Today, I watched a video on  www.cooltools.us demonstrating how to patina metal. Although it was likely designed to introduce customers to their new Patina Gel, the two part video was informative and did what good lessons should. It both confirmed things I already knew while also adding new information. Of course the video also did what it was designed to do; it caused me to want to order their product. Yet, I resisted and used some of my remaining liquid liver of sulfur to patina the above pictured earrings.

It’s interesting to view how various factors effect the look achieved from the patina process. It seems to me that its a bit like getting a suntan. The longer the metal remains in the liver of sulfur solution, the darker it becomes. That works for most people who are getting a suntan and get darker the more time they spend in the sun. That’s true unless you overdo it and turn red. Then you wait for that sunburn to peel before getting your natural color back. If you leave the metal in the patina too long, it turns so dark that you have to sand and polish (peel) until you recognize the metal again.

At my age, the word suntan congers up pictures of dry, wrinkled skin and reminds me of the threat of skin cancer. While giving metal a suntan also has unpleasantries, (the liver of sulfur smells bad) it’s the only type tanning I’ll be doing this summer. Isn’t it nice that in this 106 degree weather we can tan indoors?