[Bartosz Ulatowski]

I have a question. How to get nice red color on copper? I'm not thinking about orange or brown like thanks to rokusho but intensive red or red/cherry color? I know than when you heat copper and than put it quickly into water you get red, but it is very risky and not stable process. Does anyone knows any better solution?

[Fred E. Zweig]

Heating the copper 'till it is glowing red and quenching in boiling water will produce a durable red. Unfortunately it anneals the copper.

Here is an example of this patina with copper nitrate patina blush by a student of my made during a workshop I taught this year.



Fred

[Bartosz Ulatowski]

Thank you Fred, this is lovely color but I have another problem. I can't heat it so much because I used silver solder. So when heating small parts will fall from copper. (I'm making pendant to my friend for Christmas). So what can I do to get this kind of red but without heating it over 600C. (1112F if I'm right).

[DanM]

Patina Formulas

[Mike Ruslander]

Dan,
Where can one obtain those chemicals?

[Bartosz Ulatowski]

This is what I've been looking for. Thank you very much.

[Doug Sanders]

Some of the chemicals listed in the recipes on the website provided by Dan have links imbedded in them to get you to a chemical supplier. Others to try are Fisher Scientific and/or Aldrich.
There shouldn't be too much of a problem ordering these as a private citizen, but there are reagants out there you need to have a license for, or have an institutional account. Acids are sometimes hard to get sent to a private address.

[Jim Kelso]

For more info see THIS THREAD

Jim