Make sure to use protection!!

JOEYS CARVED ART · Feb 25, 2015

Hello, I primarily carve coins and "hobo" nickels but now I am finding an interest in jewelry making. I have made a couple rings and I am planning on giving bracelets a try. The precious metals are very expensive to work with especially for a beginner that will probably destroy or mess up more than he makes. I am wanting to work with copper and brass. I know that these tarnish and copper makes your skin green with prolonged contact. My question is, is there something that can be applied to copper to seal or treat it so that it won't tarnish or turn the skin green?

thanks
Joey

Silberschweif · Feb 25, 2015

Hi Joey,
I do a lot Mokume Garne Works. The most japanese aloys are copper based. There is no way to Protect. I solder a thin Ring of silver or gold inside the Mokume so i can protect a little. The traditional way is using bees wax but at rings it rubs away in 1-2 days
I tryed also Sambol Nano atp 100 silver to protect the rings that works for a month or so but its very expensive 30ml 40€
Try to use Silver its not very expensive if you buy it on the junkyard.
You can also aloy it by yourself if you buy pure silver and copper. The best copper to use is phosphor copper its called also aloying copper
Thats the way I do because itÂ´s up to 50% cheaper than to buy aloyed silver. Today 999 Silver is 0,61€/g incl tax in Germany aloyed to 935 Silver 1,20€ /g
buy an Ingot a propane torch and a used rolling mill so you can produce your own silver plates.
If you mess up melt it and start again with the same metal.
chris

Dan W · Feb 25, 2015

Joey,
I do work for several jewelers, one of which makes, and maintains, the badges for the local sheriff’s office. To protect the badge’s finish he uses automotive clear coat from one of the local automotive parts stores. It has to be a quality clear coat and not the inexpensive version. When he does touch-up work on a badge he has to soak it in Acetone for a couple of days in order to remove the clear coat. He also uses clear coat on his copper pieces and has had good results there also. The cheap clear coat will dull and darken copper and wear off sooner than the commercial version. I hope this helps.
Dan

monk · Feb 25, 2015

in addition to what dan w uses, years ago i would glue very soft, thin suede leather on the inside. this has not worked well. in time, with constant wearing, the suede will absorb a lot of "gunk" and eventually turn nasty.

J.Hayes · Feb 25, 2015

Clear nail polish works pretty good too. Easy enough to reapply by the customer too.

jeanluc83 · Feb 25, 2015

I don't know about protecting copper but you can make a decent ring for practice from a nickel or a quarter.

For a small ring stand the nickel on edge on a steel plate and hammer the edge working your way around. When you get the ring the size you want it drill out the center, file to size and polish. The best part is you can still read the writing on the inside of the ring. For a larger ring use a quarter.

For a larger ring from a nickel, drill a hole in the center and hammer it over a mandrill. You will need to anneal it during forming. Once you get it to size, shape with a file and polish.

If you search for ring from a coin you should find some better descriptions. I've used the first method but only read about the second.

JOEYS CARVED ART · Feb 25, 2015

Thanks for all the help everybody, this gives me a better understanding of what I need to do. Josef, I have made tons of those coin rings. Look for a thread from a couple weeks ago called "one ring to rule them all", this is a ring I made from a silver half dollar.
thanks again everybody!!

Joey

Kevin Scott · Feb 26, 2015

I would try a light coating of Mop and Glo, or any other brand acrylic floor finish. As I said in another thread about keeping brass and copper from tarnishing, it is very durable. As a test used it on part of my Zippo lighter to keep the brass cuts shiny, and in nice contrast against the chrome.

Don't remember exactly when I did it, but it has been over 6 months now. it is hard to tell there is a coating there. I have to tilt the lighter in the right light to see it. The Mop and Glo treated part has less scratches, and the film has not worn at all.

Don't think there would be any problem with skin contact, but don't know for sure. But a very light coat applied and spread out with a foam pad, 15 seconds with a heat gun, should be very durable. Remember, it is made for floors. Removes real easy with alcohol.

cropduster · Feb 26, 2015

Hello - One area of some abuse for brass is on musical instruments. Try Ferree's tools as they specialize in tooling for the repair of musical instruments and have a section of their catalog devoted to coating brass instruments - for tough duty like a high schooler might run into in a marching band - outside at a football game. I never used them but their web address is.... http://www.ferreestoolsinc.com/ Best regards - Cropduster

mrthe · Feb 26, 2015

Joey my advice is use copper or brass just for practice , then when your work will be good enough or you will be satisfied enough with it, start engraving silver or more valuable metals , copper is not really good for jewellery , expecially for rings, not only for the tarnish but for his hardness too

McAhron · Mar 1, 2015

Cerakote clear will hold up for a very long time.

Make sure to use protection!!

JOEYS CARVED ART

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