Distribution
Most of the Jax Product line is considered hazardous and must be shipped by properly by certified Dangerous Goods Shippers – either UPS or FedEx. If you do not sell other DGs, it is probably not worth the effort to become certified just to ship Jax Products. If you are still interested, let us know, and we will make you a list of all the things UPS will ask you to do before you call them.
General
The Jax Instant Silver Cleaner, Jax Brass, Copper, Gold and Marble Cleaner, and the Jax Silver Plating Solution all have slight odors. All other Jax products are odor free.
Jewelry and Interior Hardware Applications
There is really no “right” way to do this. You could apply a lacquer to it, but lacquer could be a problem because if it gets scratched or chipped, it may peel and you would have to strip it and re-do it. Waxing it is also an option, but to look good, wax has to be maintained and re-applied. We recommend doing nothing to it and letting it continue to age and wear naturally.
The Jax Pewter Black will definitely work on both the brass and the pewter and it will make them both the same color. For your information, the Jax Black will definitely work on the brass and MAY work on the pewter. The Jax Black will make the brass “blacker” than the Jax Pewter Black. There is no substitute for actually trying the chemicals on the specific metals you are trying to blacken.
Jax Brown-Black is the product we would recommend, but you may have a major stumbling block in the removal of the lacquer on the new doorknobs. Chances are the clear lacquer over the brass is epoxy based, baked on or electrostatically applied (or a combination thereof). The Jax Products will only work on the metal itself so the clear-coat will have to be removed – we have nothing that will help you remove this type of lacquer. IF you are able to remove the lacquer, Jax can help with the rest, but you will have to experiment to achieve a color-match, and Brown-Black is the most versatile option here.
The Jax Silver Blackener will NOT hurt your diamonds. Everyone blackens silver with the diamonds in place.
The question really is how much tarnish is involved. The Jax Brass Copper and Gold Cleaner is an extremely mild solution that will remove light tarnish and oxidation from fine jewelry, gold, silver and well-plated items. The Jax Brass, Copper, Gold and Marble Cleaner is more aggressive and also contains ammonia. These first 2 products are classified as “non-hazardous.” The Jax Instant Silver Cleaner is even more aggressive and will remove all oxidation (it is not safe for plated items) – it may also leave the metal a little “dull” which may require some additional polishing. This product would be classified as “hazardous.”
Shipping
We do ship internationally. Please note that the shipping cost of International Dangerous Goods is very high. Let us know what you would like to purchase and your address, and we’ll get you complete information.
Shipping to Canada is no problem at all. Orders bound for Canada are processed just like orders going to the continental United States. Please email us at info@jaxchemical.com for a freight and delivery quote.
Jax Pewter Black, like most of the Jax Products, is correctly classified as a hazardous material; USPS does not accept any hazardous materials in their system. Additionally the Jax website only gives an estimate of the shipping costs, in most cases, the actual shipping charges are less, especially when shipping to a commercial address.
Specific Looks and Materials
We use the figure 100 square feet per gallon of product. We would not worry about the copper, as Jax Products create oxides on the surface of the copper and will have no negative, long term effects. We would also consider the use of one of the Jax Darkeners (our preference would be Jax Brown-Black) before you apply the Jax Green Patina. It will be far more authentic than just applying the green on top of virgin copper.
Metal must be free of oil, lacquer, grease, wax, dirt and grime; oxidation on metal is fine (actually preferred). Apply the Green Patina with a stiff bristle brush to copper, brass or bronze. Stipple it on the metal with a brush. Apply a thin coat. Do not continue to “play” with the Jax Green Patina after application. Do not rinse off it off the metal. Walk away. Allow 24 hours to dry. Reapply up to 3 coats allowing 24 hours in between coats. We would also consider the use of one of the Jax Darkeners (our preference would be Jax Brown-Black) before you apply the Jax Green Patina. It will be far more authentic than just applying the green on top of virgin copper.
Before applying the Jax Green Patina, use one of the Jax Darkeners, like Jax Brown-Black on the copper to darken the weathervane. Wash the Brown-Black off well with water and use a Scotch-Brite pad to remove some of the oxide (you don’t have to be real careful here). Wash the vane again with water and NOW apply the Jax Green Patina. Organically greened copper doesn’t turn green first; it would naturally turn brown or black and would then, over time, turn green. This process should get you much closer to the original.
The Jax Copper Plating Solution will not work on stainless steel, but will work fine on all other irons and steels. Different surface finishes on the metal before using the plating solution is one way to get different effects (satin, polish, etc.). You can experiment with multiple applications, but a single coat is usually enough. This is a very thin coat of copper, and we would not recommend it on an exterior application unless you are also considering some very serious clear coating.
The Jax Iron Steel and Nickel Blackener is just a blackener — it will not prevent rust. However, a rust-preventive clear coat can be applied over the Jax Iron Steel and Nickel Blackener.
The Jax Blackening, Darkening and Antiquing Solutions create an oxide on the surface of the brass. This oxide should not weaken or damage the metal at all — these are decorative finishes. Our products work by dipping or brushing the chemical onto the metal; clean metal is essential for a quality finish. Washing with water after darkening is also necessary.
The Jax Brown-Black and the Jax Black are actually quite different, chemically and in appearance. The Jax Brown-Black is water-clear (or close to it) and the Jax Black is a blue-based solution. The Jax Black will produce no brown tones at all — the metal will go right to black. The Brown-Black will start at brown and work its way up to black (almost).
The Jax product you will find most useful is the Jax Pewter Black. You should be able to achieve a dark grey to black patina on Zamak 5. A few experiments with application methods and dilution will be helpful.
The best product for blackening brass is the JAX Black for Brass, Bronze and Copper.
Sorry – it does not work on stainless steel.
Jax Green Patina itself only works on brass, bronze, and copper. To create the desired effect on your lead solder we would apply the Jax Copper Plating Solution onto the solder (a maximum of 3 thin coats; washing with water in between each coat). We would then apply a THIN coat of Green Patina over the Copper Plated solder. Do not wash off; let it dry overnight.
Bear in mind that the Copper Plating is an extremely thin coat and too much Green Patina will etch off the copper completely. People do get excellent results but a bunch of experimentation will go into getting this to work perfectly.
Jax Pewter Black will darken lead solder.
Suitability for Use
Assuming there is no oil, lacquer, grease or wax over the green patina, the Jax Instant Brass and Copper Cleaner will do the job.
We would wash the art with Dawn dishwashing liquid to remove surface dirt, outdoor grime and fingerprints, and rinse it well with water. While it is still wet, apply Jax Green Patina with a stiff bristle brush. Allow to dry over-night. You can re-apply the next day if necessary.
Unfortunately we do not have photos to show at this time. A gallery of pictures will soon be available. Until then, we can tell you the Jax Brown-Black is a very versatile product and will allow you to replicate a wide range of browns (to black). Also, since you are working on a roof, from the vantage point of the ground the difference between the brown and the brown-black will be negligible.
The Jax Green Patina can be used on copper intended for exterior applications with no problems at all. If you are using virgin copper we would either: install the sign outdoors and let it sit for a while or darken the copper a bit with Jax Brown-Black and then apply the Jax Green Patina over the Brown-Black for a more authentic look. Regardless, do not apply the Jax Green Patina on hot copper (it will evaporate and do nothing) or on a day when it will rain on the sign (too much patina will just wash off on that first day).
All Jax blackeners, darkeners and patinas can be removed with steel wool or Scotch-Brite. You can apply the Green on top of the black you have now for a more authentic finish (the copper should be cleaned of grime (nature), and have no wax, oil, lacquer or grease on it. Or you can remove the black and apply the Green directly to the bare copper (more work, try it with the black first to see if you like it). We would use Dawn to clean everything first. We would not seal it (we think it causes more headaches later on.)
The desired effect should be achieved in less than 30 seconds. Remove the items from the solution as soon as the desired color has been achieved. Wash thoroughly with water and dry. If you are using the products on iron or steel, remember that the Jax Blackeners are NOT rust preventatives and the items must be washed and dried (and possibly waxed or lacquered) in order to avoid rust.
Surface Preparation
We recommend working on the oil first with a mild cleaner (like Dawn dishwashing liquid) before applying more unpleasant products (like solvent based cleaners); light rust may conveniently disappear. 4/0 steel wool should also remove the rust. Wash everything well with water once the rust is removed; you can apply the Jax while the steel is still wet. Wash the metal well and dry. Do not let the steel air-dry as this may cause additional rust and/or drying marks.
You can finish steel pieces any way you want (polish or satin), then wash them well – remove all oil, lacquer, grease, wax and polishing compound. Depending on what condition the parts are in, you may have to use more than one type of cleaner to get it all done. We like to start with mild cleaners like Dawn dishwashing liquid and work up to more unpleasant ones if necessary. Jax Iron Steel and Nickel Blackener is not rust preventer, so consider the environment where the finished products will live—you can finish with wax, oil or lacquer, or you can leave them uncoated.
Troubleshooting
Sounds like you are doing everything correctly. We would apply the Brown to the copper first and wash it off (and highlight it with a Scotch Brite pad and wash it again). While the metal is still wet we would apply the Green Patina with a stiff bristle brush (do not wash it off) let it dry and leave it alone until tomorrow. Re-apply the Green the next day if necessary.
There are two main reasons for the finish flaking off. The first reason would be a problem with how the metal was prepared and cleaned. The more likely (and very common) application error is that the object has been left in the solution for too long. The object should be removed from the solution as soon as the desired color is achieved and washed off well with water. If the metal stays in the solution for longer than that, the finish will just build up on top of itself, have nowhere to go, and easily flake off.
The trouble you are having is most likely caused by surface preparation and/or cleaning. Jax Green Patina only works on clean metal. No oil, lacquer, grease or wax – even fingerprints can be a problem. It may take several different cleaning products to really get down to bare metal. We suggest the use of steel wool or sandpaper in addition to cleaning to really be sure you are on metal. We also suggest Dawn dishwashing liquid and warm water before using the Green Patina. You can apply the Green while the metal is still wet. Apply with a stiff bristle brush and do NOT rinse it off. Remember, the Green does not work instantaneously – apply and then walk away until tomorrow. We would also consider the use of one of the Jax Darkeners (our preference would be Jax Brown-Black) before you apply the Jax Green Patina. It will be far more authentic than just applying the green on top of virgin copper.