[TheForge] cutting 1/4 copper

[David E. Smucker]

Cutting copper with machine tools (saws, milling cutters, drills, skill saws 
etc.) depends a great deal on how pure the copper is.  Most copper that we 
see has some small amount of alloy added to make it easier to cut and 
machine etc.  Really pure copper is hell to cut.  It is so gummy (is that a 
word?) and soft is very difficult to work with.  (not counting plasma 
cutting here).  We used to make very large induction coils from an 
electrical conductor grade of copper that was pure hell to machine in the 
early years of my old day job.

Dave Smucker
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bruce Freeman" <FREEMAB at pt.fdah.com>
To: <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2005 10:31 AM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] cutting 1/4 copper


> Small pieces for jewelry are easily cut with a jeweler's saw.  A hacksaw
> would work, albeit laborious.  The sawzall should have worked.  Perhaps
> the blade was wrong for the job?  Maybe a circular saw would work
> better.  There was a discussion here some time back about a "new"
> circular saw blade that would cleanly cut steel.  I don't recall what it
> was called and I don't know whether it would be applicable to copper.
>
> Bruce
> NJ
>
>>>> flyinpig at go-concepts.com 4/12/2005 10:15:27 AM >>>
>
> How about a redsmithing question to break the lull?
>
> Last year a local scrap yard had some copper for sale, so I bought a
> couple
> hundred pounds at $1/lb.  So a buddy of mine would like a chunk out of
> a
> ~4'x5'x 1/4" plate that I'd bought.  We spent an hour and a half
> chiseling
> down both sides until it was scored and work hardened enough to lay it
> on a
> 4x4 and jump on it to break it along the chisel line.
>
> We'd tried setting up a fence and cutting it with a sawzall, but it
> wouldn't
> cut straight.  The blade flexed too easily, perhaps too much pressure?
> Anyway, anyone got any better ideas on how to cut out pieces?
>
> Kevin Donahoe
> Flying Pig Forge
> Morrow, OH 45152
> flyinpig at go-concepts.com
>
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