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Copper Cloring - Antique Green

We are going to install copper to cover wall (235"H X 90"W).

We need to finish with antique green patina color. Please let me know the method of the antique green coloring.

John Ahn
Interior Designer - Buena Park, California
September 25, 2009

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September 26, 2009

Always do a test piece first.

1 cup or hot water
2 tablespoons of sulfur
1 teaspoon of dish or laundry soap
Mix well and paint on. Let stand 30 minutes to one day until desired shade is attained. Wash with soap and water and oil lightly to fix the finish.

or

1 cup of 10-30 motor oil (used is better for some reason)
1/4 cup of sulfur
Mix well and brush on. Let stand for 30 minutes to one day until desired shade is attained. Wash with varsol or other solvent or a high concentration of dish soap and water. Lightly oil to fix.

The old gunmakers recipe is rotten eggs but they eventually learned that it was the sulfur ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] that was doing it. Not the smell!

The old timers also used the second method of sulfur and burned crank case oil to clear up louse infestations on their bird dogs.

I use these recipes on silver but they work equally well on copper. On silver it goes black on copper it turns green or kind of a mucky blue sometimes.

Rod Henrickson
gunsmith - Edmonton, Alberta, Canada