About : Curator Antiquing Fluid

Curator Antiquing Fluid quickly ages new or bright brass, copper, bronze and mild steel to provide an antique look.
Available in a range of colours : Black, Bronze, Brown and Old English Brass.  (Only the black is for use on mild steel as well as brass, copper & bronze)  Used extensively in antique restoration, as well as being popular with metal fabrication and lighting companies.

Note : The Brown is not suitable for spun brass items.

We also have available to purchase our Curator Antiquing Fluid Trial Pack. The pack contains a small 30ml sample of each colour should you wish to experiment before selecting a larger quantity.

Preparation Before Use of Antiquing Fluid

Remove any previous finish or lacquer from your item, as Curator Antiquing Fluid is a cold patination treatment that reacts with the surface of the metal. Control the colouration level by dilution with water.   With up to 10% solution in water, this makes a very economical product.  Abrasive pads or ‘0000’ Wire Wool can be used on metals to give a fine key prior to antiquing.  This can give the patina a better surface to attach to.

We advise to use our Cold Patination Pre-Treatment prior to antiquing. The acidic degreasing solution will quickly remove grease, oil and fingerprints from the surface of the metal. This helps to prevent giving a patchy and inconsistent result.

Directions :
Submerge smaller items in a diluted solution, to give colouration control and a more consistent colour across the metal surface.   Agitate the items whilst immersed to dislodge any air bubbles that may result in bright spots on the metal. For larger items apply a diluted solution directly by brush, or swabbing with a cotton rag, and watch the surface quickly change.  Once the desired colour is achieved, rinse immediately with clean water to stop the antiquing process.  Failure to rinse the item properly will result in a continued reaction even when dry, and a powdery residue may appear on the surface.  Dry gently with warm air or a new clean cloth or towel.

Seal finished items with either a finishing wax, oil or appropriate lacquer.