Author Topic: The Colouring, Bronzing and Patination of Metals  (Read 3435 times)

Offline PTsideshow

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The Colouring, Bronzing and Patination of Metals
« on: December 24, 2009, 10:06:48 AM »
The Colouring, Bronzing and Patination of Metals
Richard Hughes and Michael Rowe
Watson-Guptill/Whitney
327pp,16 full color plates
B&W photos and  line drawings
ISBN 0-8230-0762-6
copyright© 1982 & 1991
Watson-Guptill



This is another one of the should be next to Oppi Utracht's books on your shelf. If you are going to do more than one or two pieces with copper, bronze or cast or sheet brass alloys,gilding metals, silver and silver plate.

Done in England by two guys to find out what and how it worked in the historical texts and passages about what chemicals were used and how it was applied. They start out with;
  • Historical introduction
  • Metal Colouring Techniques. All the common and uncommon ones
  • The color plates
  • The recipes for the assorted metals
  • Safety, including the excluded colouring procedures and why. Chemicals and their hazards.
  • Appendices, Unsuccessful recipes( which can save time, and money along with the possible saving of the piece.) Japanese alloys and colouring, Luster colours, Glossary of chemical names new and old.

Along with the procedures for each particular metal and recipe they have info notes about what not to do to the solution and if special procedures should be taken whether they are safety related or strong fast reactions to the metals.

With the color plates it will show that if you are planning to do the patina's more than once or what them to be as close as possible to the same each time you do them. Along with good record keeping, materials, time and temperature.

It isn't cheap even on the used market, but it is like a good hammer, welder or other TOOL it will pay for it's self many times over in the coming years that you use it.

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