wrought iron with copper patina???

[Fred.Rowe]

I am looking for a technique to add a "red copperish" patina to forged wrought iron. Has anyone applied copper as a powder to a heated W.I. guard. I have done a search, to no avail. Looking for some leads, Fred

 

[McAhron]

There was a post recently by someone(a brazilian bladesmith?)whom acid etched his wrought iron in ferric with copper disolved into it an it left a cool finish.

 

[Raymond Richard]

Fred, If your doing wagon wheel wrought iron it may come out with a copper color of its own if you etch it. What Mac said also works.

 

[J. Neilson]

Yep, what Mac said works. Just keep a batch of copper/brass contaminated FC around the shop and use that. A good use for accidental screw-ups of the past.

Ask me how I know?

 

[deker]

If you can find a copper brush, you can use a trick that blacksmith's use (though generally they use a brass brush). Get your piece to a dull red heat and brush the piece while it's at a dull red/black heat with the brush. You'll melt a light coating of the copper/brass onto the piece. Then buff it out lightly and you're good to go.

-d

 

[Fred.Rowe]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I'll give that a try and post some pics when I get them done.:thumbup:
Fred

 

[John Andrews]

I accidentally put a copper patina on the NS bolsters and the carbon steel blades of an old folder. It also nicely colored the white deer antler scales a gree/blue. I was soaking the old knife in nothing but room temperature hydrogen peroxide. Unknown to me, the knife had copper liners which must have transferred the copper to the knife. The knife had just enough liquid in the plastic container to cover the knife, with a lid on the container.