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copper wire turning black

Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2017 7:49 pm
by raphy
Is there a spray to use to keep the copper wire looking like copper after I have fired it. I like to make masks with copper coming out of the glass for beads. When I look at other artists' work their copper looks like copper, mine looks black even after wire brushing it does not look wonderful. Is there a certain wire that is better than the usual craft shop type, ( maybe that is not solid copper ).
Thankyou.

Re: copper wire turning black

Posted: Fri Feb 03, 2017 1:07 pm
by Kevin Midgley
try electrical wire
Copper in craft wire could just be plated.

Re: copper wire turning black

Posted: Fri Feb 03, 2017 2:42 pm
by raphy
thank you

Re: copper wire turning black

Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2017 10:06 am
by Tony Smith
Reaching way back, I remember people using a borax solution (dissolve borax in alcohol) to dip their wire in it prior to putting it in for firing. I think they used regular laundry borax.

Tony

Re: copper wire turning black

Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2017 1:00 pm
by jim simmons
What tony said. The borax turns to glass and protects the wire.
Make the solution as strong as you can.
You can also use water to dissolve the borax.
Hot water and keep adding borax until no more will dissolve.
The other Jim

Re: copper wire turning black

Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2017 8:38 am
by Goldfinger
[quote="jim simmons"]What tony said. The borax turns to glass and protects the wire.
Make the solution as strong as you can.
You can also use water to dissolve the borax.
Hot water and keep adding borax until no more will dissolve.
The other Jim[/quote]

This is called a super saturated solution.