How to anneal and firescale copper sheet metal.
Annealing copper sheet metal.
Making it more malleable.
Annealing copper makes it softer and less brittle which allows you to bend it without breaking it.
If all you want to do is color the copper a small torch will likely do the job but you are not likely to be able to actualy anneal any signifiacnt size piece.
You can anneal any grade and thickness of copper as long as you have a flame that can transmit enough heat to the metal.
This video shows you how to safely use the torches in this classroom as well as anneal a piece of copper and add firescale.
This malleability allows you to hammer and mold the copper into any shape you wish without cracking the metal.
Copper is one of the metals that hardens when it is worked bent stretched.
Annealing is a method of softening metal that has been hardened by one method or another.
Copper silver and brass can be either cooled slowly in air or quickly by quenching in water.
This is especially so in metals that become work hardened like copper and brass although brass can become very brittle and fracture easily especially if it has been heated.
To define the annealing process in simple terms means to remove any stresses and return material to a soft and workable state ie.