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geekhack Projects => Making Stuff Together! => Topic started by: PerniciousPony on Thu, 13 July 2017, 12:12:45

Title: Copper Plate Patina
Post by: PerniciousPony on Thu, 13 July 2017, 12:12:45

I'm generally not too active here on GH but I thought I'd share one of my more recent builds.  I was looking into making an alps TKL at the same time as E3Eves.  I was looking into different materials that could be used for the plate, and found out Big Blue Saw has Copper Alloy 110.  I got the plate file from Alienman82 and had the plate made.  I wasn't sure if I wanted to leave it raw, or do a heat/chemical patina.  The plate is 1.5mm thick, which isn't ideal for alps but still kinda works and was the only thickness available.  The first thing that shocked me was the weight of the plate.  It weighs in at 337g (http://i.imgur.com/LFmfXNZ.jpg) vs the 88g of the aluminum plate that came with my Mech27.

No finishing was available from BBS, and there were some deep scratches on the plate when it arrived.  I sanded it by hand as seen here (http://i.imgur.com/nMuTzh5.jpg) and was thinking about leaving it at this stage.  I tested a butane torch to patina, but the color variation was pretty lacking due to the temp of the torch.  I talked to a buddy and found out his shop had an oxy-acetlyene torch.  We burned the plate several times, cleaning it up with a salt and vinegar bath and some sanding between each session to get it back to the shiny and clean look as seen above.


Here is a picture (http://i.imgur.com/M8Q71YN.jpg)  of one patina pattern we tried as well as a short gif (https://media.giphy.com/media/EEwslp78oxjVK/giphy.gif) of the process.

This is the finished product:
(http://i.imgur.com/lownqDc.jpg)

I have a keyset for the board, but I haven't been able to stop staring at the plate, so the keyset hasn't been left on the board for very long.

Also, I've left the plate unsealed as I want the patina to change over time.  I assembled the board with gloves after finishing the patina and tried to touch it as little as possible as I saw the affects of finger prints on raw copper while waiting for several parts to finish the build.

Title: Re: Copper Plate Patina
Post by: Bromono on Thu, 13 July 2017, 13:26:30

Gorgeous Keyboard  :eek:

Title: Re: Copper Plate Patina
Post by: OldIsNew on Sat, 15 July 2017, 02:24:16

Looks sharp - very nice effect!