Best results - patina brands?

I use hard boiled eggs...the animals love eating them when I'm done :)

Posted at 6:11pm Jan 3, 2009 EST

Are you patinating silver or copper or brass or all of the above? I'm investigating opinions on Jax and Midas (and home-made solutions, for which I've been collecting lots of recipes) and would very much like to hear from those of you willing to share your preferences. I've had marginal success using liver of sulfur but that's most likely because I used our tap water, which is quite hard; I've bought some distilled water and will soon try again.

Perhaps the topic I'm most interested in is patinating brass. I love brass as a warm alternative to sterling and have been buying Vintaj components but would much prefer the creative freedom of fabricating my own components, as well as scrounging true vintage stuff and altering or aging it. I especially use lots and lots of wire in my designs and am also investigating whether brass or "bronze" (rich low brass)--which I hope to put a patina on myself, to save lots of money and avoid the plastic-coated craft wire on the market--is better to work with. I wonder how the malleability (softness or flexibility) of the two compares in a dead-soft state, and how each takes patinas, and whether I will like a more red or brown or black patina on them, and also whether I can do the blue-green oxidized look on top of the patinas. And, of course, I want to know about sealants. I see that Rio Grande sells a water-based lacquer for sealing them, but I've read elsewhere that the most practical sealant is a microcrystalline wax. Of course, too, I care greatly about allergies or sensitivities to the patinas and the sealants. Does anyone have the book "The Colouring, Bronzing, and Patination of Metals" by Hughes and Rowe, and can you recommend it? It's hideously expensive by my standards, and so a significant investment, and I have no idea whether it would pay for itself for my purposes. Comments?

I know that Midas (available from Rio Grande, wholesale)runs about the same cost, basically, as Jax (which I've found the best prices on at Metalliferous' website), but I can't remember what I read, a year or two, about artists' satisfaction with one product or another. I do remember hearing strong opinions/preferences.

I'm hoping, in the spirit of community, which means far more in the long run than being competitive and stingy with information and support, that we can share and brainstorm on this topic! And blessings on those of you who make tutorials available on the internet! As soon as I know something worth teaching, I plan to put up tutorials on my newborn blog, as well.

So HUGE thanks in advance to any/all who can share info, and hugs all 'round.

Posted at 12:48pm Jan 14, 2009 EST

I use SilverBlack, it is great and has no fumes.

Posted at 12:51pm Jan 14, 2009 EST

P.S. I would be happy to send the info on home-made solutions I've collected to anyone who convos me. I have it in .doc format, two documents. Just send me you e-mail address--I will treat it with the respect I would want mine treated (i.e. will delete it from my address book just in case I ever got attacked by a virus, and won't use it to send anything else to!) and I'll send what I have to you, sometime within a week or so. (I have fibromyalgia and have inlaws coming this weekend, so can only spend limited time at the 'puter this week.)
Hugs all 'round - Terri

Posted at 12:54pm Jan 14, 2009 EST

I use Liver of Sulfur for silver, and JAX products for my brass & copper. I LOVE their green and Flemish Grey-Black finishes.

Posted at 12:56pm Jan 14, 2009 EST

I use LOS for silver and Jax brown for copper and brass. The Jax works great on the brass and copper and gives them an almost instant chocolate brown color. I have Jax green, but I haven't used it yet.
The Jax wasn't expensive but hazmat shipping was horrendous! I think the shipping was around $30 for the 2 bottles!

Posted at 1:26pm Jan 14, 2009 EST

It all depends on the finish colors you want and the material you apply it to. Charles Lewton-Brain has a great little book on patinas you can make up its in the brainpress books catalog online. Cheap too if I remember right. I use baldwins patina from reactive metals for copper, shibuichi or shakudo. and LOS for silver. Max black is better for a deeper black. but you can get pretty dark with LOS too.

Posted at 1:35pm Jan 14, 2009 EST

Liver of Sulfur for oxidization. Black Maxx for those recessed areas that you want to stay dark black. I use Jax products for green and brown patinas.

Posted at 4:59pm Jan 14, 2009 EST

Liver of sulfur gets it done for me!

Posted at 7:02pm Jan 14, 2009 EST

I tried Cool Tools liquid gel patina and I cant seem to control it. I once accidentally got a beautiful rainbow patina but couldnt figure out how to replicate it. Think I might try that Black Max, do I need a sealant or whatnot?

Posted at 6:58pm Sep 13, 2009 EDT