How do ya stabilize bronze?

Bruce Bump

Bruce Bump

Joined
Dec 2, 1999
Messages
9,910
I thought that title would get Ya in here. Now that You are here answer this if ya can. I have several pieces of bronze for a project that I have either forged and turned or cast and sanded, turned only or hammered out or whatever. Anyway they all seem to be different colors probally because of different working methods. My question is: There must be a proceedure to bring them all back to the same state, such as for ex: heat them all to 500 and slowly cool them or bring them to red and throw them in a bucket of cat guts? I dont know and Im too lazy to experiment so Im asking my buddies here.
 
the standard is a jeweler's pickle. sodium bisulfate availible at your local swimming pool suppiler,k-mart,walmart,etc.as a PH adjuster. a few table spoons in an old crock pot of heated water will work wonders on most non ferrous metals.just don't use iron or steel utensils in the pickle or you will end up with a copper plating solution.
 
Does the pickel solution etch the surface or change the surface colors to the same? I somehow thought all the parts would need to be brought to a higher temp than just warm water.
 
Bruce, are all the pieces out of the same piece? If not you may have a few different types of bronze and if thats the case I doubt very much if you can get them to look the same.
 
Before I became a full time artist i worked in several art bronze foundries.
The patina artist can obtain an amazing range of colors with various chemicals.The final finish is achieved when the sculpture is warmed up and a wax is applied.A good source for information and supples is http://www.sculptor.org/
 
WYK I just take donuts to our local bronze statue foundry and trade them. I think there is some variations in their bronze though because the colors seem inconsistant. Thats why I am trying to stabilize my parts.
 
Bruce Bump said:
WYK I just take donuts to our local bronze statue foundry and trade them. I think there is some variations in their bronze though because the colors seem inconsistant. Thats why I am trying to stabilize my parts.
Click to expand...

Bruce why not put them in the old brew pot and mix them up.. :)
that should color them the same..
 
If you're talking about mechanical stabilization (ie: stress relieving), cook the parts for 2 hours at 500º (plus 1 hour per inch of thickness over 1 inch).

That will also patina the parts some, but is finicky. I'm guessing that you'll want to do the aforementioned pickle afterward.

-Allin
 
If the regular pickle doesn’t work you could try hydrogen peroxide pickle. One tablespoon pickle granules, (we have Rio pickle in the university studio, it is mainly sodium bisulfate) to one cup hydrogen peroxide, warm the peroxide slightly before adding the pickle and get the graduals dissolved before adding the work. Use outside or with ventilation and keep agitating or stirring (no steel that will copper plate on what ever is in the pickle, copper or wood is perfered), the reaction mostly dies in about 20 minutes.

Neither the regular water and pickle or peroxide pickle will really etch the surface unless you leave the work in them quite awhile, like overnight or if the granules are not fully dissolved and the work sits on them you may get small pits. After pickling rinse in water and baking soda then clear water, you can also dump some baking soda in the pickle solution when you are done to neutralize it before disposing of it.


Todd
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top