PATINA PROCESS ON METAL WITH LOS (Liver of Sulfur)

This is a Copper Piece with LOS patina

Ever wonder how stamped pieces have the dark letters or darker stamped area? OR How the silver looks oxidized or darkened? Liver of Sulfur! It's a great little product that offers a nice patina on metals. You can use it on all your metals to a another dimension to you metal piece. Once you have completed you design you want to start with a clean ( clean with a degreasing type soap like Dawn) and polished to the shine you want.
Note *If your are using your tumbler to polish you pieces after you use the LOS you will want to then save that shot for all you future LOS metals as it is now contaminated with LOS and will contaminate other pieces of metal if you use it on pieces that you don't want a patina.

Prepare your solution according to the manufactures directions. If adding warm water to LOS, the heat of the water temperature affects the process greatly. Also by using different amounts of water to your LOS solution you can achieve different color patinas. If using hot water you piece will darken very quickly thus not allowing you to control the color of the patina as much.

Once you have you solution ready dip your metal into the solution for a few seconds. I like to use locking tweezers to retrieve my piece from the LOS (use rubber gloves if you want to use your fingers) Then rinse your piece under cold water to stop the chemical reaction. If you want a darker patina continue to dip and rinse you piece. You can remove of modify your finish of LOS by using a brass brush with soapy water (Dawn again). I like you use a 000 steel wool to modify with after I have rinsed my piece and want to remove the dark color from the top by keep it in the recessed area. If you are doing chain place the chain inside the steel wool and pull through gently ( you can always take off more if you want) If you take off to much and want to darken the metal start the process over till you get a finish you like. This is a fun and simple way to add patina to metal have fun and experiment to find the finish you prefer.