[TheForge] Re: Forging copper

[Mike Spencer]

> As Roger D. says grounding rod is copper clad steel. 

Ordinary domestic, maybe.  But when I needed a bit of copper, I got it
from a lightening rod installer.  Solid copper 3/4" (or maybe 5/8"?)
round.

> Stay away from electrical bus bar as it contains beryllium and is
> pretty toxic. 

Um, I didn't know that.  I use 1/4" x 4" buss bar as a backing plate
on the anvil face for cut-off.  I never tried to heat and anneal or
forge it.

> It's best to buy new and not run the risk of using scrap unless
> you're positive of what it is.

Hm, yes.  Another thing to note is that "red brass" looks quite a lot
like copper and is malleable but much less so than pure copper.  I
have an omelette pan with many, many extra hammer blows in it because
I started with "copper" that I later learned was "red brass".  Nice
pan, though.

- Mike

-- 
Michael Spencer                  Nova Scotia, Canada       .~. 
                                                           /V\ 
mspencer at tallships.ca                                     /( )\
http://home.tallships.ca/mspencer/                        ^^-^^