How to Give Brass an Antique Patina
Nothing gives a home more warmth than a lovely old piece of antique brass. Now you can take your inexpensive new brass and give it the look of years of loving care with this homemade recipe for a brass ager. You'll love the rich look it gives your pieces. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Paint remover (lacquer thinner will work, too)
- 1/2 oz. liver of sulfur (available at jewelry supply stores, craft stores or online)
- 2 oz. copper sulfate (find it at photography supply stores, agricultural supply stores or online)
- Warm water, 2 gallons
- 2 medium buckets
- A long hook of coat hanger
Instructions
-
-
1
Put on rubber gloves. Use the paint remover or lacquer thinner to strip the brass item. You can wipe it down with a cloth soaked in it. You'll see the finish change as you use it. When it's done to your liking, rinse it well with cool water.
-
2
Mix 1 gallon of water and the liver of sulfur in a medium-sized bucket. Mix the other gallon of water with the copper sulfate. Keep your gloves on. The copper sulfate is a toxic solution.
-
-
3
Hold your brass piece by a very long hook. Bend a coat hanger if you don't have a long enough hook.
-
4
Dip the piece quickly into the liver of sulfur and then the copper sulfate mixes. Don't rinse the brass in between. Repeat until you get the aged look that you want.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Use your rubber gloves. Copper sulfate is very toxic.
More Like This
Comments
-
Sheila Wilkinson
Aug 04, 2008
sorry - article-itis interruptus...lol. Don't choose a stain that goes with a wood without grain like cherry as it may look funny. In the bathroom, I don't think white will got out of style as it would in a kitchen. You'll have to paint the door at least every few years unless you use a gloss paint. If you don't mind repainting then go with a color - brown is very hot now and so is red, and any creams, tans or off whites. Good luck - thanks for commenting! Sheila -
Sheila Wilkinson
Aug 04, 2008
Hi TerrieMae, The cabinets that are hot right now are dark stained wood (floors too) and painted wood. White is the favorite for paint color but off white and even colors are being used as well. If you can restain the cabinets that would make them stylish without putting on a treatment that would be next to impossible to change - like paint. I have wood cabinets, too - and floors so I've been considering doing the inside of the doors in chalkboard paint which is a hot and practical idea that I don't think will go out. I'm afraid that when the painted cabinet phase is over - (whether in ten years or next year no one knows)- that I would be stick with dated painted cabinets and no recourse. I would think about sanding them gently and restaining them a medium brown to nearly black stain. Cherry may not look terrific if your cabinets are heavily grained as there's generally no visible gr
