[Jewelry making - Article 00817] - Re: [Orchid] Best Bronze for jewelry making?

[Phillip Baldwin]

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    Woa Jay: Quite a few assertions, either direct or implied in your
    note that are simply not true. But first I'll weigh in on my favorite
    bronzes, there are several. I'm not going to include the precious
    metal copper alloys such as the shibuichis or shakudo alloys because
    they are in a class by themselves in terms of patina and cost. 

    The first alloy really worth looking at is the classic 90 Cu/10 Sn
    bronze. this is the bronze of the ancient world independently
    developed in SE Asia and the Andean highlands. It can be worked hot
    and cold and is quite red. This material casts well and is good to
    machine. There is a modern version called phosphor bronze but it is
    hot short and very hard, not nearly as good to work, Very good to
    patina 

    A second alloy is called commercial bronze, 90 Cu 10 Zn, also quite
    red, OK for casting, not quite as hard and workable both hot and
    cold. It is not quite as hard as classic bronze, but is softer to
    work when cold. It is available in sheet form. Fair on patina. 

    The modern standard is silicon bronze, usually the "Everdure" alloy.
    Quite red, workable both hot and cold, casts very well. Quite hard
    and work hardens rapidly, does not machine very well. Can be
    patinated to a clear brown but exotic coloration is not easy. 

    There are a host of others, many contain lead, which I don't
    recommend using. 

    Back to patina. Yes, Reactive Metals is in business and ready to
    take your order. They carry two patinas for use on bronzes and the
    japanese alloys. One is a boiling (acutally simmering) patina called
    Rokusho and it does include some copper sulphate and this is the
    classic japanese patina. The other is called "Baldwin's Patina"
    (named after the inventor) and is is used cold for coloring copper
    alloys. It has never been recommended to use copper sulphate with it. 


    Regarding the 50Ag - 50 Cu shibuichi: This alloy is quite white and
    does not patina will with either Rokusho or Baldwin's Patina. Any
    shibuichi alloy with more than about 35% silver is pretty grey or
    white. The artist I know who has really done some superb work with
    the high silver shibuichis is Jim Kelso and he used them as light
    colors. Shibuichis with with 25% or less silver can produce some very
    interesting colors. The best selling one (by far) is 15% silver and
    colors to a whole range including my favorite, a dark olive green.
    Shakudo is great stuff, though very soft, and has a unique purple
    black patina, which will develop simply by handling. 

    Bronzes are great to work with, though with their own difficulties.
    Have fun experimenting. 

Phillip Baldwin
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