Aging Brass

When I began working with brass it was such a struggle to learn how to age the brass. No matter how many google searches I did, all I could seem to find was how to clean brass...which would be almost the opposite. 

Well let it be known that you too can age brass and chances are you have everything you need right in your house but mostly your kitchen and maybe your garage if you sneak into your husband's (or boyfriend) things. So anyhow here's what you need to get this show on the road...

1. airtight food storage container, you won't be using it for food ever again & the chinese food ones work perfectly
2. clear ammonia
3. newspaper
4. an old stocking, I bought one of those cheap knee-high sets that come in the clear plastic bubble for like 50 cents but you can also use a pair you got a run in, we're thinking green here people!
5. 000 fine steel whool
6. soap
7. raw brass you want to age
8. acrylic matte sealer

Well the first thing you want to do is wash your raw brass with warm water & soap.  This is important because you want to remove dirt and fingerprints. The oil on your skin will leave fingerprints and when you go to age the brass it will show up even more. Not cool. So after you have your brass nice & squeaky clean you want to dry it really well. 

locket 1: aged & polished, locket 2: aged & lockets 3&4 aged too long

Cut a generous piece off your stocking or if you used a knee high cut the toes off. Pour the ammonia into the bottom of the container until it's about 1" deep and then put the stocking over top. Lay your brass on the stocking and clip the lid on but make sure the brass doesn't touch each other or overlap (or else it will end up looking like locket 4). Keep checking on the brass every 15 minutes or so. The fumes from the ammonia will age the brass. Keep a close eye on your brass because you don't want it to rust.

After your brass is nicely aged you'll want to dry it off and then you buff it with the steel wool. The steel wool will bring out the highlights. It's a really nice touch. After you have it looking just right lay it all out on the newspaper and go on outside and give those babies a nice coat of the acrylic sealer. This will ensure the finish doesn't change and it doesn't rub off on skin or clothing. 

And that's it! You're ready to create with you wonderfully aged brass findings or lockets. You can always post questions or tips as comments & I'll get back to you. Good luck!