One of decorative painter Vic Delor’s clients has a summer place on rainy Orcas Island, Washington. The home is equipped with copper flashing and copper rain gutters.

But instead of downspouts, the owners prefer heavy galvanized chain to transport the water to the ground. “It’s amazing to see water travel down those chains,” Delor says. “Unreal!”

Delor’s job is to paint the chains with epoxy to match the copper and then age them “with a couple of bucket dips.”

Here’s how he does it:

	Step 1: Find a plastic garbage container or a large bucket to dip the galvanized chains for a good etching.
	Step 2: Wash and clean the chains thoroughly.
	Step 3: Mix bright copper bronzing powders into a clear two-part epoxy and spray the chain. Step 4: When dry and cured, dip chains into a japan oil glaze consisting of raw umber and burnt umber. This glaze is formulated to not require wiping.
	Step 5: The final dip is dry colors added to liquid soap and water — a slight verdi (greenish-blue) in color. Slight wiping with this, but no binder needed if the first glaze is still a bit tacky.

For more specifics on this cool finish, send Vic an e-mail.