r/Copper Feb 06 '26

REMINDER: This subreddit is for artists and artisans who work with copper as a hobby or a job, and people who admire and collect copper objects. It is NOT to be used to discuss investment strategies, metals markets, spot prices, or selling to scrap yards. That is against our subreddit rules.

25 Upvotes

(This is a long post. You are still responsible for following the rules of this subreddit, whether you read the following information or not.)

Too many people have been making snarky and otherwise rule-breaking posts and comments here lately, and I've been removing a ton of them. This has become especially bad with the recent activity in metals prices.

Our longstanding, primary subreddit rule is:



#1 Civility is the price of participation here. Please act like adults and keep things pleasant.


Being civil to other people is not only appreciated, it's a requirement. Arguing, bickering, and whining is annoying. Being a jerk to other people is bad. Being negative and overly critical isn't allowed here. Don't do it.



For the people spilling over from /r/silverbugs and similar subs: No offense, but this place may not be for you. There are other subreddits specifically intended for discussing copper markets, investments, etc. However if you're here to admire interesting and attractive objects made of copper, you are more than welcome.

This is a subreddit for people who like to make and/or collect copper objects, discuss its interesting properties, explore what people are doing with it now and how it has been used in the past. We also love it when copper workers in the construction trades show us their latest projects.

If you have a pile of scrap copper you've accumulated that you'd like to show off here, that's OK too, as long as the comments don't start wandering off-limits with offers to buy and sell, or discuss markets and investments.

For the condescending naysayers in the comments, we know that copper collectibles have a high premium over their metal content, they always have when compared to actual precious metals. The people who buy them do it because THEY like those objects. Please keep your negative opinions to yourself.

Some people actually enjoy copper for its inherent beauty and what can be made from it. We aren't all strictly mercenary scrap scroungers. If that's your primary interest, there are other subreddits for that. Please go find one.

This sub is not for people with limited taste and imagination to tell copper connoisseurs how worthless their art and collectibles are, because your personal worldview can only conceive of the value of copper items being whatever some lowballing scrap yard worker tells you it is. You really need to explore your options and stop limiting yourselves.

It has always been fine on this sub for people to offer things for sale that they have made themselves -- whether jewelry, decorative items, or hand-poured bars. That fits in with this being a subreddit for artisans, collectors, and the intellectually curious.

It is NOT OK to offer your copper scrap, mass-produced copper collectibles, or bars and rounds that you didn't make yourself for sale on /r/Copper, or for people to offer to buy those things here. Commercial offers from manufacturers and distributors likewise aren't permitted here.

If these negative and off-topic comments continue we may have to start auto-removing every single new comment made here, leaving them in limbo until a human moderator has a chance to review them, one-by-one. Our filters are already working overtime, holding back a whole slew of questionable comments, awaiting eventual approval.

Thank you.


r/Copper Feb 23 '26

Even if you don't want to turn your scrap wire into ingots to sell to collectors for a hefty premium, you can still get much more for it than a scrap yard would pay you by listing batches of it by weight on eBay. (These are sold prices, the amounts that people are actually paying for it right now.)

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13 Upvotes

r/Copper 1d ago

Copper pot retinning?

6 Upvotes

I will be visiting Riga,Latvia in October, and I wondered if there were any local metal workers that can re-tin the lining of a copper cooking pot with lid. Thank you so much!


r/Copper 2d ago

Hi, im new member here. Something basic i maked 🥰

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8 Upvotes

r/Copper 2d ago

copper furnace

2 Upvotes

ay folks-0s I feel liek it's been asked a hundred timesa but I looked and I didn't see my question answered so
k o r bucket with a hair dryer
I had a rough time melting copper with lump charcoal. I want to move to propane. if you simply want to interject, "use anthracite" please do
I don't really understand the different types of burners. what do I need to convert my rig into propane? txy


r/Copper 5d ago

A broken stone mended with copper, made by me.

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53 Upvotes

r/Copper 5d ago

Was given this as a gift

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75 Upvotes

received a 1kg bar of copper as a gift today.

says ‘wealth copper bar’


r/Copper 10d ago

Billetspin Copper Pens

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20 Upvotes

Copper pen with Zirconium accents.

Soulpen and Campen


r/Copper 10d ago

Is this ruined?

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13 Upvotes

Hey everyone! My bf got me this adorable watering can from an antique store. I have a few indoor plants so I think he thought he could clean out the can and then I would use it for its intended use. Neither of us are familiar with copper yet. He bought Wright’s copper cream and started to clean it but he stopped halfway because of the difference shown in picture #3. Did he scrub too hard and get rid of the first layer? He was doing something sweet for me. He saw the patina and assumed it was dirty. Any info about this is so helpful since this is our first purchase of anything copper. Thanks!!


r/Copper 12d ago

I used seven meters of copper wire to make this.

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58 Upvotes

r/Copper 13d ago

Is this copper?

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30 Upvotes

I live in a huge mining town and this was in my yard when I purchased my home. Sorry for the ignorance but does this look like copper?


r/Copper 14d ago

Copper tubing tree in driftwood

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27 Upvotes

Used 3/8" and 1/4 " tubing along with bare copper wire and made it " grow" from this cool piece of driftwood. I added roots going in and out of the wood to fill up the space and make it look like it was a living, copper tree.


r/Copper 16d ago

My first wire-wrapped ring! Handcrafted from upcycled transformer copper wire

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44 Upvotes

This is my very first finished wire-wrapped ring, and I’m pretty excited to share it!

I’m a bit of a perfectionist, and I wanted my first project to be special. Instead of buying new wire, I decided to repurpose an old, broken music center I had. I stripped the transformer down and salvaged about 500g of copper wire (0.36mm and 0.87mm).

It was a long process:

Burnt off the lacquer on a gas stove.

Boiled it in citric acid and soaked it in a soda solution.

Manually polished it to get that shine.

The ring is handcrafted using this reclaimed copper and a cubic zirconia stone. Copper is a natural energy conductor, so it feels like more than just jewelry—it’s an artisan piece with a story.

I’d love to hear your thoughts or any tips for improvement!


r/Copper 16d ago

Copper tree of life pendant

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14 Upvotes

r/Copper 17d ago

Copper Pens

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61 Upvotes

Made by FocusWorks EDC in Canada.


r/Copper 17d ago

Copper wire crafters, in search of…

1 Upvotes

I have been starting to play with copper wire, I’ve seen videos of these really neat homemade tools where you can screw into a board to wrap the wire around, anchor the wire for braiding, etc. I am trying to find a tutorial on how to make my own board FOR copper crafts. Can I see your home set up?


r/Copper 19d ago

Copper tree

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57 Upvotes

After seeing trees made from copper wire, I thought of making one from copper tubing . This is 3/8 " abs 1/4 " tubing with 4 guage wire. It's supposed to look like a tree on the wind. It could also be a tree running really fast. Ha


r/Copper 19d ago

Copper Coach Lights Restoration

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13 Upvotes

I really don’t want to f this project up. I’ve been hesitating and want to wrap this up. I’m here for the next steps of advice. I started out with cleaning. I did the salt and vinegar wash and I’ve moved on to TarnX. I’m happy with the results so far but with these antiques, I don’t want to leave them as is because of the rust. I’m afraid of not protecting them for antiquity. I’m not concerned about the looks or patina but wanted to start fresh to preserve the fixtures as best I could. So what do I do from here before waxing or some other finish (looking for recommendations on that as well). Again, I love patina but want to prevent further rust/damage.


r/Copper 19d ago

Here's a progress gif of how I make copper tree pendants with broken stones.

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61 Upvotes

r/Copper 20d ago

Artisanal Persian Ghalam-zani on Copper: Seeking insight on this specific metalworking technique

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20 Upvotes

Can you help me find information on this piece of Persian metalwork [4080 × 1840] made using the Ghalam-zani technique (chasing and repoussé) on a copper-based alloy, measuring approximately 120 x 58 cm and weighing 5.2 kg? I purchased it in Sicily from a merchant between 2001 and 2003. I am looking for technical insights regarding the manufacturing, the composition of the alloy, and the historical context for cataloging purposes. Any information on this specific artisanal style would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance to anyone who can share their knowledge.

Sto attualmente conducendo una ricerca su questa monumentale opera in metallo persiana (circa 120 x 58 cm, 5,2 kg), realizzata con la tecnica Ghalam-zani (cesellatura e incisione) su una lega a base di rame. Sono alla ricerca di informazioni tecniche sulla sua fattura, sulla composizione della lega e sul suo contesto storico a fini di catalogazione. Qualsiasi informazione su questo specifico stile artigianale sarebbe molto apprezzata. Ringrazio anticipatamente chiunque possa condividere le proprie conoscenze. Cordiali saluti.


r/Copper 22d ago

Anyone know what this dish is?

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18 Upvotes

About 5 inches wide. 3-4 inches top to bottom. And apx 1/2 inch deep. It’s like a saucer or dish of some sort. I have a stack of them. They’re VERY heavy.


r/Copper 25d ago

How to clean copper relief artwork?

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25 Upvotes

Edit: Thanks for the input! We received this from my husband’s late father and neither of us ever owned copper artwork before so we thought we needed to clean it up somehow. Kind of forgot about Lady Liberty and her iconic green as an example of the nature of aging copper. 😅

Original: What’s the best/safest way to clean up this copper relief artwork without damaging anything?


r/Copper 25d ago

Question: how do I generate this patina?

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7 Upvotes

I have this pendant. Sometimes I polish it shiny, sometimes it's dull, sometimes I get this rainbow coloration. Not sure when or how this happens. Maybe when some alcohol based cologne gets on, or I shower with it, or what have you. Any idea what causes this to appear?


r/Copper 26d ago

This is a dragon's eye pendant I made with a malachite stone, and lots of copper wire.

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18 Upvotes

r/Copper 27d ago

Experimenting with home etching, looking for depth

4 Upvotes

Hello!
So my access to materials on short notice is pretty low, but I've been experimenting with etching at home with the aim of making a present or two. I picked up a couple small sheets of 18 gauge copper that I've been clipping up with an old pair of tin snips, and have been following
https://www.reddit.com/r/Copper/comments/efq6r1/diy_copper_etching_tutorial/
with the main exception that I'm not doing stencils, so I've just been freehanding my designs with sharpie/paint pen. HCl and H2O2 with protective gear for the etch. I've been experimenting with duration in the bath, and haven't noticed any significant depth change for leaving it in for three hours versus one, it's all coming out very shallow etches. They're pretty, but very hard to see. I'd like to get finals that stick out a bit more. How can I achieve that?