How to apply Japanese red heat patina called Hido on copper
1. Prepare some borax solution
Mix 800cc water and borax until it comes up to the saturation point.
In this video I use the remain of the borax that I used last time and add some new one seeing the saturation.
They say 25% is good. Find your best density.
2. While you wait for the solution to boil up, polish your copper piece.
Usually you can use a buffer but in this case I polish it by hand with kitchen detergent powder because I want to keep clear texture.
Of course the piece should be pickled clearnly previously.
3. Heat the copper piece on a stailess steel net until it becomes shiny orange.
The red patina is a kind of oxidized copper that is created under the temp around 1000C.
The melting temp of copper is 1085C. It means you need to heat it up almost to melting temp.
4. Then throw it into the borax solution quickly.
And wait until the bubbles to calm down.
5. Getting red color is easy but it's accidental what red color you get.
If you don't like the color you've got, pickle the piece and start again from polishing.
6. After you did the patinaprocess, polish it slightly.
You can use a buffer or a mortor tool as long as you don't polish it too much and wipe out the patina.
In this video I polish it with some polishing paste and a cotton stick because I need to pilish between veins.
7. The patinaed piece cannot be soldered anymore. You should plan how you fix it mechanically previously.
8. You will see more examples of this technique in my shop.
https://www.kaznesq.com/product/art-nouveau-style-red-fruits-and-leaves-pendant-necklace-red-patina-copper-oxidized-silver-a
https://www.kaznesq.com/product/art-nouveau-style-floral-pendant-red-copper-japanese-traditional-patina-akoya-pearl-brass-an
https://www.kaznesq.com/product/red-copper-leaves-and-pearl-grape-fruits-pendant-necklace-amethyst-brass-and-oxidized-silver
https://www.kaznesq.com/product/red-maple-leaf-ginkgo-and-chrysanthemum-flower-oxidized-silver-and-keum-boo-pendant-necklace
https://www.kaznesq.com/product/sunset-motif-biwa-pearl-citrine-keum-boo-oxidized-silver-pendant-necklace
https://www.kaznesq.com/product/russian-amazonite-and-japanese-patinaed-red-copper-silver-pendant-necklace-color-pendant
https://www.kaznesq.com/product/autumn-red-leaf-and-keum-boo-ginkgo-necklace-desert-druzy-pendant
https://www.kaznesq.com/product/purple-cranberry-pendant-necklace-japanese-red-copper-called-hido-and-oxidized-silver
https://www.kaznesq.com/product/blue-labradorite-and-jpanese-red-copper-patina-called-hido-pendant-necklace
https://www.kaznesq.com/product/made-order-red-autumn-leaf-goth-taste-oxidized-silver-earrings
https://www.kaznesq.com/product/antique-style-red-copper-amethyst-akoya-18k-gold-and-oxidized-silver-pendant-necklace
https://www.kaznesq.com/product/18k-gold-florets-brooch-red-copper-and-diamond
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Comments
Anonymous
How do you know when you've reached the saturation point when adding the borax to the water? Does the borax not dissolve at that point?
Thank You
Kazuhiko Ichikawa
Thank you for asking.
I add borax separately and see if it is still solved until the water boils up.
If you see a very little amount of borax remains in the bottom though you stir it, it's saturated at this temp.
When the water boils up, this remaining will disappear.
Technically you can solve more borax, but it's not necessary.
Enough borax is solved already.
But I think it's a good idea to add a little more borax when you can(t get a good color though you repeat the process again and again.
Anonymous
I love the red patina! Is this the same process you used on
Triangle Keum Boo oxidized silver necklace with hido? How do you get that smooth pearl finish? Do you use the garnet sand before you patina?
Also, do you know of a similar patina to Hido in the US?
I love your style. It is above my experience level but I think I've learned several things just looking at your tutorials.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Karen
Kazuhiko Ichikawa
Hi karen,
Yes. This technique is same as the one I used for Triangle Keum Boo oxidized silver necklace with Hido.
In that case I polished the surface of the copper cab and applied hido (red patina) on it.
Therefore it looks pearl finish.
In this movie I added texture on copper because it's a leaf.
They say Hido is Japanese traditional but it's a kind of heat patina.
There is heat patina technique in US,too, right?
Maybe the only difference is using borax solution or not.
Hido is relatively an easy technique.
Please try it.
It will widen your technique variation.
And thank you very much for compliments to my style.
Anonymous
Thank you. I understand now, it's a technique, not a product. I'm going to try it this weekend, I hope. Again, thank you for sharing you knowledge.
Anonymous
Wow, nice technique. Is it possibly usable only on copper or can be applied on silver too? What about durability of red patina? Is it easy to remove (scratch), is it easily "wear out" from piece?
Thank for you response. I find your channel and page today and I am following you ;)
Sorry for my bad english.
Kazuhiko Ichikawa
Thank you for asking.
This technique is available only for copper.
The red color comes from a kind of oxidized copper.
The usual oxidized copper is black but another oxidized copper created in high temperature is red.
All patina will wear off.
But this patina is relatively durable.
There is no problem unless you use it for an everyday ring.
Thank you for subscribing my channel.
Kaz
Anonymous
Hi I am trying all different ways of using copper, I have found the basic patinas, iam wondering is there anything else i could try for a completely different effect.
Kazuhiko Ichikawa
Thank you for asking.
There are some other patinas of copper.
You already know LOS patina, heat patina, and Green or Blue patina of copper.
There is one more method called Iroage ( or Niiro) in Japanese.
I introduced it in my Facebook page with photos.
Please check it out.
Someday I might post a video of it.
https://www.facebook.com/pg/kaznesq/photos/?tab=album&album_id=168789856...
Anonymous
Hello. I've been watching this video for a year now! I have practiced your instructions several times with mixed results. I was wondering, does quality/type of copper matter? Thank you!
Kazuhiko Ichikawa
Thank you for asking.
The copper MUST be 100% fine copper.
Bronze or other copper alloys don't work.
If "mixed results" means shade, it might be caused by the disproportion of the temperature.
You should use a bigger torch or make a smaller piece.
And as you know, the copper must be heated to almost its melting point evenly.
You can see it as the copper becomes shiny orange.
Anonymous
Is the container you use for simmering the borax solution Pyrex or metal? I can't seem to tell by looking. I have have had pretty good results but I wonder the metal container is interfering with the process?
Kazuhiko Ichikawa
Hi
thank you for asking.
It's stainless.
I don't think a metal container affects the process in this method.
The temp of the copper and the density of the borax solution affect a lot.
Anonymous
Hello Sir,
thanks for explaining this technique! I wanted to ask you if instead of using the polishing paste at the end if I will obtain the same results using a wax like Renaissance micro-crystalline wax polish.
Thanks again!
Alessandra
Kazuhiko Ichikawa
Hi Alessandra,
Thank you for a comment.
I apply Renaissance Wax after polishing.
I guess Waxing with previous polishing is better.
If the surface of the patina is good enough without polishing, maybe just waxing is good.
I mean it depends on your design concept.
If you want glossy result, I suggest polishing.
But if you want mat or half mat finish, of course you don't need to polish.
By the way in this video I applied texture on the surface and I wanted to polish in detail so I used polishing paste.
Generally they polish it with a buffer or a hand router.
Kaz
Anonymous
Hello! Thank you for sharing information on how to get the beautiful red patina on copper. I have a question about it. Does the borax leave a residue or a coating on the copper, or is the red layer oxidation the only substance left on the surface ?
Kazuhiko Ichikawa
Hi, Thank you for asking.
I'm not 100% sure but I think the borax doesn't work as a coating.
Because the patina can be polished with an ordinary buffer.
The red layer is the only substance on the surface.
Anonymous
I made a mokume gane billet with copper and nickel silver. Would I be able to apply this technique here, or do you have any recommendations for a good patina that would leave the nickel alloy bright?
Kazuhiko Ichikawa
Thank you for asking.
This technique is only available fine copper.
Your mokume gane includes copper so the copper part could turn to red. I'm not sure.
But you need to heat it up to almost 1000 degree Celsius. It's close to copper's melting temp.
I don't know about nickel silver. but is the temp OK for nickel silver? Doesn't it melt?
Try it and find the answer by yourself.
And sorry. I have never used nickel alloy. So I can't suggest any good patina for it.
Anonymous
Hi, thank you so much for sharing your expertise, I greatly appreciate it.
May I know, is it possible to burr into a finished piece for flush stone setting purposed? Will i cause the red patina to crack? Because I've heard some people say the borax form a thin glass-like red coating that cannot absorb sharp bents and shocks? Thank you very much!
Kazuhiko Ichikawa
Hi.
Thank you for being interested in it.
I have never seen and heard the patina cracked yet.
But I guess bending and giving a hard hit are not a good idea.
As long as you use it normally, this patina is more durable than other patinas.
So I don't suggest to set a stone on (into) a finished piece whatever setting it is.
Anonymous
Hello, I'm experimenting with various methods to use copper. Now that I've discovered the fundamental patinas, I'm wondering if there's anything else I might attempt for a totally different appearance.
Visit here TellCaribou Survey
Kazuhiko Ichikawa
Hi.
Thank you for visiting my site.
If you haven't heard about Iroage patination, you can apply it on copper.
Please check out this Facebook album.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.168789856507691&type=3
Click each photos then you can read the description.
Thank yo very much.
Anonymous
Hi Kaz-
Thanks so much for creating this blog post and video. Did you oxidize the silver and set the leaf after on top of the frame, or are you able to apply liver of sulfur and still maintain the hido patina on the copper?
Thank you!
Kaley
Kazuhiko Ichikawa
Hi Kaley.
Thank you for a comment.
Yes. I set the copper leaf after I oxidized the silver frame.
I'm not sure if you can maintain the hido patina in LOS agent.
I haven't tried it.
But I guess it's possible if the surface of the copper is completely covered with the red patina.
The red patina is a kind of oxidized copper, you know. it's very stable. And in my method with borax, the surface is glazed. I suggest you should not use so much hot agent to keep the glaze.
Anonymous
Hello, thank you so much for the detailed instructions. This is such an amazing technique.
If you don’t mind me asking, do you need to keep the water and borax boiling when quenching the copper in it? Or can you let the mixture cool?
Thank you so much!
Emris
Kazuhiko Ichikawa
Hi.
Thank you for a comment.
I usually keep boiling when I put the copper in the water.
But my friend artisan stop boiling and put the piece while it's still hot.
There are some methods depending on a artisan.
But most of them keep it hot, not wait until it becomes cool.
Anonymous
Hi, how can I prevent the patina getting to a specific place, for example: screw hole, because I want to still be able to screw the piece back together.
Thanks!
Kazuhiko Ichikawa
Hi,
I don't know how to do it.
Usually masking is the only method.
But this technique requires around 1000C temperature.
I don't know what material can work as a mask under this temp.
How about filing and removing the patina of the part after the process?
Anonymous
I see.
Since the screw holes are too small, I dont think filing will work.
Do you think that putting a screw there will be okay then? Or do I need to make the hole after I have done the patina?
Kazuhiko Ichikawa
As long as the temp of the copper goes up to around 1000C and oxygen is there, I guess the patina will be created though you put a screw on(in) the part. But it's just my guess.
Why don't you do some experiments by yourself?
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