None of my copper mods tarnish / patina. Is there something wrong with me?

[illitirit]

So I am a patina lover ever since I had my first brass mod a while back. It was a brass nemesis that I could literally patina in 2 days to the point of it looking gross, but nice!

Since then I have acquired multiple copper mods:

Stingray red copper LE
pegasus
XXIX
SMPL copper


The stingray and pegasus are clones, at first when they didnt patina i just thought maybe it was the grade of copper the clone makers were using. So I thought to myself, ill buy some authentic ones and see what happens.

Purchased the XXIX, and it just does not patina.

So I was like, okay last shot. Purchased the SMPL copper last week that is advertised with C101 grade copper (same as the XXIX).

Nothing has happened to it. Upon buying it, I polished it with a cape cod polishing cloth. After 1+ week of hardcore use, the color has not changed at all. I want my copper to look black and gross.

I am thinking there is something off with my body chemistry, or that my hands do not expel the same ingredients as others do. Its just really wierd to me that I can patina a brass mod and not a copper one.

However, the wierd thing is sometimes when I do not touch my copper mods for a while, they will slightly start to darken or turn brownish black, then when I start using them again all of the supposed patina goes away and I am left at square one.

Anyone have any thoughts on this? Kind of bums me out since I like my mods to patina so much.

 

[nynvolt]

Sometimes they coat them from the factory and they will stay pretty until it wears off. Try some metal polish. I've had a few items not patina until after I gave it a good polish. I have also seen clear coated mods. If they're clear coated you'll need to remove it with paint thinner or something.

 

[illitirit]

Sometimes they coat them from the factory and they will stay pretty until it wears off. Try some metal polish. I've had a few items not patina until after I gave it a good polish. I have also seen clear coated mods. If they're clear coated you'll need to remove it with paint thinner or something.

thanks for the reply. You know, I was thinking about clear coat as well. However the chances of 4 of my copper mods all having clear coat doesnt seem too probable to me. Ill rub them down with some acetone and see if it helps at all.

 

[nynvolt]

I don't think they put clear coat on most, my brass authentic mod stayed bright and shiny but after I gave it a good polish with metal polish (Flitz) it now patinas in a day or so. I've had two counterfeit mods that have clear coat on the exposed brass/copper. I think they probably used a wax on my brass mod. If you don't have polish you can probably get away with toothpaste. Acetone only if it's painted or clear coated.

 

[Cyrus Vap]

Either its clear coat or you have some nice skin/oils. I can patina a mod just by looking at it lol.

 

[Kemosabe]

ketchup can be used as a brass or copper polish due to its acidity. but i know, thats not what youre after. youre after the opposite. there are ways to rapidly create patina. alcohol ink being one ("fake" patina) and the other that i know of is process involving high heat, ammonia and salt.

my clear coat thread is getting no love. maybe someone here can help me. what do you buy for clear coat to clear coat a mod?

alcohol ink (can be used on more than just brass or copper):

Ranger items in alcohol ink store on eBay!



^^that guy cracks me up

 

[G-weezy]

Rustoleum clear lacquer is what I believe people use to clear coat the mods with.

 

[Kemosabe]

Rustoleum clear lacquer is what I believe people use to clear coat the mods with.

thanks G-weez!

 

[Kracker]

same here, they get a little darker on the top but not much. Now my hands patina like a .... !!! Mr. Green hand in the house !!!!

 

[bluecat]

What I used.. 4 bucks from Lowe's. I also bought some plastic dip black spray. I figured out spray painting a little tube takes more patience than I had, the 1st 2 times.

4 coats of the clear and nothing was going to get through. I had to sand the stuff off. Now to figure out how to get the bubbles out. I also don't recommend 4 coats. It kinda takes away from the look. After I dig my brass one up out of the backyard, I will figure out what to do with it next.

Clear

Shop Rust-Oleum 12-oz Crystal Clear Gloss Spray Paint at Lowes.com

 

[Evilocity]

Different people have different body chemistry, I never get green hands from handling copper, but my mods all patina quickly. My friend gets green hands near instantly and his mods don't patina fast at all. You could force a patina, it looks great!
And I had 3 different mod clones that came with a clear coat on them, needed lacquer thinner to get it off.

 

[nynvolt]

After receiving my SMPL mod, I'm 100% sure it's bare metal. Tarnished fast and turned my hand green. I polished it even though I like the patina as part of my cleaning practice. Lasted about an hour haha. Freaking love this mod BTW.

 

[Ed_C]

Yeah, I've experienced the same thing. I had it sitting out in a humid environment and it started to patina, but as soon as I started using it, it went away.

 

[nukleusx]

I'm a green hand guy myself and my mods tarnish pretty quick. I get about a night and a day out of them when polished before they turn dark. I typically polish them on the weekend and by Tuesday they are back to usual look. Oh well.

 

[jhelliwell]

I'd really like a nice dark natural patina on my copper mods. However, as soon as I handle / use the mod, my skin's natural oils get on there and the mod turns pink. This is most annoying, but also kinda funny.

 

[nukleusx]

I'd really like a nice dark natural patina on my copper mods. However, as soon as I handle / use the mod, my skin's natural oils get on there and the mod turns pink. This is most annoying, but also kinda funny.

Sounds like we have the opposite desires for our mods! How bout we each buy one, send to one another, I'll make it all dark and you make one light/pink; then clear coat it and send it back?

 

[jhelliwell]

Haha maybe we could tailor our dietary food types to favour a different blend of skin oils. Maybe I ought to eat less junk food lol

 

[nukleusx]

Haha maybe we could tailor our dietary food types to favour a different blend of skin oils. Maybe I ought to eat less junk food lol

That can't be the cause, because I eat a bit of junk food as well, so we have to find some other variable that is causing our opposite polishing/tarnishing oil imbalances.

 

[wonkeypickle]

However, the wierd thing is sometimes when I do not touch my copper mods for a while, they will slightly start to darken or turn brownish black, then when I start using them again all of the supposed patina goes away and I am left at square one.

Anyone have any thoughts on this? Kind of bums me out since I like my mods to patina so much.

this is extremely strange, is your name midas by chance?

 

[illitirit]

lol im glad im not the only one that this happens to then, i really thought there was something wrong with me when I made the original post.

If I can forever not make my copper mods turn dark then Im probably going to give up on copper. The sole reason I wanted copper was not because of conductivity, it was for a dark patina. Im aware there are forced patinas but I would prefer not to, I like the feeling of seeing the metals change with time. Kind of like its aging with me together.

I guess a nice stainless / brass mod is in my near future.