How To Cut And Shape Copper Sheet
Hold your tool parallel to the copper sheet and slowly and carefully cut along the line or template that you have marked on the sheet.
How to cut and shape copper sheet. Clamp or hold a straightedge or square along the cutting marks and score a line with the tip of a sharp utility knife blade. Finally bend the sheet up by hand to the angle desired. You can cut this thickness with a pair of scissors or even tear it with your hands. You can use barkeepers powdered cleaner bon ami is similar or if you want to go all natural baking soda lemon juice and dish liquid work pretty good.
While you can bend this copper with your hands to get a sharp 90 degree bend you must use a sheet metal brake. There are wheels specifically designed for cutting sheet metal but any metal cutting wheel will do the job in this case. Clamp the sheet metal against your desk to hold it in place while you work. Begin cut with metal cutting sheer.
Cut the copper sheet using a metal cutting sheer begin to make the cuts along your marks. Elevate and support one edge of sheet with free hand allowing entry point for cut enough clearance for metal cutting sheer to proceed. Measure the dimensions needed with tape measure. Snip the two sides.
If you want a sharp 90 bend tap along the crease with a mallet. This foil will work well with many mixed media backgrounds. Do this for all of your cuts until you have freed your pattern from the copper sheet. Next outfit your tool with a metal cutting wheel.
Mark a bend line and place the sheet metal on the edge of your bench. Apply masking tape to both sides of the sheet metal directly over the line you want to make. 20 gauge copper can be cut with heavy duty snips or sheet metal shears. Electric saws are best for making straight cuts only.
Draw your shapes you want to cut onto copper with pencil or a sharpie marker. Then bend the sheet back and forth a few times to snap it. The 1 mil copper sheet will not hold its own shape without something behind it to reinforce it. You can also use golden gac 200 and the paint will adhere to the copper foil better.
Clamp the wood on top of the metal to the workbench. Mark the required dimensions on the surface of the sheet using marking tool and straightedge. It s often used for various construction art and craft projects diy projects electrical applications research and development and much more. This ensures a cleaner cut and prevents metal chips from scratching the sheet while you cut.
Before you start cutting i would recommend taping couple of your major fingers.