[TheForge] preserving heat colors

[Larry Brown]

I made a mirror frame that was polished to silver color and then heated 
lightly to a light yellow. It was then sprayed with krylon UV resistant 
clear. It has remained a faint golden color for years inside, just slightly 
darker than the light yellow.

L Brown


At 08:26 AM 3/14/2005 -0500, you wrote:
>To All,
>Heat colors are not the color of the oxide that has formed.  The oxide
>actually is transparent and the colors you see are the refraction of light 
>just like
>a prism.  The oxides in thickness are multiples of the wavelength of the
>color you see.  When you add a protective layer you add to the thickness 
>of the
>refracting layer and you change the color.
>I ahve done several pieces that also have gone much more blue than I wanted
>but they also retain other colors.  It appears that if you thin the oxide 
>layer
>you put on at first and then add a layer of acryllic you may end you where
>you want to be.  If the pieces are for indoor use maybe a thin layer of 
>really
>good wax may be enough.
>I like the effect ot the temper colors.
>Keep playing with them.  You may find something we all can use.
>
>Regards,
>
>Hochewa