PATINAS, ANODIZING, GILDING, AND OTHER METAL COATINGS

This course meets 3 times per class session. Please check the Agenda above for the dates included in each session. By purchasing a ticket, you are committing to attend all meetings included in that session. The title of the Agenda page will indicate which ticket to purchase for that session.

This course is designed for people interested in metalsmithing and jewelry making. Chemical and electrochemical methods of surface modification, such as patination, anodizing, and gilding, will expand the professional toolkit of participants.

• Students will learn when and how to apply specific finishing techniques. They will apply these techniques to their own or instructor-provided metal samples. Specific techniques, which are studied independently of each other, are listed below.
• Room and hot temperature methods for green patinas on copper and copper alloys.
• Red patinas and temper colors on copper.
• Liver of sulfur patinas for silver and copper alloys.
• Specialty patinas for brass.
• Less common colors based on “Dye-Oxide” patinas for silver and other metals.
• Aluminum anodizing.
• Colorization and patterning of anodized aluminum.
• Titanium anodizing.
• Bismuth anodizing.
• Nickel plating.
• Silver plating.
• Preparation of gilding solution from gold leaf.
• Gilding using the bath technique and the brush technique.

Metal samples for surface finishing (ancient bronze, silicon bronze C87300, yellow brass C26000), “free-machining brass” C36000, copper, sterling silver, gold leaves, aluminum, titanium, bismuth).

Patina reagents ( ammonia, vinegar, liver of sulfur, caustic soda solution, bleach, copper nitrate solution, JAX and Birchwood darkeners, Dye-Oxides patination solutions – white, blue, violet and red)

Anodizing reagents and dyes (swimming pool water balancer “pH down”, TSP-PF household cleaner, purple, yellow and blue anodizing dyes).

Metal plating: commercial gold (TWL and Rio Grande), silver (Krohn) and nickel (Gold Plating Services) metal plating solutions. Potassium hexacyanoferrate, sodium chloride.

Cleaning utensils and detergents.

Pen and paper.

Metal samples (optional)

All students must be 18 years or older.

Alex is a chemist with extensive experience in chemical research, teaching and safety. Since retiring, he has developed an interest in chemistry applications for art, such as patina, anodizing and metal plating. He will be sharing his knowledge of these techniques, some of which, such as an economical gold plating method, he developed here at Artisan’s Asylum.