How to Patina Metal Pieces
1. Choose your metal pieces (and tools) and lay them out to make sure
you have everything you need for a project. Position the jewelry pieces
in the positions they will be assembled.
2. Place metal piece on a non-stick craft sheet, shake your chosen
Patina paint colors well and squeeze out small amounts directly onto
the craft sheet. I used solid Onyx, Moss, Verdigris and Jade Patina paints.
3. You can use the paint straight form the bottle or add glaze to the
colors that you would like to be more of a semi-translucent tinted
glaze. Gently mix with a small flat brush.
4a. Apply paint to the metal. If you desire an antique look you can apply
a solid coat of paint (Onyx shown) to the entire metal surface, front and
back) and allow to dry. Once dry mix about 3-4 parts glaze with 1 part
Patina paint and brush on over metal. You can use more then one color glaze
as desired. I used all three of the colors in Weathered Copper
item #VPK34827, (shown above step 2).
4b. Add Patina to various areas of the metal and immediately, before it
dries, add a second color overlapping them and blend together a little. I
used Verdigris and Cobalt with equal parts of Vintaj glaze on this sample.
5. If you want to distress the paint when it is dry, use the
Ranger/Vintaj reliefing block to sand the raised areas of the metal
design. Any sanded areas that you want to retain the metal color should be
coated with the Ranger/Vintaj glaze. I used the Natural Brass
butterfly which sands to a gold color. I painted the butterfly wings with
Rust Patina, then the body and outline with equal parts Cinnabar and Garnet.
Use Shaping Pliers to gradually bend filigree shapes.
Creating Extra Holes
1. Two metal pieces can be joined together using jump rings. Holes are needed
in some areas of the jewelry pieces where there is no hole. Now there is an
easy way to make smooth holes using a Beadsmith Two-Hole Metal Punch Tool.
Insert the metal into your chosen hole size (1.5mm or 2.0mm) and turn the top
handle until you feel it punch through the metal. Then simply unwind the
handle and it will release the metal piece.
2. You will usually use jump rings or rivets to connect two metal pieces
through the holes. Shown here are Art Metal stampings that have a
hole punched through the center bottom. They were painted with Topaz Patina
mixed with Patina glaze and attached to an Art Metal Heart (painted with
a mix of 1/2 Rust and 1/2 Garnet Patinas-see below) using a rivet. I finished all
pieces by sanding with the Reliefing block for a distressed look.
3a. RIVETS: Slide the rivet down through the front of the heart and then
through both leaves placed at an angel. Place the metal pieces, with
all three holes lined up, onto a Steel Bench Block that is on a Dampening
Block. While firmly holding the pieces down, trim the end of the rivet
to 1/16" with a Flush Cutter tool. Use the end of a small ball peen
hammer to hammer the rivet so it begins to spread out, then use an eyelet or
rivet setting tool by hammering it with a mallet.
3b. JUMP RINGS: Slide a jump ring tool on your finger (or use two
pairs of pliers), pick up a jump ring with bent nose or chain nose
pliers, slip it into the correct slit size and twist the jump ring so it opens
enough to fit in the hole in the metal piece. Slide ring through the
metal piece holes and close just as you opened it, twisting so the ends
are lined up back together.
4. Jump rings can also be used to connect filigree pieces together (left)
or to attach a charms or dangles to a metal piece or onto a chain.
Use the smallest jump ring possible so it is less noticeable.
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