How to Age Brass Metal
Aging brass is a way to give your new brass items an elegant antiqued look. Using a vinegar and salt mixture, you can give your brass one of two looks common with age: either a dark brown appearance that comes from decades of constant use (such as you would find on a doorknob, for instance), or a nice green patina often seen in brass statuary. No matter the choice, within a few hours you can age your brass decades, giving it the antique look you desire without the wait.
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Things You'll Need
- Vinegar
- Plastic bowl
- Salt
- Measuring spoons
- Plastic spoon
- Brass metal
- Paper towels
- Cookie sheet
- Oven
- Dark baking sheet
- #0000 steel wool
Instructions
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Aged Brown Brass Look
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1
Pour 1 cup of vinegar into a plastic bowl. Add 1 tbsp. salt to the vinegar and stir thoroughly with a plastic spoon.
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2
Place the brass in the bowl and soak it in the vinegar mixture for about five minutes.
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3
Remove the brass from the bowl and pat the metal dry with paper towels.
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4
Place the brass on a cookie sheet and place it in an oven preheated to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Watch the brass as it heats. It will age, browning due to the heat. Remove the brass from the oven when it reaches the desired tint and allow the metal to cool completely.
Aged Green Patina
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5
Create the vinegar solution, consisting of 1 cup of vinegar with 1 tbsp. of salt, in a plastic bowl.
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6
Submerge the brass in the vinegar solution for one hour.
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7
Remove the brass from the vinegar and place it on a dark baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in an oven preheated to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat the brass in the oven for 20 minutes.
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8
Remove the brass from the oven and return it to the vinegar mixture. The solution will create a green patina on the brass as it soaks. Watch for the desired effect and then remove the brass from the mix. A light patina takes less than five minutes soaking time in the solution.
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9
Shake off the vinegar from the brass and allow it to air dry. Polish the metal with #0000 steel wool after drying to create the look of a semigloss surface with green tint.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Always clean your brass items using a mild liquid soap and water before aging them.
References
- Photo Credit brass handle image by hazel proudlove from Fotolia.com
