Patina ?

[MongoForge]

Chuck or anyone

Was wondering if you had patina'ed the brass
tacks on your pouch sheath?
And how you do it?
If its been awnsered before i apologize
and please point me in the right direction

[Chuck Burrows]

Rob - you bet I do.

I use Birchwood Casey's Super Blue - dump a batch in a container with some of the blue (you don't have to cover them just swish them around). Drain through a sieve and then dump the tacks into some cold water - drain/sieve again and either lay out on an old towel to dry or put them in a pain and dry with heat: torch, hair dryer whatever.

Remember you need to draw the hardness from the steel shanks. I do this by standing them head down in a pan of salt or water and heating the shanks until red hot with a torch - let cool. Another way is to grab each tack with a pair of needle nose pliers and heat the shank to red hot - I toss them into and old frying pan to cool.

The heat alone will give them a patina as well.

I do my dying, finishing, etc after putting the tacks in the leather - this will rub some of the color off and give them a nice worn look. If they are still too dark rub with a coarse cloth or steel wool if you want them a bit brighter. If you take off too much color don't despair - dip a cloth in the blue and rub the tacks with it. Wait until they start darkening and then wipe off with a damp cloth. I may do this a half dozen times - just keep doing it until you get it the way you want or get tired of doing it. LOL

Each and every time is different - they never come out looking the same way twice.


Other chemicals you can use are The Jax Black from SHeffield's and others or the Birchwood Casey's Brass Black. The Super BLue also works on nickel and sterling so that's why I use it.

[MongoForge]

Mucho Gracious

Got a project coming up im going to
try this on..
Really liked your tack sheath...
Figure something similliar would go
good with a deer leg bone knife

[Chuck Burrows]

Looking forward to seeing it.

[wildbill254]

this may help also


http://www.coscosci.com/patinas/patinaformulas.htm

[MongoForge]

Thanks WildBill

That looks like a cool site.

Mongo-

[Chuck Burrows]

Yep thanks Bill - The only thing about most of those Ppatinas though is they are hot and that obviates the use of them after attaching - reapplying the patina after attaching not only "fixes" any rubs but also gives you a buildup of verdigris at the jucture of the leather and the tacks just like on the "real" thing. One of those little details that can really make a difference in the overall look.

[wildbill254]

Again Chuck, you are the man..


that site I listed has been useful to me in the past on other than leather projects... And you are correct about the blue-green crust look of old originals, and attention to detail makes the difference between a pro and a master.


Thanks again

Bill

[Chuck Burrows]

Bill - here's one of the real master's quotes I've taken to heart:
"Trifles make perfection, and perfection is no trifle. "
Michelangelo

Here are some other patina resources:
http://www.reactivemetals.com/Pages/rmspat.htm
http://www.sculptnouveau.com/traditional.html

Another one I always keep in mind is "it's all in the details".

Whever I'm out and about I go to second hand shops and antique shops and look at "old stuff" to see what wear and tear and age have done. One thing I see that those who artificially age things do is start out with it completely aged - to do it "right" I have found you have to make it like "new" and then age it as a total package - just like the real thing. Now aging the metal parts first is usually a help, but then you have to combine the process to give it that worn in naturally aged patina and look.

[Chuck Burrows]

Here's an interesting link -
"These tacks were aged to look old," Bill said, "but you don't see any oxidation around them. The whole rifle has been made to deceive."
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/roadshow/tips/firearms/

I make note of this for two reasons - one to illustrate my point above about "the details"

Second and even more important - I NEVER make anything to deceive - all of my work is clearly marked that I am the maker and I keep a photo journal of all pieces made. Remember that although we may not make to deceive there are those unscrupulous folks out there that may acquire our goods and pass them off as "originals".
I have in fact been approached to get in on the "game" by several of these "types". And the money can be BIG! Thousands of dollars for what I get paid a couple of hundred for.

Now none of my steps will totally keep the keep the unscrupulous from trying to pass of work as "original" but every little bit helps and it may keep you from winding up as an accessory or worse:

"Here in the south, it ain't the police who pay the visit. A man was faking scolloped based tables and giving them to a dealer to sell for him. A rare item here, and fooled a number of the big boys. Someone beat the crap of the dealer and hung him by heels off the Deep River bridge. People take it personally as well they should,"
http://www.americanlongrifles.com/am...-BBS-frame.htm

[MongoForge]

Bttt