Rob, I've been working with copper, brass, and iron since I was 5 year old, this ancient art has been passed down for generations in my family. My ancestors are Armenians from Urfa, which is in Southeast Turkey today. I like your zeal in pounding that bowl, so if you want pointers, I'll be happy to give them to you.
I agree with the previous commentor. You are very clever in your use of ordinary objects such as duct tape as a dapping tool to create that gorgeous copper bowel. Here I thought you needed a fancy work bench with all the accoutrements and was prepared to buy all that stuff. Thanks. You probably saved me a lot of money. I know a lot of the tutorials from the jewelry companies on youtube are like ads meant to convince newbies like me to buy their fancy tools or whatever. Your organic approach is really ingenious.
As a high school art teacher always looking for ideas, this is perfect! I have a lot of aluminum flashing in a similar gauge (sp?) and you don't need an ANVIL!!!!! Who could afford one for each of the 30 students in my room. Excellent video!
You can prevent burrs,or as I call them "alligator teeth", by using your snips the right way. The red handled, should actually go clockwise, and your greens counter. You want your small end of the metal to roll on itself. It keeps your project from kinking.
Thanks for a really useful video. I took a week long class at Sierra Nevada College with a nationally known metalsmith and it was a wonderful class. I learned a lot but he brought very expensive stake and hammers. It would cost a fortune to buy these stakes, even a couple of hammers and stakes would be hundreds of dollars. I love that you made a very nice bowl with things we have on hand. Thanks again
I am a sheet-metal worker, and I have access to 16 ounce, and 24 ounce copper. I've never made a comparable. I have half a sheet that I'm going to work with. It comes 3' x 10'. There's going to be a lot of hammering! I'm super excited! Thanks.
Love it I am an old school tin knocker/ copper smith/ cornice worker and its nice to see things still done by hand and not machine it is the art of the trade
Love this, thank you! We’ve been looking for a copper birdbath and now I’m going to try making one! If I want a 20” diameter birdbath, about 2.5 -3 inches deep, what diameter disc should I start with? Thank you!
I loved this & the best part was the use of every day tools that are laying around. I'm glad you didn't use an anvil or a fancy work bench. Thank you!!!
this was awesome! in our modern day society we have forgotten now our forefathers made things before the event of electricity and fancy tools. and I might add that we all need this knowledge were a major event to occur, that would cause us to be thrust back in those times again. and using this knowledge, those who survived could create a new existence.
It would be easier. I've seen it done that way. In all my videos I try and show how people can do something without specialized equipment and just with stuff they have around the house.
This was amazing. I'm used to making smaller 1" to 1.5" circles with my steel dapping block. Just got a wooden shallow block with 4 sizes 2.5, 3, 3.5 & 4" sizes. I'm using 24 gauge copper too and started using my largest steel punch and used a rawhide mallet as I'm working on wood and don't want it break. I was worried about those dimple marks as they even out on smaller sizes but realize that's part of it. Realizing I can just go in with my ball peen hammer and avoid the steel punch altogether. My struggle is getting it all to look pretty evenly round.
Yes, Rob. You are right: the fact that you use pretty much "every-day tools" makes it that much simpler for anyone with the desire to try. You do a great job. I have every tool you used in your video including the Stanley Workmate.. I was curious how much you paid for your piece of copper. You said it was a little spendy and I was wondering just how spendy. Keep up the good work!
Rob, I was intrigued by your DYI approach without a lot of fancy tools. Tried my first 10” “bowl”. It insists on being more of a “C”, or a “U”, depending on your point of view. Would make a passable bread stick basket. I’ve tried to focus my hammering to the opposing, flatter sides, trying to “raise” those parts even with the other two sides. Also tried annealing the copper and then repeating the raising. Little improvement. I should add I’m using 20 gauge copper used for roof flashing that comes coiled to begin with, but I got it fairly flat before I started. All that I could get in this day and age. So it is slightly thicker and not as flat to begin with as in your demo. It is almost like its “baked in” curve came back once I started working the metal. Any suggests how to resolve, or am I stuck making bead basket?
Richard, yes the dreaded taco, you have to stay ahead of that. The thicker the copper the more difficult it is. Turn it over upside down and try and flatten it that way. FaceTime me if you'd like. 612-305-1011
@@cookingfordads thanks for the thought. I’ve tried that, but always revert back to the “taco”. I’m trying to get ahead of it by repeated annealing and raising. Can’t seem to get a symmetrical result. Seems as if that form is “baked in”. Tomorrow I’ll try using 24 gauge agreeing that thicker gauges can be problematic.
@@cookingfordads Better. I sorted discovered that as well. I was also mistaken about the metal gauge. I thought it was 20, but really was 24. I’m now using 26 gauge for now. It seems the most critical part is taking care “setting the edge”. The cleaner that is, no knuckles or kinks, the easier it is after that. I find I need to anneal quite often throughout the process. More practice. Thanks again.
Thanks. I was just speaking with a friend about doing this with some heavier gauge copper that I salvaged off my 110 y/o house when we had the roof redone. Rolling the edge on the wrench is great. I don't think the duct tape roll will hold up too well given the gauge I'm using, so I'm thinking of carving out a bowl/form with some scrap hard wood. Or, inverting the process my making a quick n dirty dome on the end of a log like they do for making woks by hand.
oh ok sure ,also going to be setting up a lil shop for my new hobby for this and etching copper, applying patinas & laminating copper for table tops etc , gonna be a lil bit just getting everything together . i forgot to tell ya i had also subscribed .
Great work thankyou for sharing. May I ask, on the bowl you made, by creating the rim edges first, how much if any does the outside rim diameter decrease by, once the bowl is finished? I need to make a pot lid of roughly 480 millimeters
That's probably a little thick. sometimes the bigger pieces can get away from you too. If you hammer it lightly, you can make it have the appearance of hammered copper without actually changing the shape.
cool I like it and will try to make I collect a lot of copper item and I would like to make some things have you ever taken a old silver plated copper tray and hammered it out to a bowl? thanks
Rob, That is great! I think I'll set up a bench next my grill and give that a try. i have a few small pieces of copper flashing. Thanks for sharing this
This is great! We have been looking for a copper sink for our kitchen & bathroom in our skoolie, and they are super expensive. So then today we thought... HEY why don't we make one. Thanks for sharing your pounding technique. We will be sure to use it on our sinks! :) - Erin + Brian too
@@marshahutchison1446 yep! We sure did and it works awesome! We have a video of it on our YT channel (BE Adventure Partners) if you want to go see it. We don’t want to drop the link here out of courtesy of this videos creator. We ended up using the vessel sink bowl in our Skoolie bathroom and also made a square sink for the Skoolie kitchen. Let us know if you have any questions over on our channel & we’d be happy to answer them! Happy building! - Brian + Erin
Love it! I make copper jewelry using heat to color it, I haven't found a great system yet to be able to control the colors. I'd love to see you put some heat and color into a bowl!
when I try hammering steel like that I get a Taco shell instead of a bowl, I'm told I can't make a bowl without heat, but I see you doing it here, do I need to hammer more evenly or something or is it just the material choice.
I just had to find your video again. Yesterday I made some stupid quip about your neighbours loving you for the noise. I've removed the comment because I thought to myself "Here's a guy who's taken the time to make a video to share his knowledge, and I've actually learnt something from it and I even liked the video, but then I made some throw away comment about the noise. What a douche I was." So I'm back to say [a] sorry, and [b] thanks for sharing your knowledge.
I am trying to make a resonator guitar using as little bought parts as possible. For the resonator cone I'm going to use a bunt cake pan but it's the cover plate I'm having a problem with. This could work. If I wanted it to be flat around the edges and slightly bowl shaped in the middle, would this work or would the whole shape mess up? Also, it's going to require a lot of holes in it. Will the copper be strong enough?
not sure I know what you mean, wouldn't a bunt cake pan be way too high for a senator guitar? If you just use a flat piece of copper you could make a shallow bowl that would work fine. send me a pic on my FB page
cookingfordads The pan could be too high. Depends. I could cut it down. That is what a lot of people use because it's roughly the right shape and it's made from the same material. If you had any other suggestions I'm all ears. They're generally made out of aluminum but I have seen copper ones.
great work and great video.... here's a hint --what i like to do when making rounded edges is...when you're almost 3/4 done--or less, on your rounded edge, place a thick wire inside the curved edge, all along the perimeter (something like the string in the waist of jogging pants) and it'll give you a nice hard backing when shaping a nice curve for your edge --hope you don't mind the hint --keep up the good work ;)
+cookingfordads You might also want to give a try to pounding on a short wooden box full of sand instead of the duct tape roll. The sand is more flexible and will give a smoother texture to the inside of the curve. Just be careful not to overdo it. The sand is a lot more flexible and will make it go a lot quicker, so much so that its real easy to hit too hard and make a big divot that can be hard to get out... Making the box is easy. Any old scrap 1bys will work. You only need it about an inch or so deep and as big as you think you will need to have room for whatever you are working on. The deeper you want the curve to be, the bigger the box will have to be. If you want a real deep bowl you might need the box to be as big as the bowl and as deep as the curve desired. To go that far you will need to anneal the copper as it gets too hard to work. Just heat to red with a torch of some kind, or even in an open fire, and then quickly dip it into cold water. Quenching like this will harden carbon steel, but it will soften copper almost back to the virgin softness you remarked on when it was new.
Have you tried annealing the copper using a hand torch to make it more pliable? I would think that would allow you to shape it much quicker, as it hardens when you hammer it and stretch it.
Hey Rob, Making a sink out of 22 gauge material which is 17" across. The sink will be round and under mount type. I would like the finished dimensions to be 12” across and 5 to 6 inches deep. Is seventeen inch material enough to do that” Thanks, Sherman
hi, love the vid.I have seen a sack of wet sand used as a hammer base but i must admit i admire your creativity coming up with the duck tape. also could a mild application of heat (propane torch) reduce the tempering? i use heat to soften silver to allow further working of the metal. if you try either let me know your thoughts please.
IMHO: You ought to try using a large plastic mallet to "edge" your piece. Using a ball pien against a box end wrench isn't very efficient, or controllable.
i have this copper bowl i found at a second hand shop for 5 bucks very nice peice looks like copper and some other metal.It is stamped by designco. do you know anything about this company.
Awesome vid! You have inspired me to try this out for myself! One question: I noticed that the big bowl you briefly show, has a flat (completely?) bottom for stability. How did you make that? Thanks for sharing :)
+cookingfordads Its that easy? :) The big bowl looked like it had a very flat bottom, so I figured perhaps you used a special technique. Anyways. Thanks a lot! I guess I have to go to the hardware store now :D
I finally had time to do it. My 3-year old nephew helped out. He loved the hammering part. The bowl is placed in his room, and he shows it off with great pride to everyone who comes by. once again, thanks! :)
Every once in a while but it's really not too bad. I've made hundreds of bowls and only with the really thick copper is it a problem. Thanks for watching.
Robert, this is Rob, I would try thicker copper. copper should be tougher the more you work it. Take some pics and send them to me. Love to see your work. rbi
If you do a lot of copper work, I'd recommend making a dishing stump. Save the duct tape for better things, lol. Do you know of any food safe treatments to keep copper from tarnishing? (Btw, my last name is Barrett as well) thanks Rob!
I do a fair amount. You are correct, but I strive to show ways that just normal people can dot things with what they have around the house. I. E. I don't people to think they have to have a dishing stump in order to make a bowl. You can do it with duct tape. :-) That's kind of my thing. Thanks for watching. We Barrett's have to stay together.
Hello. Hve a project at my school and i am intrerested in learing how can a cylider-barrel can be make. How can you give this roll shape? it woyld be really helpfull if somone could anser me. thanks
would i be able to get a sheet of copper at like home depot? i want to start customizinf my motorcycle and love the vintage untouched copper look ! thanks and great job !! =)
@Tippster1980 It takes a while to hammer that down, I'll be honest. I probably have an hour of hammering in to it. Yes, I've made quite a few, but you'd be surprised how easy it is to do, especially if you start smaller. The bigger bowls can get away from you.
:-) don't worry about it. I was going to answer back that they get lots of leftover food so they don't mind. :-) but thanks for coming back and for the nice comment. I appreciate your sensitivity, it will do well for you in your life. blessings to you. Rob
+Debra Crawford Yes but be careful of the inside of the heart dimple Inside edges pull and stress the copper more than outside edges. God luck You probably won't be able to get it very deep.
The hammer actually leaves little scratches in the metal that make it more vibrant and reflective. It really helps the light bounce off it. Thanks for watching.
I would have but there were no vids or anything to help me out so i had to figure it out on my own. If there were resources I would utilize them. thanks for watching.
Rob, I've been working with copper, brass, and iron since I was 5 year old, this ancient art has been passed down for generations in my family. My ancestors are Armenians from Urfa, which is in Southeast Turkey today. I like your zeal in pounding that bowl, so if you want pointers, I'll be happy to give them to you.
I agree with the previous commentor. You are very clever in your use of ordinary objects such as duct tape as a dapping tool to create that gorgeous copper bowel. Here I thought you needed a fancy work bench with all the accoutrements and was prepared to buy all that stuff. Thanks. You probably saved me a lot of money. I know a lot of the tutorials from the jewelry companies on youtube are like ads meant to convince newbies like me to buy their fancy tools or whatever. Your organic approach is really ingenious.
Thanks, it's amazing what you can do with just simple tools
I love the look of copper, you did a real nice job on that bowl with a few simple tools. Thanks for sharing your talent with us!
you are welcome. thanks for watching
As a high school art teacher always looking for ideas, this is perfect! I have a lot of aluminum flashing in a similar gauge (sp?) and you don't need an ANVIL!!!!! Who could afford one for each of the 30 students in my room. Excellent video!
Thanks so much. check out my copper channel for more copper vids. I've never tried it with aluminum, let me know how it goes.
You can prevent burrs,or as I call them "alligator teeth", by using your snips the right way. The red handled, should actually go clockwise, and your greens counter. You want your small end of the metal to roll on itself. It keeps your project from kinking.
I’m a sheetmetal/hvac guy…. I’m doing this. Pottery is my escape, but I could see this being my meditation for a while.
Thanks.
So cool, let me know how it goes. I'm sure you'll be great
Thanks for a really useful video. I took a week long class at Sierra Nevada College with a nationally known metalsmith and it was a wonderful class. I learned a lot but he brought very expensive stake and hammers. It would cost a fortune to buy these stakes, even a couple of hammers and stakes would be hundreds of dollars. I love that you made a very nice bowl with things we have on hand. Thanks again
Hammering on a sandbag is far easier and allows for much more precision than a roll of duct tape and the wooden table.
But you've got to give him credit for finding a tool that everyone might have in their home.
@@kimauger4293 sand and a bag is bit more common, unless u live in a city
Funny seeing you here - do you have a video on this? I've been looking for a way to build an automatic hammer at home
oooh, thanks for that tip!! I'm about to go to town!
I am a sheet-metal worker, and I have access to 16 ounce, and 24 ounce copper. I've never made a comparable. I have half a sheet that I'm going to work with. It comes 3' x 10'.
There's going to be a lot of hammering! I'm super excited! Thanks.
Cool, let me know how it goes. Start small.
Love it I am an old school tin knocker/ copper smith/ cornice worker and its nice to see things still done by hand and not machine it is the art of the trade
Is it a good idea to occasionally anneal the copper to soften it? By heating it with a propane torch.
Love this, thank you! We’ve been looking for a copper birdbath and now I’m going to try making one! If I want a 20” diameter birdbath, about 2.5 -3 inches deep, what diameter disc should I start with? Thank you!
Answered you on FB let me know if you have any other questions
I loved this & the best part was the use of every day tools that are laying around. I'm glad you didn't use an anvil or a fancy work bench.
Thank you!!!
+Misty Sea you bet, thanks for watching. let me know if you make anything.
this was awesome! in our modern day society we have forgotten now our forefathers made things before the event of electricity and fancy tools. and I might add that we all need this knowledge were a major event to occur, that would cause us to be thrust back in those times again. and using this knowledge, those who survived could create a new existence.
It would be easier. I've seen it done that way. In all my videos I try and show how people can do something without specialized equipment and just with stuff they have around the house.
This was amazing. I'm used to making smaller 1" to 1.5" circles with my steel dapping block. Just got a wooden shallow block with 4 sizes 2.5, 3, 3.5 & 4" sizes. I'm using 24 gauge copper too and started using my largest steel punch and used a rawhide mallet as I'm working on wood and don't want it break. I was worried about those dimple marks as they even out on smaller sizes but realize that's part of it. Realizing I can just go in with my ball peen hammer and avoid the steel punch altogether. My struggle is getting it all to look pretty evenly round.
Yes, Rob. You are right: the fact that you use pretty much "every-day tools" makes it that much simpler for anyone with the desire to try. You do a great job. I have every tool you used in your video including the Stanley Workmate.. I was curious how much you paid for your piece of copper. You said it was a little spendy and I was wondering just how spendy. Keep up the good work!
Rob, I was intrigued by your DYI approach without a lot of fancy tools. Tried my first 10” “bowl”. It insists on being more of a “C”, or a “U”, depending on your point of view. Would make a passable bread stick basket. I’ve tried to focus my hammering to the opposing, flatter sides, trying to “raise” those parts even with the other two sides. Also tried annealing the copper and then repeating the raising. Little improvement. I should add I’m using 20 gauge copper used for roof flashing that comes coiled to begin with, but I got it fairly flat before I started. All that I could get in this day and age. So it is slightly thicker and not as flat to begin with as in your demo. It is almost like its “baked in” curve came back once I started working the metal. Any suggests how to resolve, or am I stuck making bead basket?
Richard, yes the dreaded taco, you have to stay ahead of that. The thicker the copper the more difficult it is. Turn it over upside down and try and flatten it that way. FaceTime me if you'd like. 612-305-1011
@@cookingfordads thanks for the thought. I’ve tried that, but always revert back to the “taco”. I’m trying to get ahead of it by repeated annealing and raising. Can’t seem to get a symmetrical result. Seems as if that form is “baked in”. Tomorrow I’ll try using 24 gauge agreeing that thicker gauges can be problematic.
Let me know how it goes.
Turn it upside down and hammer around the edges, I do that many times during the process
@@cookingfordads Better. I sorted discovered that as well. I was also mistaken about the metal gauge. I thought it was 20, but really was 24. I’m now using 26 gauge for now. It seems the most critical part is taking care “setting the edge”. The cleaner that is, no knuckles or kinks, the easier it is after that. I find I need to anneal quite often throughout the process. More practice. Thanks again.
Thanks. I was just speaking with a friend about doing this with some heavier gauge copper that I salvaged off my 110 y/o house when we had the roof redone.
Rolling the edge on the wrench is great. I don't think the duct tape roll will hold up too well given the gauge I'm using, so I'm thinking of carving out a bowl/form with some scrap hard wood. Or, inverting the process my making a quick n dirty dome on the end of a log like they do for making woks by hand.
Sorry, just seeing this. Let me know how it goes.
Based on your tools, I am very impressed! Looks good and creative 'studio'! Nice work.
hi Rob, greta work. i'm semi retired now so ive got my man cave ready to start working with copper, gonna try the bowl, cheers dude
+Catherine Delahaye Thanks so much. Congrats. Send me a pic when you're done.
great video , iv just got my hands on a TON of copper so i will be adding this the list of things to try.
So cool, post some pics on my FB page
oh ok sure ,also going to be setting up a lil shop for my new hobby for this and etching copper, applying patinas & laminating copper for table tops etc , gonna be a lil bit just getting everything together . i forgot to tell ya i had also subscribed .
Awesome, Can't wait to see your work. Hammer well.
Great work thankyou for sharing. May I ask, on the bowl you made, by creating the rim edges first, how much if any does the outside rim diameter decrease by, once the bowl is finished? I need to make a pot lid of roughly 480 millimeters
Thank you, I love the use of NOT EXPENSIVE tools!!!! The duct tape was genious!
You bet, there are very few questions that don't have duct tape as the answer.
Hi Rob do you think this texture would be easy to apply to a 1/4" thick plate of copper? thanks for the great vids
That's probably a little thick. sometimes the bigger pieces can get away from you too. If you hammer it lightly, you can make it have the appearance of hammered copper without actually changing the shape.
Your neighbours must love you
Your neighbors must love you.
thanks it's a lot of fun. Thanks for watching and for the nice comment
cool I like it and will try to make
I collect a lot of copper item and I would like to make some things
have you ever taken a old silver plated copper tray and hammered it out to a bowl?
thanks
Offset left cut reds are really handy to have, even offset straight cuts yellows are really nice to use for cutting metal
Nice Job! I would like to make hammered sinks, I guess this is too thin for that?
Thanks for sharing this! I think the use of common tools and the duct tape is great. I am definitely going to try this out.
+aeejke sure, thanks for watching. If you make anything, post a pic.
Rob,
That is great! I think I'll set up a bench next my grill and give that a try. i have a few small pieces of copper flashing.
Thanks for sharing this
This is great! We have been looking for a copper sink for our kitchen & bathroom in our skoolie, and they are super expensive. So then today we thought... HEY why don't we make one. Thanks for sharing your pounding technique. We will be sure to use it on our sinks! :) - Erin + Brian too
Hey guys! Did you ever make your bowl! I have a step van I am building out and came to the same conclusion.
@@marshahutchison1446 yep! We sure did and it works awesome! We have a video of it on our YT channel (BE Adventure Partners) if you want to go see it. We don’t want to drop the link here out of courtesy of this videos creator.
We ended up using the vessel sink bowl in our Skoolie bathroom and also made a square sink for the Skoolie kitchen.
Let us know if you have any questions over on our channel & we’d be happy to answer them!
Happy building!
- Brian + Erin
@@BEAdventurePartners ok, I will check it out. Thanks
Thanks. Does the bowl come out the same diameter as the disc you start with?
Rob, you inspire me! I want to try but I'll mess it up. What was the size of the biggest bowl that you showed?
How are you with your neighbors? Are they ok with the noise?
Thank you so much for the info on making a bowl from copper. Can I do the same with brass?
+robin starke should be very similar. Let me know how it goes. You may have to anneal it more
Love it! I make copper jewelry using heat to color it, I haven't found a great system yet to be able to control the colors. I'd love to see you put some heat and color into a bowl!
How do you stick your pieces of copper together when you make a sculpture? Please and thanks
I used to solder them, now i braise them with app gas and a braising rod, available at any welding shop. Thanks for watching
when I try hammering steel like that I get a Taco shell instead of a bowl, I'm told I can't make a bowl without heat, but I see you doing it here, do I need to hammer more evenly or something or is it just the material choice.
I just had to find your video again. Yesterday I made some stupid quip about your neighbours loving you for the noise. I've removed the comment because I thought to myself "Here's a guy who's taken the time to make a video to share his knowledge, and I've actually learnt something from it and I even liked the video, but then I made some throw away comment about the noise. What a douche I was."
So I'm back to say [a] sorry, and [b] thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Would a shot bag and some slappers not be a better way of doing this? Awesome job with what you had.
I am trying to make a resonator guitar using as little bought parts as possible. For the resonator cone I'm going to use a bunt cake pan but it's the cover plate I'm having a problem with. This could work. If I wanted it to be flat around the edges and slightly bowl shaped in the middle, would this work or would the whole shape mess up? Also, it's going to require a lot of holes in it. Will the copper be strong enough?
not sure I know what you mean, wouldn't a bunt cake pan be way too high for a senator guitar? If you just use a flat piece of copper you could make a shallow bowl that would work fine. send me a pic on my FB page
cookingfordads I'm still in the planning stages. It'll be a while but I'll keep you in mind thanks.
cookingfordads The pan could be too high. Depends. I could cut it down. That is what a lot of people use because it's roughly the right shape and it's made from the same material. If you had any other suggestions I'm all ears. They're generally made out of aluminum but I have seen copper ones.
make a bowl like i do in the video and then dremel out holes. good luck
great work and great video.... here's a hint --what i like to do when making rounded edges is...when you're almost 3/4 done--or less, on your rounded edge, place a thick wire inside the curved edge, all along the perimeter (something like the string in the waist of jogging pants) and it'll give you a nice hard backing when shaping a nice curve for your edge --hope you don't mind the hint --keep up the good work ;)
+Carlzday That is a great tip. I am so going to try that. Thanks for watching.
+cookingfordads You might also want to give a try to pounding on a short wooden box full of sand instead of the duct tape roll. The sand is more flexible and will give a smoother texture to the inside of the curve. Just be careful not to overdo it. The sand is a lot more flexible and will make it go a lot quicker, so much so that its real easy to hit too hard and make a big divot that can be hard to get out...
Making the box is easy. Any old scrap 1bys will work. You only need it about an inch or so deep and as big as you think you will need to have room for whatever you are working on. The deeper you want the curve to be, the bigger the box will have to be. If you want a real deep bowl you might need the box to be as big as the bowl and as deep as the curve desired.
To go that far you will need to anneal the copper as it gets too hard to work. Just heat to red with a torch of some kind, or even in an open fire, and then quickly dip it into cold water. Quenching like this will harden carbon steel, but it will soften copper almost back to the virgin softness you remarked on when it was new.
+Ken Lazar Thanks, that's a great idea, I'll try it.
That's really cool, Rob. Your sculptures are great.
Do you think you can make a copper bathtub?
How much does a sheet of copper (like the one you started with) cost?
Have you tried annealing the copper using a hand torch to make it more pliable? I would think that would allow you to shape it much quicker, as it hardens when you hammer it and stretch it.
I usually go back and forth a little, but i don't anneal it unless i need to, i.e., it gets too hard to hammer
When you kneel a large piece do you have to heat the entire piece or can you heat only a part at a time?
Hey Rob,
Making a sink out of 22 gauge material which is 17" across. The sink will be round and under mount type. I would like the finished dimensions to be 12” across and 5 to 6 inches deep. Is seventeen inch material enough to do that”
Thanks, Sherman
SD Morningstar yes, i wish I knew exactly what to cut it out. probably 14" around will shrink up to 12"
You could save some time if you annealed the metal when it gets too hard
you know you can soften the copper by heating till it glows right?
that's called Annealing
Heat it till it is a dull red then dip it in water.
hi, love the vid.I have seen a sack of wet sand used as a hammer base but i must admit i admire your creativity coming up with the duck tape. also could a mild application of heat (propane torch) reduce the tempering? i use heat to soften silver to allow further working of the metal. if you try either let me know your thoughts please.
Made copper ash trays using this method in summer camp. 4th & 5th grades. Actually had wooden forms to shape it.
Nice! what thickness is this?
Can a similar hammering process be used on a 65 year aluminum (24") tray?
Not sure. Depends how malleable the aluminum is.
IMHO: You ought to try using a large plastic mallet to "edge" your piece. Using a ball pien against a box end wrench isn't very efficient, or controllable.
It's just what i have and what most people have. i try and use everyday tools. Thanks for watching.
not sure what that is. i use a basic hammer with a round end. That way the copper doesn't stretch too much in one direction.
Where do you buy copper from. Do they come in discs or do you need special tools to cut?
I get it at roofing supply stores and I cutout with tin snips you can get at Home Depot. Try it and send me a pic when you're done.
i have this copper bowl i found at a second hand shop for 5 bucks very nice peice looks like copper and some other metal.It is stamped by designco. do you know anything about this company.
Many Thx,
I'll let you know how it turned out and a photo or two of the finished bowl.
Sherman
SD Morningstar awesome, can't wait to see it. find me on FB or my copper channel
Thanx for the video rob! By the way can u use a texturizing hammer?
Awesome vid! You have inspired me to try this out for myself! One question:
I noticed that the big bowl you briefly show, has a flat (completely?) bottom for stability. How did you make that?
Thanks for sharing :)
+Morten Sørensen you bet. It's easy. Just turn to bowl over once you're done hammering it out, and then gently hammer a flat bottom.
+cookingfordads Its that easy? :) The big bowl looked like it had a very flat bottom, so I figured perhaps you used a special technique. Anyways. Thanks a lot! I guess I have to go to the hardware store now :D
+Morten Sørensen cool let me know how it goes.
I finally had time to do it. My 3-year old nephew helped out. He loved the hammering part. The bowl is placed in his room, and he shows it off with great pride to everyone who comes by. once again, thanks! :)
Cool I'd love to see it, can you put a pic on my copper by rob FB page?
Great video - thanks for the tips!
..Sxis
After so long don't you have to aneal the copper to keep it from cracking due to work hardening from the hammer?
Every once in a while but it's really not too bad. I've made hundreds of bowls and only with the really thick copper is it a problem. Thanks for watching.
very cool. I went to get some copper but its expensive so I got a 24" piece of aluminum flashing.
Thank you for sharing I shared on my group page on Facebook..
Robert, this is Rob, I would try thicker copper. copper should be tougher the more you work it. Take some pics and send them to me. Love to see your work. rbi
wow, that turned out amazing! how much would a scrap piece like that go for?
If you do a lot of copper work, I'd recommend making a dishing stump. Save the duct tape for better things, lol. Do you know of any food safe treatments to keep copper from tarnishing? (Btw, my last name is Barrett as well) thanks Rob!
I do a fair amount. You are correct, but I strive to show ways that just normal people can dot things with what they have around the house. I. E. I don't people to think they have to have a dishing stump in order to make a bowl. You can do it with duct tape. :-) That's kind of my thing. Thanks for watching. We Barrett's have to stay together.
Hello. Hve a project at my school and i am intrerested in learing how can a cylider-barrel can be make. How can you give this roll shape? it woyld be really helpfull if somone could anser me. thanks
You have to stay ahead of it. When you start to get that shape, heat it and push down those sides.
Got a rough guess on a Mil that you'd recommend for a project like this?
Do you hammer tin?
Very impressive but I was wondering the same thing as KastigoKSJ. You should look into them as it can speed things up considerably I would imagine.
so you are using the wrench as a dishing bowl?
would i be able to get a sheet of copper at like home depot? i want to start customizinf my motorcycle and love the vintage untouched copper look ! thanks and great job !! =)
The off cut comes upwards from the tin snips ! Makes it a lot easier to cut
Thanks so much and thanks for watching. This reply is from my copper channel.
It's easier to find it online, but def check at HD or another hardware store. You can also check recycling centers. good luck and send me a picture.
Thank you, Rob. Exactly the info i need to start a copper kitchen project!
+Kate Emery you bet, send me a pic when you're done
How much harder would it be to make it more like half a sphere?
Can you make a copper sink the same way?
If you toast the copper over a charcoal fire, it anneals it. Then you can keep working the metal without it cracking.
@RicePudden you must be very handy. Nice to meet you
would the copper be more pliable if you gave a torch treatment to anneal it first ?
Yes! it would make it more malleable. But the hammering will harden it naturally through whats called cold work.
yeah then you anneal it again....50 times if you need
Work hardening
@Tippster1980 It takes a while to hammer that down, I'll be honest. I probably have an hour of hammering in to it. Yes, I've made quite a few, but you'd be surprised how easy it is to do, especially if you start smaller. The bigger bowls can get away from you.
@hannagan how'd it turn out?
I already glued copper sheet to wood. Is it too late to hammer it?
Yeah maybe a little for texture but no major hammering now. It can't expand once glued.
@@cookingfordads ok 😕 thanks for your fast reply
um this might sound crazy but can I do this to a stainless steel bowl?
Not likely, it isn't as maleable as copper. You could probably move is some but not as much.
Do you anneal the copper as you're working it? I don't think I've got the strength that you have to work it as it gets work hardened! :-)
Yes you can anneal it as often as you want. Maggi you do not need a lot of strength to work copper
Boy, your neighbors must really love you. LOL
They do, I bake them lots of bread. normally i do copper work in the garage, not outside. thx for watching
Very cool! Thanks for sharing.
+MoxieRedhead you bet, check out more on my copper channel
Do you have video of small copper bowl
I do this - ua-cam.com/video/xdmQuy0cieI/v-deo.html
Gracias, me encantaría ver su obra.
:-) don't worry about it. I was going to answer back that they get lots of leftover food so they don't mind. :-) but thanks for coming back and for the nice comment. I appreciate your sensitivity, it will do well for you in your life. blessings to you. Rob
That gorgeous Rob, well done!!
Would if it be the same technique for making a heart shape ?
+Debra Crawford Yes but be careful of the inside of the heart dimple Inside edges pull and stress the copper more than outside edges. God luck You probably won't be able to get it very deep.
Shouldn't he be covering the copper before strikes?
The hammer actually leaves little scratches in the metal that make it more vibrant and reflective. It really helps the light bounce off it. Thanks for watching.
I would have but there were no vids or anything to help me out so i had to figure it out on my own. If there were resources I would utilize them. thanks for watching.