Official Thread: Tink Electroforming Kits Q & A

[Tink]

Sorry for the drive-by answer, Laurie, but we just got in last night from being on the road and I'm up to my butt in alligators today

After electroforming, clean the applied copper with a wire brush. Your copper should be as clean and shiny as possible before adding a patina.

Dip the work in a saturated saltwater solution (we like flake Kosher salt - NOT table salt) then hang in a ziplock bag over a paper towel that has regular household ammonia on it.

You should begin to see a patina beginning to develop almost immediately. It will look really dark and wet and yucky, at which point you remove it from the bag and let it dry. Do not wipe it off.

That's the basic answer to your question. There are as many ways to patina as there are stars in the heavens! Half the fun is figuring out new ways!

[lldesigns]

Excellent - thank you Tink!

BTW - I LOVE my kit!!!

[theglasszone]

Tink~~~

I tried your Safer-Solutions link and it seems there is either a problem with their site or it's not quite up and running yet. Are you going to be selling the water-based paint on your "tools" site anytime soon?

Thanks,
DeAnne in CA

[lldesigns]

Is this the sort of paint that will work?
http://www.o-geepaint.com/Faux/metals.shtml

[Tink]

Safer Solutions, inc.
915 SPRING GARDEN STREET #415
PHILADELPHIA, PA 19123
215-232-5459
safersolutions@aol.com

Laurie, I have some of the Modern Masters products, but I've never quite gotten around to trying them. It seemed to me, too, that if they truly are formulated as advertised, that they would work. At least to a certain degree. The density of the copper/metal in the paint would determine the success of such a project, for the most part.

It's my understanding that this paint doesn't react well to strong bases or acids: Electroforming solution is, IMO, a rather weak acid, so it should be ok.

I hope you give this a try and let us know how it goes.

[lldesigns]

I'll give it a try on my next bead and let you know. I have some left over from a verdigris planter project (hopefully it hasn't dried out by now). This is such fun! My son was absolutely fascinated by the whole process. I kept having to chase him away. He wanted to take it out every 10 minutes to see the progress.

[theglasszone]

Hi Tink and everyone!

Another "where to find" question...please!!! I've purchased an electroforming kit!!! Yippee, can't wait to get started!!! Of course, the items I need to purchase separately - the Midas® Bright Electroforming Copper Solution and the Brightener seem to be mostly bought from Rio Grande. I checked on their site just now, and it appears that the 1 Qt. Copper Solution is on "back order" and there doesn't seem to be a way (until tomorrow and a phone call) that I can find out when it will be available again

I did a Google search, and I see that on Hot Glass Forum, Tink, you have posted in your information that this solution is available from "Rio Grande and many other suppliers". Can you please let me know who else, besides Rio Grande, sells this?

I'll be calling them in the morning, but my kit is on it's way to me, and I'd love to order the solution and brightener at the same time if possible, to save on ship costs.

I sure would appreciate this information as soon as possible, and hopefully not have to wait too long!

Thanks so much!
DeAnne

[Tink]

There are many brands of electroforming solution out there. As far as I know, the Midas brand is only available through Rio. You can get a similar product from Samson:

http://v-shoppes.com/mivastore/merch...uct_Code=ECS32

[theglasszone]

Thanks, Tink!

[Wendyki]

I am sooo many ideas

Hey will a barbie doll if painted and I have a big enough bath stand up to the acid?

muhahaha

[Tink]

It's a very, very weak acid. Barbie should handle it just fine. Not sure about her hair though. Since she's plastic, you don't need to seal her or anything, IMO.

[Sarabella]

Hi "guys" -

I was ordering some electroforming solutions this morning and was advised to buy rustoleum galvanizing paint at the hardware store as a substitue for the waterbased copper paint. It's a 93% Zinc product... I could only find it in spray form, but I suppose one could spray it into a cup and paint with a brush from there. Has anyone tried it? The price is attractive at under $5 a can.

This thread is so informative - thanks to Tink and all that have contributed!

Sals

[Wendyki]

ohhh I hope so I want to do bigger pieces and this would be perfect

[jerrybeads]

Just wondering if you have a small rubber or plastic ball you want to EF if a heavy spray of hair spray would work??

thanks all for all the info on this thread~ if you do the barbie doll, you MUST post it!

[Wendyki]

I have the barbie i just need more solution to dunk her in as soon as I can afford it bondage barbie here we go

[dogmaw]

Just as a note, if you electroform Satake glass, it will etch. I imagine the Kinari would as well since it is of approximately the same COE.

[Imelt4U]

I have a question. Maybe it's been asked before? I've been perusing the thread & haven't seen it yet.. and have run out of time. LOLOL!!! So I'll go ahead an post it.

Tink... I bought your kit quite some time ago. While I was waiting for it I prepared a few pieces.... all painted up and ready to dunk. But I haven't gotten around to trying it until now & I can't get it to work.

I cleaned EVERYTHING with the distilled water and scotchbright pads... set up the beaker just like your instructions said.... everything looks just like the pictures in your booklet. Then I hung the bead... making sure there was a good connection with the wire. Black clip on the wire with the bead on it.... red clip on the wire with the anodes.

Turn the bottom dial all the way up... the top one all the way down. Turn on the machine and try to adjust the top dial. But I get an initial little flash of a number and then it goes back to zero and nothing I do seems to make it work.

So... long way to get to my question, huh? But, my question is this.... can you leave a painted piece sit too long? Will it neutralize somehow?

And if that's not possible... my second question is about the bad batch of the copper solution I was reading about. Is this the reaction I'd have from a bad batch... that I'd get no reading on the rectifier?

I do understand the process... and am pretty darn sure I have everything set up correctly... so I'm stumped. Help? (and THANKS!!) I can't wait to come back and read the rest of this thread... it's so helpful!

[Wendyki]

check your leads Mine broke and I had to buy new ones and the same thing happened.

I am not sure if I set them in the box wrong or something I had only used them a few times. There only a few bucks to have a set shipped to you

[Imelt4U]

Thanks Wendy... that was the first thing I did & they look fine. This is the first time I've used them too. I cleaned them up a bit with the pad.... just in case they'd oxidized a bit. I have done a little electroforming using a friends set up. I'm stumped & frustrated.

[Sarabella]

So, I went ahead and got the Rustoleum Galvanizing paint... nasty stuff... but had to try it anyway.
I put my objects into a box to keep them under control - took them outside, and with a mask on lightly
sprayed a few things I had in my treasure box. The directions say that product dries in 15 minutes.
After a lot of adjusting of wires and controls I put my object into the electroforming bath. It immediately
went an interesting shade of greyish pink... interesting! More adjusting of wires and timer set. Good
thing I have plenty of other projects going ... waiting for electroforming gratification is one of those meditative
zen arts I suppose.

Anyway ... this is the result. It was shiny penny pink when I took it out,
but it developed this really cool patina after a few minutes. Go figure.



For those who are curious about the paint this is what it looks like before the electroforming bath ...



Now - about that titanium pen. Tried that too... many times. First straight from the scribing into the
bath. Uh, uh. Cleaned with rubbing alcohol and scribed again then into bath. Nope. Tried wiping with copper
containing paint from Michaels hoping to trap some paint in scribed area only. Ha! No- it got all over and had to
be washed off. Last attempt - went over scribed part with copper wire to leave a copper trail and into the bath.
Nada. I'm guessing that I do not hold the secret to Ti pen & glass bead & electroforming.
Here is a picture of the bead... in my head it will be beautiful if it ever electroforms.



I'd love to hear about your success with the titanium pen!

Sals

[Wendyki]

I meant the wire things that go right into the rectifier Mine was cracked and my rectifier would not work

also another time when I had smaller gaige wire I hooked the red lead directly to the top part where it was hanging in the water and it worked great

[Wendyki]

I love the bug ball

[Tink]

Originally Posted by Wendyki

I meant the wire things that go right into the rectifier Mine was cracked and my rectifier would not work

Hey silly! If something arrives in less than perfect condition, let us know so that we can make it right!

[Sarabella]

Thanks Wendyki! I love it too... I put it in for another go at the electroforming because it still was a little fragile. Much better strength, but lost the really pretty patina... now it's shiny penny copper.

What are you making these days?
Sals

[FlamingFrog]

I seem to have some rough spots on my electroformed pendant. It seems to be around the edges of the electroforming and on some of the microbeads. Is this normal? Is there a way to smooth it out...maybe file it or something?

Lonni

[dicrodi]

Will someone tell me where they are getting the little micro balls that you glue on and add texture to your electroforming? What are they really called? Thanks Dicrodi

[Imelt4U]

I've found them in stamping stores Dicrodi.

[FlamingFrog]

I found my microbeads at Michaels in the scrapbooking dept.

[jerrybeads]

does anyone know how to do this???

do you dry a leaf out and glue it one and then paint it? i just can't figure it out~

any help would be appreciated.

thanks in advance, jeri

[dicrodi]

Thanks so much for the info Joanie and FlamingFrog. Have a Happy 4th. Dicrodi