you something you can handle. You have to get the nitrate from a chemical supply Co.
Harley Roden- Downers Grove, Illinois, USA
A. 250 gm ammonium carbonate + 250 gm ammonium chloride/1 lit water!
Goran Budija- Cerovski vrh Croatia
Q. I want to treat the copper gutters and trim on our new home with something that turns it a verdigris immediately. What commercial product is there to do this?
Barry Stirdivant- Grand Haven, Michigan, USA
2005
Q. I have the same question: How to turn copper immediately to the verdigris patina
rosie koverman
- gilbert,South Carolina usa
2005
A. Hello Barry, Rosie. We appended your question to one of several threads on this general topic, If you don't see enough info here, search the site for green patina and you will see many suggestions, formulas, and comments.
Too answer the need for "instant" patina, a commercial product for that purpose is .
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2005
Dear Sir, I am looking for verdigris paint to applied on garden furnitures . Please let me know. Thank you Alain
Virlouvet [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]custom furniture designer - La Porte, Texas, USA
2003
Hi Virlouvet. If you really just want paint, I'm confident that Rustoleum and Krylon and the other companies who offer paint for outdoor metal will have a color faitly close to verdigris.
But another approach is to "paint" on some copper metal surfacer, which will leave the surface full of tiny grains of copper.
and then apply the instant patina discussed immediately above to turn the copper to verdigris. Good luck.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
February 23, 2013
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