After last weekend's tool making workshop, with Jan, where we experimented with the HOT red oxide patina, I decided to do this technique on the forged copper (seen above). Yesterday, I did a good cleaning and brought it to a bright copper finish (sorry but I did not get a picture of it). Then this morning I explained to the shop elf how it all worked and what I planned - not having a forge, acetylene or a big blast-O-3000 torch, I figured I would use TWO propane plumbers torches and set up a hot box so I could get the copper really, really, red hot. The shop elf also took many of the pictures while I held the torches and flamed on!
We first practiced on two smaller, thinner pieces of copper. Those pictures are next.
We went to have a cuppa coffee and wait.
I pulled it out of the water a while later and could see some amazing effects. The edges were black and the center was a great gold with the red oxide in between. The black, you could see was a crust and there was more oxide underneath; with a soft scrubby and warm water, I was able to remove the crust. There was red oxide on the out/back side too but it did not hold up as well, to the scrubby but that's ok, as the it is the inside that was important.
Enjoy the process pictures. The final picture is of it waxed.. and under good lights with the good camera looking down at it and along the edge.