Introduction: Yellow Ochre and Ammonia Patina on Copper Patina

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About: I've been making jewellery for about 25 years and teaching for around 18 years. I've recently moved into an online classroom where anyone, anywhere can learn to make jewellery... You're welcome to join me. T…

Learn how to make a Yellow Ochre and ammonia patina on copper.

Step 1: Introduction:

I’ve been having a lot of fun with household copper patinas. What’s a house hold patina? Generally a patina created using things found in the Home, rather than, patinas made with nasty Chemicals which are not always fun to play with.

I found to my delight that many materials both organic and non organic could be used to create very unique copper and ammonia patinas. I call these materials - reactive materials.

I also had to figure out how to use those reactive materials to create patinas. I came up with a few methods which offered many possibilities.

In this tutorial I’ll show you how to: fume.

Step 2: What You'll Need:

  • 3 teaspoons of Yellow Ochre natural Earth paint pigment (from your local art supply shop).
  • A fume chamber.
  • 3 teaspoons of household ammonia (from my local grocery store).
  • A piece of copper.

Step 3: Make a Fume Chamber:

There are many ways to make a fume chamber. Basically you need a plastic container with a lid and a hanging method which will suspend your piece of copper in the fume chamber.

Here is how to make a fume chamber like mine:

Poke or drill 4 holes in a plastic container (with lid). I measured 5 cm from the top of the container and drilled (or poked) 1mm holes.

I used 1mm copper wire.

Put a bit of paper towel at the bottom of the fume chamber and add 3 teaspoons of household ammonia.

Be careful not to inhale the ammonia fumes as they can be harmful. And do wear protective eyewear - the fumes can damage your eyes.

Step 4: Copper Preparation:

It is best to first degrease your copper, this will help the patina adhere to the copper and make it more stable (less likely to flake off).

There are a few ways to do this. I recommend emery. Use 220 emery by hand or a sanding disc with a rotary tool.

Be sure to emery the entire surface and do not touch the copper with your greasy fingers. I like to wear gloves, but if you hold the copper only on the edges, you’ll be ok.

Step 5: Make It.

  • Thoroughly mix 3 teaspoons of Yellow Ochre with 1 cup of water.
  • Spray or dip or paint Yellow Ochre onto the copper.
  • Sprinkle a small amount of salt onto the copper.
  • Let cook (sit) for 1 hour.
  • Let completely dry (24 hours).
  • Gently wash in warm water.
  • Let dry.

Step 6: Learn More Ammonia and Copper Patina Recipes.

If you would like to learn more patina recipes using organic and non organic reactive materials, please visit My Facebook Page or YouTube Channel.