Household chemicals for patination

Hello up there, Yes you’re right,urine is sterile (from healthy
animals !!)… but ONLY just AFTER (!!) it’s been released and
not when it has the time to get in contact with other droppings or
excrements.By all means, I’m just passing If you feel
like you have to use this stuff,go for it !! I have my some saver
solution and I think about my very precious health and the health of
other people.Making jewelry is the hobby I love and I would like to
do it as long as I can.I’m aware of those “grandpa secrets solutions
and he lifed very long” expressions,but like I said in an other
e-mail “We live in a free world and it’s all up to you”. By the way,
have you ever heard about toxoplasmose (mainly caused by healthy and
sick cats)!If not and you’ld like to hear of it …let me know ! Have
fun, Pedro Palonso@t-online.de

Of course I know that fresh urine does not contain ammonia! I spent
enough years taking biology to learn that. It sure doesn’t stay fresh
for long, though. I was simply taking a “verbal shortcut” to get
quickly to the point - that “less than fresh” urine has traditionally
been used to treat metal in various ways. I think this is commonly
known by a surprising number of people outside our field. When I
started making jewelry, the secretary in our office (research
lab-malacology) offered to get me all the horse urine I wanted from
the stable where she had a part-time job exercising horses. I’m sure
the people who first used this didn’t know why or how the aging urine
had its effect-that bacteria were proliferating and producing ammonia
as a by-product. I was just trying to make a short answer, finish my
scotch, and get into bed before 1 AM!

Lin

Hi Louise,

Should’ve clarified, Medieval enamalists (late Romanesque to Gothic)
practicing champlev� enameling used urine to treat their copper prior
to applying the enamel. I can’t remember the source.

As for spit: Bates, K.F.(1951) Enameling, Principles and Practices,
World Publishing Company, Cleveland. specifically page 54. “In order
to guarantee against further acid condition on the copper, the
old-fashioned method (which I still recommend) is to use saliva,
which completely alkalizes the the surface.”

To Jim Chambers,

Common patination chemical called Jax is available. It makes greens
and blues on copper-bearing metals.

I’ve had good luck “slobbering” it on copper pipes with a Giant qtip
of my own manufacture. Twirl a bamboo skewer in some roll cotton. It
catches the fibers and makes a ball on the end, as big as you want.
I’m sure the stuff could go in a hand pump sprayer too.

Dan Woodard - Indian Jewelers supply co.