|
|
Silver patina
(Torch technique)
Last Updated: 05/07/2009
|
Ingredients
approx. ½ tsp. silver nitrate
approx. 1 cup water (250ml)
Directions
This is a very easy patina to use - it sticks and reacts well on brass. You should wear long sleeves and gloves in addition to ordinary eye and face protection when applying it, since splatters from the the hot patina actively and semi-permanently discolor skin and fingernails. Stir flakes or powder of silver nitrate into water. It should dissolve easily. Apply while heating the metal till the water steams off as the patina is brushed on. Patterns can be made with brushstrokes and puddling, but note that much of the effect of these patterns comes from a powdery surface layer, which can be smeared or rinsed away. If you wish to keep the grey and white effects as they stand when the surface is first cooled, use a spray fixative. Otherwise, rinse the surface, wearing rubber gloves to keep the residue off your hands. Once it is rinsed and completely dry, it can be waxed. Once the wax is dry, the surface can be buffed to produce a shiny silver or silver-grey color, sometimes dramatically different from the unbuffed look.
|
|
