Copper sheet blanks: durable and aesthetic
Copper and copper blanks are virtually omnipresent in your everyday life. In the form of cent coins, the material passes through your hands almost daily. It can be found as cables or water pipes in the wall, as pans in the kitchen and as circuit boards in mobile phones. Visually appealing, particularly durable and recyclable as often as you like, copper sheet blanks are an ideal choice for numerous projects.
What works? Copper sheet cuttings for your ideas!
If you let your gaze wander over the roofs of the city, it is sure to catch sight of one or two copper-roofed buildings. There is certainly no shortage of ideas for the use of a copper sheet when you realise where the heavy metal can be found everywhere.
You can draw inspiration for small-scale roofing from large buildings such as the Berlin Cathedral. A copper sheet cut, for example, gives a bird feeder a more than unusual look.
Would you rather use the warm colour of the material to create an atmospheric ambience in your home? Teapot warmer and fragrance lamps made of a copper sheet blank that reflects the candlelight are a good way to work with the material.
You can use copper sheet from our blank to decorate your furniture, create works of art or stylish decorations. Even jewellery can be made from the shimmering red sheet. In combination with epoxy resin, expressive designs are as good as pre-programmed.
Attention: If you intend to use the copper sheet cut for projects that require load-bearing stability, we advise you to use steel or stainless steel sheets instead.
Simply order copper sheet blanks online
Do you want to work with this aesthetic material yourself? With our copper sheet blanks you have a solid basis for numerous projects.
We make it easy for you. You benefit from our know-how and a well-equipped workshop. Tin snips, cutters, scroll and circular saws can safely stay where they are. Moreover, you don't need to worry about the right saw blade and the right speed for the soft copper. You decide which copper cut is suitable for your project and we cut the sheets to your desired size. Delivery is direct and uncomplicated to your home.
Important: Copper sheet blanks are only equipped with a protective film on one side. Due to processing and transport, the material may arrive with scratches on the other side.
Processing options for your blanks
Copper sheet blanks are easy to form both cold and hot. You can bend, fold and drive the sheet. Different parts can be joined together or with other metals by soldering. After previously roughening the surface, it is also possible to join individual components together with adhesives such as our epoxy minute glue.
You can weld copper plate blanks. However, as the material has a high thermal conductivity and low melting temperature, the process is not without its difficulties. Machining work also requires manual know-how. Copper is soft and tends to smear. Here, the most important thing is the right tool and the right working speed.
Metal meets metal - keyword contact corrosion: You want to combine different metals for your project? You should consider the following when planning your project: Depending on the inherent electrical potential, the presence of an electrolytic conductor and a different corrosion resistance of the materials, an electrochemical reaction can occur. As a result, one of the two metals begins to corrode.
To avoid this contact corrosion, it can be useful to:
- shield the different metals from each other,
- choose the materials in such a way that contact corrosion does not occur,
- make sure that no corrosion medium is present.
Practical background knowledge
To ensure that your project with copper sheeting from our cut-to-size range is a complete success, we have put together some exciting and useful extra information for you. Are you ready?
What is a copper sheet blank and what is it made of?
Copper plate blanks consist of copper rolled into sheets. The heavy metal with the chemical designation CU has been used as a material since ancient times due to its good processing possibilities. As early as the Roman Empire, up to 15,000 tonnes per year were produced.
Copper is the only reddish-coloured metal. It belongs to the group of semi-precious metals and occurs in nature both in the form of pure copper and as ore. Copper mining has an immense impact on the environment. However, copper and also copper sheet blanks can be recycled as often as desired without any loss of quality.
Interesting: Germany's current copper recycling rate is around 50%. Worldwide, about one third of the raw material is recycled.
Copper blanks - malleable and weather-resistant
Copper sheet blanks are relatively soft and easy to shape. They conduct both heat and electricity and have a low resistance. When exposed to air, they form an oxide film within a few hours, which provides weather-resistant properties. The characteristic red initially turns brown and over time acquires the turquoise-green patina typical of copper. It is self-healing and, among other things, responsible for the long life of copper because it covers the material like a protective film.
One of the most famous buildings on which this discolouration can be admired is the Statue of Liberty in New York harbour. Its steel frame is adorned with a copper shell weighing around 80 tonnes. The statue was inaugurated in 1886, and by 1900 a greenish oxide layer had spread over Lady Liberty. By 1906, the patina finally covered the entire surface.
Copper is toxic to many microorganisms in low concentrations. For this reason, it is found in water pipes and brewing kettles, among other things. Light switches and door handles that are used frequently and by changing people can also benefit from the antibacterial effect of a sheet of copper.
To deliberately shape the properties of the raw material, copper can be alloyed with other metals. The best-known variants are the significantly harder copper-tin alloy bronze and the slightly harder and easily machinable copper-zinc alloy brass.
Extra tip: If you want to speed up the oxidation process of your copper sheet cuttings, patinating agents are a good choice. The material will develop its green-blue patina in time and you can enjoy its special charm.