Meant to show this with the other stuff.  Sometimes you want to hang something with chain but you don't need the chain the be the center of attention. The only chain we ever buy is the galvanized but always need to tone it down so it's not the center of attention.

 

 

You can also do a copper color on it also. Stained glass stores sells it. I think HL also has some where their sheets of stained glass is displayed. You can't treat it ruff like steel wool will remove some of it but as long as it just hangs there its okay.

 

 

Edited October 19, 20169 yr by Smallpatch

Jesse, did you know that you can totally remove the galvanized coating by soaking it in vinegar?  But, you'd still see steel. 

Thanks for the tip Gene, I will have to try that out some time.

Cal

4 hours ago, Gene Howe said:

remove the galvanized coating by soaking it in vinegar

evaporate the Distilled White Vinegar down to a stronger acetic strength...

let the acid react to the zinc till (won't take long) what you have is the zinc oxide left over... in effect, avoid removing all of the ''galvanizing''...

EG and HD galvanizing are going to behave totally differently from one another...

practice on some galvanized nails... (EG, HD HD², HD³)...

when you are where you want to be.. wash w/ a baking soda solution to neutralize...

 

to evaporate the vinegar down put the bottle of vinegar w/ the top off in the sun to evaporate the water off in the vinegar......

more evaporating the stronger the solution...

CAUTION!!! 

acetic acid is some caustic eye/lung/skin burning stuff.... protection and ventilation is mandatory...

 

4 hours ago, Gene Howe said:

But, you'd still see steel. 

only if you remove too much or all of the galvanizing..... you want to leave the oxide...

too much... use metal dye to achieve the color you want...

 

Edited October 20, 20169 yr by Stick486

For a brassier/copper look mix up three parts apple cider vinegar with one part salt.... Make sure the salt isn't iodized... Chlorides will create green shades, while sulfides will create brown shades....

Completely submerge the chain for 30 minuets... Let it percolate...

Place place the chain on a paper towel and it to sit for several hours to age/go patina... Repeat the process to darken further if you want... Going back isn't that easy...

 

Seal the altered color onto the metal w/ sprayed on lacquer or wax.... If the metal isn't completely dry when you seal it, it will tarnish big time....

Patina Formulas for Brass, Bronze and Copper...   More formulas for patinas...

Formulas for steel patinas...

 

Ferric Nitrate: (Colors are pinkish red through rust red to dark brown) 80 gm ferric nitrate dissolved in 1 gallon of distilled water. The more you put on the redder it gets. If you overheat (burn) it then you get dark browns. Pink is hard to get - you need a minimum of heat, spray the Ferric, and then stop heating. The other colors are easy.

Bismuth Nitrate (Colors are white through gray to dark grey) 225 gm bismuth nitrate; 75 gm stannic oxide; 75 gm titanium dioxide; 1 gallon distilled water; 15 drops nitric acid. If you can get it, add 3 0z colloidal silica. I could not find the colloidal silica so my solution clumps up. I have to shake the bottle a lot before and during spraying. Also I diluted this solution 50-50 (i.e. used 2 gallons distilled water).

Birchwood Casey M80 (Colors are gray to black); also Birchwood Casey gun blueing (grey-black-blue). This is applied cold - and so is usually done before you apply the hot patinas. Brush it on or soak piece in the solution until you get it the color you like, then rinse with water....

 

 

 

 

Edited October 20, 20169 yr by Stick486