Getting Copper Patina?

[BevanTaylor]

I'm working on a little "artistic" project using some recycled copper pipe, and I would like to get some different coloured patina on the different pieces. I read that you can get blue by wiping with 3 parts water 1 part miracle gro, and green by wiping with 3 parts red wine vinegar and 1 part miracle gro, but when I tried to get blue, I didn't get noticeable reaction, even after soaking for a couple hours. Have any of you tried to do this and had better results?

 

[CalgaryPT]

I haven't heard of that combo before. I use some good commercial products as well as several home versions. Some things to ensure: 1) the copper needs to be exposed, i.e., sanded, steel wool, etc., to expose the copper to the patina. It may have too much oxidation on it already to see an effect; 2) heat the solution and/or the copper—this speeds up the reaction; 3) check/experiment with your proportions as you may need a stronger mixture of chemicals.