Hi there all,
In a few weeks I am going to take charge of an English Wheel, and am
going to practice in copper before I start using it on silver.
However, to make some nice copper things I intend to solder on bases,
turn them into bowls and the like and then give them a nice patina.
I would use silver solder for this, but it will not take on the same
patina as brass and bronze (or won’t with the chemicals I am going to
use). Can anyone recommend an alternative which will blend in? Would
tin solder used in electronics / plumbing work? Should I alloy up my
own using brass and sterling? All suggestions welcome.
CP
www.collarsandcuffs.co.uk
CP,
I do most of my copper work with Phos-Copper. You can get it at your
local welding supply. It will patina nicely. The sticks I am using
are 93% copper 7% phosphorus. No flux needed. When I use silver
solder on copper and need to get a match I will put the whole thing
into a pot of old pickle and put some iron wire/nails in with it.
Cheap copper plating! I have also taken a rag, soaked it with the old
pickle put it around the iron wire and rubbed it on to spots that
needed attention. I use brazing rod for the bronze and brass. This
can be tricky as the melt temperatures are the same or close.
Don’t waste time with the plumber’s or electrical solders. You would
have to copper plate them to get any results.
Hope this helps.
Bill Churlik
@Bill_Churlik
www.earthspeakarts.com
Hi CP,
“Lead Free Rosin Core” 16oz is handy Alphametals, Inc.
You can get it at most hardware stores. Get the rosin core so you
dont have to use much flux at all. Works really good with all-copper
creations.
All the best,
Jim Sprague Jr.
I would use silver solder for this, but it will not take on the
same patina as brass and bronze (or won't with the chemicals I am
going to use). Can anyone recommend an alternative which will blend
in? Would tin solder used in electronics / plumbing work? Should I
alloy up my own using brass and sterling? All suggestions welcome.
I recently made a copper piece using silver solder. Then put the
piece in some old pickle tied steel binding wire. This did copper
plate the piece covering the silver solder.
Norman
This will take a slightly higher heat than you are used to with
silver soldering, but I have always used brazing rod, can be found in
any welding supply shop. It is usually a brass alloy, and will patina
closer to the copper color, especially if you ask for a copper to
copper brazing rod.
Eric McCafferty
Studio311.com
Save up your copper laden pickle and copper plate the solder joint
by adding some steel to the pickle. Once removed, the steel will no
longer cause the plating action and you can save that pickle for
another day.
Hi CP,
The only way you may join the copper pieces together so that
patination will work is by brass brazing them. However, the
temperature difference between brazing and melting the copper is not
too great and the effect of the patination may still be different on
the two metals. Keeping the solder joint close fitting and reducing
the amount of solder to a minimum will, of course, help to disguise
the joint. Probably the best course of action would be to solder or
braze the parts together as normal and then have the whole lot
copper plated before you patinate it.
Best Wishes
Ian
Ian W. Wright
Sheffield UK
Indian Jewelers Supply used to have a copper solder available.
Linda Kaye-Moses