 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Aged Brass Brooch. Made From Items Available At My Auctions And Store. The Brass Was Aged Using The Heat Method Discussed Below |
~ WHAT IS BRASS? ~ Brass Is An Alloy (Mixture) Of Copper And Zinc In Variable Proportions. Depending On The Proportion Of Copper/Zinc, The Color Of Brass Can Vary From Yellow/Green To A Redish (Coppery) Tone. Polished Brass Is Bright And Shiney And Almost Looks Like Gold. Antiquing Or Aging Your Brass Will Blend The Color And Add Beauty And Dimension To Your Work! When You Are Done With This Page, Be Sure To Visit My Design Studio For Design Ideas Plus Interesting Facts And History Of Brass In Antique Jewelry. There Is A Link To My Design Studio At Lower Left Of This Page :) |
|||||
|
~AGING TIPS & METHODS~
~PREPARING BRASS FOR AGING~ The Most Important Step When Aging Brass Is To Remove Any Dirt, Oil Or Existing Oxidation. Even If It Looks Clean, It Should Still Be Cleaned To Remove Any Debris Or Oxidation That May Not Be Visable To The Eye. To Clean, Completely Buff The Piece (Front & Back) With Fine Steel Wool. When Completed, Your Brass Should Have A Satin or Brushed Finish/Look To It. After You Have Buffed The Piece, Soak In A Solution Of Vinegar & Salt (about 1 tablespoon salt to 1 cup of vinegar) For About An Hour Then Rinse WELL In Warm Water. note: after cleaning you should age your brass as soon as possible to prevent oxidation from reforming on your pieces :) BAKING METHOD FOR AGING BRASS Lay Your Pieces Out On A Cookie Sheet Lined With Aluminum Foil Then Bake At 450 For About 30 Minutes. Some Brass May Take Up To An Hour. Just Keep An Eye On It. Some Brass Will Respond Perfectly And No Other Steps Are Needed. Other Brass May Turn Mulit-Tone (With Blues And Purples). When This Happens, Let It Cool Down Then Do A Quick Dip In A 50% Vinegar/50% Water Solution. Rinse With Cold Water Immediately After Dipping. If You Leave In The Vinegar For To Long It Will Remove Alot Of The Oxidation And You Will Have To Rebake It. |
Left~Bare Brass...Right~A Victorian Style Mourning Pin. Made In Just Minutes With E6000 Glue And Antiqued With "Quick & Easy Antiquing" (see link on this page, below). Follow With A Clear Satin/Matte Spray Lacquer If Desired. This Method Is Great For Copper And Gold And Silver Plated Items As Well! |
|||||
Aged Brass And Rhinestone Cuff Bracelet If You Look At The Directions on Tarn-X (Tarnish Remover) You Will See That It Says "Do Not Use On Brass". Why? It Turns Dark!
I Also Have A Small Collection Of Limited Edition Aged Brass Available If You Prefer To Buy Already Done :) Here Is A Link.... |
Rhinestone Brooch Antiqued With Minwax Walnut Gel Stain Available At Walmart Hardware.This Method Is Great As It Antiques And Provides A Protective Finish All In One Step. If You Are Doing Alot Of Pieces And/Or Chain, Just Pour Some Stain Into A Bowl And Mix Your Pieces Around Until Coated. Then Transfer Them Onto A Piece Of Waxed Paper And "Blot" With A Lint Free Fabric To Remove The Excess Stain. After Blotting, Transfer Onto A Clean Piece Of Waxed Paper To Dry. |
|
|||||
|
|||||
|
