flattening copper sheet

AntCaps

AntCaps

Joined
May 6, 2009
Messages
924
Hey guys,
So I grabbed some scrap copper sheet to use as handle liner its maybe a 16th thick and its a little warped, so how would you guys flatten it out?
I dont currently have access to a lot of tools, so what do you guys think?
Thanks
Anth
 
Use a wide and flat mallet made out of a softer material. A 2X4 will work in a pinch. Hammer gently. If you hit it hard, or use a hard faced hammer, it will stretch the metal and make the warp worse.

To soften the pieces, heat to a dull red color and quench in water. The copper will be dead soft and easily straightened.
 
get two pieces of flat anything. do as stacy outlined heat to a dull red and quench. put copper between the two pieces of flat whatever and firmly tap with whatever hammer like object you have at hand.
 
thanks guys i kinda figured that would be the answer but just incase someone had a better way i figured id ask.
thanks again.
Anth
 
As they said, make sure it's annealed and dead soft or you'll be fighting yourself and the metal all the way to no where. I've found putting the metal on a flat hard unmarred surface (steel) and tapping all over with a raw hide mallet works well. If the metal is being stubborn lots of smallish taps (like with the edge of the mallet face) working over the surface a little at a time is often more effective than trying to do the whole surface at once with large hard whacks of the whole mallet face.
 
Simply said, you'll easily succeed if its annealed (relaxed) and be less likely to if it's work-hardened (tense). If it's annealed it will react in a manner similar to lead, there will be no memory, thus it will respond to changes better. If it's work-hardened it will be less able to relax into a new position/shape, thus it will tend to hold it's warped state. When I handle annealed copper it makes me think of wet leather or clay (easy to manipulate), whereas work-hardened copper makes me think of dry leather or clay (hard and stiff).
 
Bill Burke said:
get two pieces of flat anything. do as stacy outlined heat to a dull red and quench. put copper between the two pieces of flat whatever and firmly tap with whatever hammer like object you have at hand.
Click to expand...

Sorry about this one but I just had this picture in my mind of someone asking a shop clerc if thea sell Anythings. "A flat whatever will do as well, how much are they?"
 
Hengelo_77 said:
Sorry about this one but I just had this picture in my mind of someone asking a shop clerc if thea sell Anythings. "A flat whatever will do as well, how much are they?"
Click to expand...

of course they sell them it is just that clerks are for the most part uninformed. :)
 
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