ALL 7 GEL PATINAS FOR LOW OR HIGH CARBON STEEL: BLUE HALO™, TORCH F/X™, GOLD RUST F/X™, FLAME F/X™,
BRONZE F/X™, BURNT COPPER F/X™ AND BLUE-BLACK F/X™ GELS!
BLUE-BLACK F/X™, FLAME F/X™ AND BLUE HALO™ Are the Three MOST Popular Choices for Color Case Hardening.
For Steel Artwork, You Can Add Unusual Patterns, Eye-Popping Character & Unique Marbling to 100’s of Pieces With This 7-Pack Assortment of Gel Patinas!
STEEL F/X® Gel Patinas are Similar in Viscosity to Room Temperature Honey. The Gel Patinas Allow Exact Placement of Color/s and by Placing a Very Small amount (1/8 – 1/4 tsp. or so) on the Steel, Then Moving it Around With Canned Air, Airbrush (Air Only), or Artist’s Brush, You Can Create Beautiful Marbling Effects, Swirls and Random Patterns. Then, as With All the Patinas, Rinse (Neutralize) With Plain Tap Water, Wipe Dry with Cloth or Dry With Clean, Dry, Oil-Free Compressed Air. You Can Then Either Add More Gel to Deepen the Color/s, or Seal With Wax, Oil or Clear-Coat to Prevent Rusting.
Color Case Hardening Note: There are Many Dozens of Steel Alloys on the Market. Many of Those Alloys Are Manufacturer Specific, Proprietary & Very Exotic. For Example, Many of the Alloys Used in High-Quality Knives or Firearms. The Only Alloys Tested So Far That Are Not Especially Patina-Friendly Are Those Found on Ruger® Firearms.
VIDEO BELOW SHOWS “COLOR CASE-HARDENING” PROCESS THAT REQUIRES NO HEAT!
Bill Worden –
Hi Bill, I have a modern S&W shotgun that is color case hardened. Being my first exposure to the art of CCH, I did not know that CCH color is very fragile. I have kilns and someday I would like to learn the CCH art, but maybe I’ll learn something about steel patina first and try to touch up my damage to my shotgun receiver. First off–this is bare steel (not galvanized). Does pantina work or will I need to try dyes? It’s a nice shotgun but not a collectable piece or anything. Maybe you have some recommendations for me. With some resist oil or gel, I think I can come close to duplicating the patterns and style of the original colors (tan, rust/brown/red, blue, etc.). I included a photo of the undamaged side so you can see what I’m trying to achieve. I’ve polished off many previous attempts and will keep trying with your materials. Thanks for any advice. I’d be happy to phone you, if it’s easier than email, but wanted to get the photos to you first. -Cal
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Hi Calin,
With the Gel Dye Set & the Mask-It™ resist, you could come very, very close to emulating the “good side”.
You will have to take the surface down to bright shiny steel first & have absolutely no trace of oil, unless you want areas that don’t “take” the color.
I would use very small amounts of gel/s & experiment with moving the gel around with canned air or small artists brush. If you have an airbrush, set it at about 10 p.s.i. and move the gel around with that.
Hope that helps.
Thanks,
Bill
Shawn –
This stuff is so easy to use and you get great results. I will be a customer for a long time.