Copper lettering

[JWD]

Hi Guys, not sure if this is the right place to post but:

Im looking to make a sign/wall plaque and for the lettering i was thinking of bent solid copper (4/5mm) spelling out

Brighton

I was just wondering what i will need (if anything) to do this? the letters will be max 70mm high x up to 50mm across

many thanks

joe

 

[TFrench]

If you want round bar lettering you could use copper brake pipe, or fuel line if you wanted a larger diameter. Use a brake pipe bender to create your curves at a constant radius.

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[sunnybob]

6 mm copper tube from a plumbing merchants. Smaller than that and its getting harder to source.

 

[Lons]

6 mm copper tube from a plumbing merchants. Smaller than that and its getting harder to source.

Loads of 6mm and 1/4" on ebay Bob.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/15169600 ... 0898469841

 

[JWD]

thanks for your responses!

would it not be better to use solid copper @5mm? i dont want to be bending it for a really tight angle and have it fold!

 

[Eric The Viking]

The trick, as I understand it, is to anneal it well and fill it with fine, dry sand before bending. That's if you haven't got a pipe bender, but I had one like this:

And it was truly rubbish. I threw it out.

I note in passing that Toolstation sell one branded Draper, that's slightly different and might be a bit better.

Anyway, I have to do our house number, too, and was thinking of doing it with 8mm or 10mm pipe, as I have some to hand. I intend to try the sand thing.

E.

 

[marcros]

and to anneal copper, I believe that you heat it and plunge it into cold water- the opposite that you would do for steel.

check before you do it- I am not 100% on this.

 

[Lons]

Shame, just a few weeks ago I had a clear out and scrapped a load of stuff some of which the scrappies called pyro ? It was the elements out of old redundant night storage heaters which were 6mm copper tube with a solid insulation filling around a copper core, you could bend it double by hand without kinking. I don't think I got much for it as scrap value.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

and to anneal copper, I believe that you heat it and plunge it into cold water- the opposite that you would do for steel.

check before you do it- I am not 100% on this.

Yes. The same for silver and brass.

 

[woodfarmer]

and to anneal copper, I believe that you heat it and plunge it into cold water- the opposite that you would do for steel.

check before you do it- I am not 100% on this.

Yes. The same for silver and brass.

For carbon steels you are correct, for stainless and stainless welds it is the other way around

 

[Rorschach]

and to anneal copper, I believe that you heat it and plunge it into cold water- the opposite that you would do for steel.

check before you do it- I am not 100% on this.

Even better if you heat and let it cool gently.

 

[TFrench]

I've always had success with the type of tube bender Eric posted. I've never tried bending heating pipe with it though, it's always been brake pipe which has a thicker wall - I'd say this makes it more resistant to kinking?

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[JWD]

More great responses, cheers fellas

Gonna order some tubing i think this evening, do we reckon brake pipe will be best if it has a slightly thicker wall than plumbing stuff?

ill try and attach a pic of some very quick experiments with some brass at about 3:30am so forgive the dreadful attempt, but i can't decide whether to do each letter separately or try and do it from one long coil in a calligraphic style?

any wisdom or ideas you can throw my way would help massively

joe

 

[JWD]

another point is that at some points, i may want the pipe to kink, so do i just not heat treat that area?

 

[JWD]

Picture

 

[TFrench]

Good first effort! Brake pipe comes in a soft state, ready to form. Once its been bent it work hardens and needs annealing to soften again. I'd say if you bent it in the jaws of a vice you could get it to kink though.

 

[JWD]

ah sounds good! yeah i bet a few taps of a hammer would do it as well

nice one!