[Jewelry making - Article 00710] - Re: [Orchid] Copper questions

[Marilyn Smith]

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    Yes, you can make the copper more malleable with heat. It's called
    annealing. Check your local library for books on metalsmithing. You
    can heat the wire with a propane torch from the hardware store.
    Depending on the length of the wire, it may take a while. Lay or
    coil the wire on a fireproof surface and put the blue part of the
    flame on the metal. Move it along the length constantly. It doesn't
    have to more fast but must move constantly. If you have an electric
    stove, you know how red the coils can look. You want the copper to
    get very red. It is hard to melt thick copper wire so you don't have
    to worry about melting it. It does not all have to be the same color
    at the same time but each section needs to have been that color.
    Otherwise, you will have sections that are harder to move than
    others. Quench the copper ing water. A lot of the black will flack
    off. The rest can be removed with wet and dry sandpaper, steel wool,
    scrubbies, and  wire brushes. You should then be able to move the
    metal with your bare hands. If you need force, try a leather mallet.
    If it gets too hard, anneal again and again and again. You are using
    a very tight radius for metal this thick. Are you winding it around
    something to keep the coils even? 

Marilyn Smith


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