#Brass darkening how to#

And also with the faded pink that I’ve used in our guest room.Īnd I especially love the fact that it barely cost anything. The patina goes beautifully with the soft green paintwork of the kitchen cupboards. I love our aged bronze and brass handles. But, personally, I love a more lived in, vintage look. I think it looks absolutely gorgeous! I’m sure there are lots of people who love the shiny brass (or bronze) finish handles on kitchen furniture.

#Brass darkening how to#

How to make shiny brass matte in one easy step! How to Age Bronze With Salt and Vinegar Some of my handles went quite pink, in areas, but they toned down when I gave them a rub with my wire brush. If there are any areas that you’re not happy with, give them a little buff with a wire brush or wire wool. When you’re happy with the colour and patina of the metal, take it out of the salt and vinegar solution and give it a good rinse under the tap and dry thoroughly.ħ. Every hour or so, you should turn the item.Ĭoat it in the salt and vinegar solution and make sure one area isn’t sitting in the solution and turning much darker than the others.Īlthough, to be honest, I really like the patina that it gives.Ħ. When you’ve covered the entire surface with a layer of the salt and vinegar solution, pop the item into your container and put on the lid.ĥ. Next, dip your paintbrush in the brass ageing solution and paint it all over the bronze or brass that you’d like to age.Ĥ. Again - there’s no hard or fast rule for the amount - just add a few sprinkles, then slosh it all around so the salt dissolves in the vinegar.ģ. You just need enough to cover the bottom.Ģ. I never bother to measure how much - it changes depending on the size of the container. Pour a little vinegar in the bottom of your container.Household vinegar white, malt, red/white wine, apple-cider - they all work! How To Age Brass and Bronze With Vinegar and Salt If you’d like to find out how to age brass and bronze with vinegar and salt, just follow these simple steps. You’ll have to lightly sand off the surface coating first, using wire wool. Make sure the brass or bronze that you plan to treat is unlacquered. Just one word of warning before you start. I remembered that, years ago, I used to age brass belt buckles using just salt and vinegar so I decided to apply the same process to the kitchen hardware I’d bought. In the end, I decided against brass and went for polished bronze kitchen handles from Yesterhome.

We’re finally getting to the end of our house renovation and funds are low especially with Christmas on the horizon! The pre-aged versions were way too much brass for me!Īnd some of the cheaper aged brass options looked, well, cheap. But all of the ones I saw online were so expensive. I’d set my heart on aged brass handles and knobs. We’ve been having the kitchen fitted over the last few weeks and I’ve been choosing all the hardware. Print Or Save ‘How To Age Brass and Bronze With Salt and Vinegar’ For Later.How To Age Brass and Bronze With Vinegar and Salt.Please Note: Solution will not work on lacquered, brass plated, or nickel plated surfaces.Quick View of What You'll Find on This Page Rinse the item with water to neutralize it, and adjust the color with some dry #0000 steel wool rubbing the black off until you get the look you want. You can then brush on the darkening solution on or soak the parts in it until they turn black in color. Pour off as much as you need into a separate glass or plastic container since you cannot pour any left over used solution back into the original bottle. Rub the piece down with #0000 Steel wool, and clean it well with paper towels and acetone making sure you do not touch it with your oily fingers. Acetone or paint stripper will remove the coating. To use it, you must start with brass with no clear coating on it.

Gradual color change lets you control the color. Note: Solution will not work on lacquered, brass plated, or nickel plated surfaces.Įasy to apply and causes no dimensional change. Easy to apply and causes no dimensional change. Used to antique or darken solid brass, copper, bronze, or un-plated tin. Brass Darkening Solution - Brass Patina - Metal Ager - 8 Ounce Bottle