WORKING WITH COPPER

slats · Post by **slats** » Wed Feb 25, 2004 11:31 pm

I have repeatedly tried working with copper and have had no luck keeping the copper to maintain it's color. It consistently turns a dark purple!!! I have read and abided by the o2 theory, tried different firing methods all w/out success!!! Hard to believe that some of the beautiful copper work i have seen on this site has not been treated w/"something".
PLZ,PLZ,PLZ, will someone devulge the secret of working w/ copper?

Much Thanks,,

Doc

Susan Moore · Post by **Susan Moore** » Wed Feb 25, 2004 11:38 pm

Doc,

There was a recent thread about working with copper maybe this will have the secret you seek.

http://www.warmglass.com/phpBB/viewtopi ... ght=copper

Susan

jolly · Post by **jolly** » Thu Feb 26, 2004 9:34 pm

what have you tried? -Jolly

GGWLtd · Post by **GGWLtd** » Thu Feb 26, 2004 11:30 pm

I use copper all the time and I have never had it turn purple. I either stays copper or turns a bright red. Maybe you are not using 100% real copper. I usaually oxidize it with a benzomatic torch. It will make the copper turn all red. If you touch the copper with your fingers the oil will stay and burn in to the surface. This can make an interesting effect. Also pressing it over textures make for a nice effect. You can buy 100% copper locally. Try to get a gage that you can cut with a scissors. If done right copper will become easy and second nature to use for all sorts of inner design treatments fused inside glass. Good luck!

Lynne Chappell · Post by **Lynne Chappell** » Fri Feb 27, 2004 12:48 am

Perhaps his "dark purple" is your "dark red". It does turn purply red under clear, normally.

Cher · Post by **Cher** » Fri Feb 27, 2004 12:52 am

GGWLtd
Nice www! liked everything you've got on the site. Really love your chasing dreams series !
Yo

babykitty · Post by **babykitty** » Fri Feb 27, 2004 4:14 pm

I had some copper inclusions that stayed copper--they were bits that had been glued with regular Elmer's glue. (Of course this was not my intention...)

Tom White · Post by **Tom White** » Sat Feb 28, 2004 9:47 am

I have had the same experience. Parts of the back of the copper where the glue was used to hold it in place were bright, metalic copper color while the front of the copper was the deep red or maroon color. From this experience I developed the theory that when there is organic material (glue) in contact with the copper after the edges of the glass have sealed out any additional oxygen that when the organic material oxidizes from the heat of fusing it robs the oxygen from the copper oxide on the surface of the copper and returns it to bright copper color. Unfortunately this is almost impossible to predict and control using glue and there are most often carbon discoloration and a large bubble from the decomposition of the glue at fusing temps. I honestly think that the organic gum in the Unique Clear that I use to produce bright copper in my fused work is essential to the successful production of the bright color. I am convinced that the copper oxidizes to the dark color when heated before the edges of the glass seal out additional oxygen then the combination of materials including organic gum in the Unique Clear reacts with the copper by reducing the copper oxide back to metalic copper as the organic materials present oxidize in the closed system. I also think that the fine bubbles which form just above the copper are from the decomposition of the organic materials at high temps. The many small bubbles are more pleasing than the one large bubble I have experienced with glue. The fact that I have been able to obtain a verigated bright copper and dull deep red effect on the same piece by applying thick and thin layers of the color indicates that below some minimum thickness of application there is not enough organic material present to reduce the copper oxide back to bright metalic copper. This may be the reason that others who have used the Unique Clear at my suggestion have not experienced the same success I have in keeping (returning) copper to the bright metalic color. Perhaps they have not applied as much color to the copper or they may not have fired it to the maturing temperature (1500-1550 F) of the Unique Color. There are surely other combinations of materials that can be applied to the copper to reduce it back to bright copper color at fusing temperatures by supplying organic material to cause the oxidation/reduction reaction but I quit looking when I found one that worked for me.

On another note, I have tried other Unique colors on copper inclusions hoping to get an enamel on bright copper effect under a clear glass cap but so far none of the other colors have brightened the copper and the colors on the copper are less than what I had hoped to get. I will experiment more as I have time and post any good results to http://photos.yahoo.com/tomwhite2

Best wishes,
Tom in Texas