Summary for patina brass parts Discussion
patina brass parts: Andrew Kelly asked which of three copper-based alloys—Red Brass C2300, Muntz C2800, or Naval Bronze C4640—would be best for an antique brown patina on tabletops, and whether the more fragile look of brass patina was due to the metal or his process. The only answer in the excerpt came from Guillaume Sudeterre, who did not address the alloy choice or patina performance directly. Instead, he corrected the terminology, saying the proper term is "copper alloy," not "brass alloy," and noted that brass is an alloy of copper, zinc, and lead, so "brass alloy" is not a meaningful phrase. Because the excerpt contains no technical comparison of the three alloys and no direct guidance on patina durability, the practical takeaway is limited to the naming correction rather than a recommendation on material selection or finishing method.
Q. We manufacture copper tabletops and apply a patina and wax sealer on these. We have made thousands of these and have become quite good at color and visual texture uniformity. We are now getting into an antique brown Patina on a BRASS ALLOY. The patinas on brass seem more fragile that those on copper. We can use one of 3 alloys: Red Brass C2300, Muntz C2800 or Navel bronze C4640. My questions are: Is one of these alloys better suited to a brown patinization? And.. Is the “fragile nature” of my brass patina inherent to the metal, or is it my inexperience with this new material? Thanks in advance, Andrew Kelly
Andrew Kelly
– Miami fl USA
2002
A. I think you mean ‘copper alloy’, not ‘brass alloy’. Brass is an alloy of copper zinc and lead, so the term ‘brass alloy’ doesn’t really mean anything.
Guillaume Sudeterre
– Missouri
2004