12-18-2010, 05:25 PM
Jumping in really late!
Anecdote: I just purchased some bronze wire for another project. It is 90% copper and 10% tin. No trace elements of any kind, It looks like yellow 22 carat gold. I was very surprised. If we could get 90/10 bronze sheet, we would all be golden! Just sayin'...
As to a high polish for detailed bronze pieces, don't. Use a vinegar/salt mix to remove the bronze oxidation/patina, rinse, dry, and buff the piece by hand to bring down the "pink" - you pull some copper to the surface chemically. That's what I will be doing to my new decorated greaves to clean the forge grunge from them.
Anecdote: I just purchased some bronze wire for another project. It is 90% copper and 10% tin. No trace elements of any kind, It looks like yellow 22 carat gold. I was very surprised. If we could get 90/10 bronze sheet, we would all be golden! Just sayin'...
As to a high polish for detailed bronze pieces, don't. Use a vinegar/salt mix to remove the bronze oxidation/patina, rinse, dry, and buff the piece by hand to bring down the "pink" - you pull some copper to the surface chemically. That's what I will be doing to my new decorated greaves to clean the forge grunge from them.
Cheryl Boeckmann
