Summary for patina new zinc sheeting Discussion
Patina new zinc sheeting by first cleaning it thoroughly, then allowing it to age naturally or using a controlled chemical treatment. In the thread, Goran Budija notes that a degreaser such as acetone or pure alcohol can be used to remove oils before any aging attempt, and he clarifies that “cca 20 min” means approximately 20 minutes. Beth Crowe asks how to speed up the aging of shiny zinc on a bathroom vanity, while Tash Shepherd asks about antiquing zinc floor panels and whether copper sulphate or hydrochloric acid should be diluted and then protected for floor use. The excerpt does not include a full final recipe or product recommendation, but it shows that surface preparation is important and that floor applications need extra caution because the finish must be durable and safe. The discussion also points readers toward zinc sheet sources and related floor-finish products.
Q. What does one use to patina new zinc sheet
⇦ on
eBay or
Amazon [affil link]
and make it look like weathered zinc (blue-grey in finish)? I am an artist who currently works with copper patina, but would like to begin to work with zinc. I would be so grateful for any information.
Thanks!
Deanna Rich
artist – El Segundo, California, USA
2004
A. You can use 200 gm iron chloride/1 lit water solution (cold immersion, cca. 20 min.)! Good luck!
Goran Budija
– Zagreb , Croatia
Q. Thanks Goran,
What does “cold immersion cca 20 minutes” mean?
Thanks!
Deanna Rich [returning]
– El Segundo, California, USA
A. 1. I don’t know which degreaser you use — you can use acetone
⇦ on
eBay
or
or pure alcohol!
2. “cca 20 min” = “approximately 20 minutes”.
Good luck!
Goran Budija
– Zagreb , Croatia
Q. We are building a new home and have built a bathroom vanity out of wood which we covered in zinc. We ordered the zinc from a metal company. It came in a sheet and we sent it to a sheet metal company to cover it. I now have it ready to install, but it is still brand new and shiny. I know it will age with soap and water over time, but I want it to age now. What can I use to expedite this process? ⇦ Answer?
Beth Crowe
home builder / designer – Cleveland, Mississippi
2006
Antiquing a Zinc Floor
Q. Hi; I am a painter but I have been asked to age a floor made up of zinc panels. I have done some research about using copper sulphate
⇦ on
eBay or
Amazon [affil link] and hydrochloric acid but I am not sure do I dilute them? And also I need to protect the finish (bearing in mind it’s a floor). Does anyone know of any good products? Any insight would be welcome. Thank you.
Tash Shepherd
Painter – London, Uk
April 3, 2014
Future / Pledge / Revive It
Floor Finish
This product was renamed many times, with its final name before retirement: “Pledge Revive It”. Old stock is available at boutique prices, but choosing a replacement is probably more practical.
on Amazon or
(affil link)
A. If you are sure that your floor is made of zinc than you can use next formula: 2 heaping teaspoons copper sulphate, 1 heaping teaspoon kitchen salt, 1 cup of water. Dark gray to black finish.
Try Future floor finish (or Pledge – new name for same product). Hope it helps and good luck!
Goran Budija
– Cerovski vrh Croatia
Ed. update: The product was renamed, yet again, to “Pledge Revive It”, but was discontinued in 2022.
Adding patina to galvanized metal
Q. This is my situation. I have an outside galvanized metal plant container that I want to add a patina to. I have seen some galvanized containers that actually look like the old lead containers from England. Wondering how to achieve that result. Thanks. ⇦ Answer?
Brian Michaud
– Albany, New York USA
September 17, 2019
Ed. note: Readers may be interested in closely related thread no. 27794, “Safe, even black patina on zinc. Bronze patina on zinc?”.