Black Patina On Lead and Zinc
by Stan
What kind of patina do you recommend for lead came and on zinc? Answer If you want to darken the lead, brush it with a natural bristle (Tampico) brush after you putty the panel. You can also use stove black to make the lead black. Here is an answer I gave someone else about patina and zinc came: "To be honest, I have never found a patina that works well on zinc. Most professionals tin the zinc first, before putting it around the panel, then apply black patina for solder. I have made a file of tips that people have given, on various stained glass forums, over quite a few years. I have not tried any of the following myself, but for what they are worth, here are the tips I have saved for applying patina to zinc. I'm sorry that I didn't save the names of the people that gave these tips so I could give them credit: 1. To blacken the zinc frame on a leaded glass piece, use a "Scotchbrite" pad and vinegar to scrub the zinc before applying the chemical blackener. That works very well! 2.Lay a thin coating of solder over the zinc and then it will take the same black patina as your solder lines. 3. Use JAX Copper Plate on the zinc. It will produce a black patina on zinc. If you want a pewter finish on the solder and zinc, JAX Pewter Black works well at producing an even finish on both zinc and solder. In any case I find that cleaning the zinc is essential to a good patina application. 4. Rub the zinc with 00 steel wool till shiny. Apply patina for solder on corners or where ever you have soldered and rinse thoroughly. Apply compound cream or wax to your whole project including all the zinc came. Follow normal waxing procedures and buff off. Place your framed glass up on a box or something to lift it off the table and apply zinc patina generously all along the frame and rub it with a soft cloth till shiny. I cannot believe what a good job this makes. 5. Mask the panel and spray black enamel on the zinc frame after making sure it is free of oil by wiping it down with alcohol. The spray I use is Rust-o-leum black hammered enamel. It makes a nice finish. If I leave the solder lines silver, I don't use anything on the zinc frame. If I use a copper finish, I finish the frame with copper enamel." |
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