Pictures from copper

Press, 31 July 1984, Page 16

Pictures from copper

The craft of copper tooling is easy to learn and requires only a small amount of equipment After a little practice, beginners can soon produce pictures and plaques which they can proudly hang on the wall.

Copper tooling, or embossing, is done on thin sheets of copper which are available from craft supply shops or metal suppliers. Special tools are available for this type of work, but beginners can improvise with a ballpoint pen which has run out of ink, butchers’ skewers, pottery tools and a teaspoon with a rounded end.

The colouring picture on this page would be a suitable design for a copper picture. Steps in making a copper picture:— Choose a fairly plain and uncluttered design or picture. Photocopy or trace this on to a single sheet of paper. Take a piece of copper sheeting which is slightly larger than the design chosen. Tape the design on to the copper,, then trace around its outline firmly with an old ballpoint pen. Do this on a hard surface such as a chopping board. Take off the paper design, then turn the copper over.

Now trace around the design on the back of the copper, just inside the original line. Turn the copper over again and retrace the original design on the front. Now it is time to start pushing out the design. Put a couple of thicknesses of soft cloth, such as towelling, on the working surface, and lay the copper front side down.

Using a wooden pottery tool, or the rounded end of a teaspoon, work gently across the inside of the design pushing down slightly into the towelling. Overlap strokes so ridges do not form between them. Next, turn the work back to the front side, and working on the hard surface again trace around the original outline. This can be done with a sharp-pointed meat skewer if the special copper tools are not available.

Turn the copper over again, and using the towelling for a cushion, press out the design some more.

This process is repeated, working on the front outline on a hard surface then

pushing on the back on a soft surface, until the design is raised to the desired level.

After the design is raised, light markings can be applied from the back and highlighted on the front, but a light touch is needed at this stage in order to avoid denting the copper.

To make the design stand out more clearly, the background can be textured by hammering. This leaves an attractive rough surface which contrasts with the plain raised part.

The next step is to fill in the hollowed out back of the copper with wax, putty, plaster of Paris or similar material. This supports and strengthens the raised sections of the copper.

The plaque can be mounted on a piece of wood. The wood must be a little smaller than the copper so that the edges of the copper can be bent over and taped down on the board.

Colouring and polishing is the last and most exciting step in the project. The whole of the copper must be thoroughly cleaned,

with fine steel wool or a metal chemical cleaner. It has to be very clean to obtain the best results with staining.

Staining is done with potassium sulphide which can be obtained from a chemist shop. Put a small piece of this, about the size of a fingernail, into a glass of warm water. When it is dissolved, apply this solution to the copper with a brush or fine steel wool. The stain is applied right across the front of the copper, including the raised design.

The copper will change colour, turning a reddish brown and perhaps greenish, gradually becoming darker. When the desired colour is achieved, rinse the plaque in cold running water.

When it is dry, use the steel wool or metal cleaner to clean the areas which have been raised. These will now contrast markedly with the dark-stained background. To preserve the finished work of art, it should be coated with a clear varnish.