On 26 Jan, 01:47, ransley wrote:

Nitrate base, do you mean plant fertilizer.

No, I generally mean ferric nitrate, the base for a great many
patination recipes. Also nitric acid.

You're unlikely to get far "trying out brews with plant fertiliser".
In particular you'll find yourself with a weak mixture that acts very
slowly. This is a bad thing. In particular, you might think it looks
good but the stuff is so slow acting you don't realise it's still
working - a week later it has turned to ugly crud. This is
particularly a problem with chlorides. Washing and cleaning
afterwards, maybe even deliberate neutralising, can be as important as
the patination itself.

This looks like a decent online starting point
http://www.sciencecompany.com/patina...naformulas.htm

Then of course there's Ganoksin for serious metalsmithing.
http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/nena...a-formulas.htm



Green Goop, Brown Goop what is in the products,

No idea. Many chemicals used in metal finishing (especially plating)
are obscure and difficult to find, then only used in small doses. It's
too awkward to buy your own, so you're better buying a ready-mixed
patination fluid. This still applies, even if you're an industrial
chemist (unless you can sneak through a 40 gallon drum of something
that you only need a teaspoon of).

Find your local finishing supplies people (Rustin or Liberon in the
UK) and check their catalogues. It does work better if you buy the
ready-mixed potions, then follow the recipes carefully.