You are the innovative copper man SB & really got me thinking about using "poor man's gold" several months back. I've always liked metals and have worked with them most of my adult life. I confess that bold colors are not what I gravitate to. My new daughter in law asked me what my favorite color was & I quickly responded "grey or silver grey" My son put her up to asking me what he already knew to be true. She was aghast at my answer.
I like colors but prefer to keep it simple with paint mainly used to protect my metal, especially steel, from oxidation. Bronze, titanium, stainless, brass, silver, gold and copper 99% of the time I leave unpainted, with Aluminum unpainted perhaps 85%. Chrome plating & metallic powder coating are also utilized a good bit. I paint as seldom as possible and when I do it's for metal protection and contrast not color as "bling". I'm odd; I realize, even so I love raw metal.
Years ago I worked with copper a good deal, over the years I kinda ignored it and used a lot of brass and bronze & huge amounts of aluminum. Some hand worked but mostly machined. Sometimes I would hammer finish a small plate of copper, polished others and sometimes used both effects together on one piece. Honestly haven't got a handle on what the copper finish will be on the "Copper Gator" but a good amount of the stuff will be used along with some brass, chrome, aluminum and even paint on various steel/aluminum sections. I don't think I'll use chemical to accelerate patina on the metals, but that's a possibility. It will be different cause I just really like raw metal. Rick C.
