How To Cut And Shape Copper Sheet

Measure the dimensions needed with tape measure.

How to cut and shape copper sheet.

If you want a sharp 90 bend tap along the crease with a mallet. Mark the required dimensions on the surface of the sheet using marking tool and straightedge. Clamp the wood on top of the metal to the workbench. You can use the same trick to cut metal studs.

You can also use golden gac 200 and the paint will adhere to the copper foil better. Draw your shapes you want to cut onto copper with pencil or a sharpie marker. 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. Mark a bend line and place the sheet metal on the edge of your bench.

Clamp the sheet metal against your desk to hold it in place while you work. Snip the two sides. This foil will work well with many mixed media backgrounds. Cut the copper sheet using a metal cutting sheer begin to make the cuts along your marks.

Begin cut with metal cutting sheer. Apply masking tape to both sides of the sheet metal directly over the line you want to make. Clamp or hold a straightedge or square along the cutting marks and score a line with the tip of a sharp utility knife blade. Then bend the sheet back and forth a few times to snap it.

You can cut this thickness with a pair of scissors or even tear it with your hands. This ensures a cleaner cut and prevents metal chips from scratching the sheet while you cut. 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. Do this for all of your cuts until you have freed your pattern from the copper sheet.

Elevate and support one edge of sheet with free hand allowing entry point for cut enough clearance for metal cutting sheer to proceed. Next place the wood parallel and slightly behind the bending line. Before you start cutting i would recommend taping couple of your major fingers. Electric saws are best for making straight cuts only.

Next outfit your tool with a metal cutting wheel. 20 gauge copper can be cut with heavy duty snips or sheet metal shears. Cut slowly and make straight lines in as continuous a motion as you can. The 1 mil copper sheet will not hold its own shape without something behind it to reinforce it.

Finally bend the sheet up by hand to the angle desired.