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Part 1 |
Technically speaking, the copper veneer is .005" or 36 gauge. To get a real-world idea, the copper is almost twice as thick as the aluminum used to make a soda can or 7 times the thickness of aluminum foil.
A pair of scissors will work surprisingly well.
Check out this article which discusses the two most common methods for bonding copper to a project substrate.
The copper sheeting comes in the following sizes at VeneerSupplies.com:
With the right adhesive, you can bond the copper veneer to almost any substrate.
Generally speaking, you do not need a balance veneer with copper veneer since this material does not expand and contract with seasonal changes in humidity.
Paste Wax Lacquer Poured-On Epoxy
Yes! Copper veneer is suitable for counter tops and desktops as long as you adequately protect it.
If protected with wax or lacquer, it is possible that the patina could be scratched off. If this is a major concern, consider using an epoxy finish.
Contact cement never fully hardens so there is a bit of liability there. If you have a means of clamping the copper in place, then I highly suggest using TC-20 because it dries rock-hard. TC-20 is so strong that it has been used for copper flooring around CAT-scan equipment. Keep in mind that TC-20 takes 24 hours to cure. If you attempt to peel off the copper before 24 hours has passed, you will get some delamination. Simply wait for the full cure to occur and you will be astonished by the strength of this adhesive. Since TC-20 dries hard, you will find that completed copper panels can be trimmed very cleanly on a table saw.
Place the veneer face down on a smooth, clean surface. Gently scuff-sand the back of the copper veneer with 80 or 120 grit sandpaper. Be sure to scuff all parts that are to be bonded (especially corners and edges). Wear gloves while doing this to prevent any chemical residue from contacting your skin.
A vacuum press is ideal because it puts down an even amount of pressure and allows the use of TC-20 adhesive.
I've spoken to a few chemists about this question and each has come to the same conclusion. The chemicals used to make a solvent-based contact cement affect some copper, brass, and other metals. Not all copper is the same. Some have anti-tarnishing components added. Other coppers have material added that increases rigidity. The large companies that produce contact cements try to avoid the liability associated with a failure of their product when used to bond a material that can have so many variations in content.
Yes and no. The chemists that I worked with said that sovent-based contact cements might not last as long as copper panels bonded with TC-20. The durability estimates with solvent-based contact cement ranged from 5 to 20 years. To be clear, this is not a time frame for total delamination of the copper from the substrate. Instead, this is the amount of time before the contact cement will break down and begin to allow weakening of the bond strength. Because there is no long-term interaction between the chemicals in TC-20 and the copper, it's durability range is indefinite.
This type of contact cement requires a porous surface to bond properly. Since the copper sheeting is not porous, water-based contact cement will not work.
If the copper is protected with epoxy or lacquer, it will "age" considerably slower than if simply waxed. The copper patina will typically fade and the copper itself will develop a warm brown tone.
Some of the copper styles have a reasonably large pattern. A small sample could be hit or miss in terms of adequately representing a full sheet of the patina copper. I've determined that 8" x 10" is the absolute minimum size to determine the color and character of the patina type. There is no mistake that the copper is a bit on the expensive side and offering all of the colors in an 8" x 10" book or chain is just not practical. I offer them individually which allows you to choose only the patina styles that are of interest.
If you find copper veneers with names like "Azul", "Zebra", "Rojo", "Verde" and "Bamboo" then it is very likely that the reseller is purchasing the copper from the same source. This source has required allof us to sell his copper at the same price. At least we offer free shipping on the larger sheets!
Most places that sell this color copper are using the stock photographs provided by the manufacturer. I used these stock images for the first few months that we offered the copper veneer. Within that time, several customers complained that the images we not fair representations of the true colors of the copper. The colors were saturated and the contrast of these manufacturer-provided images were computer enhanced. So I set up a jig for my camera and took pictures of each patina style. Then I adjusted the images on a color-calibrated monitor and since then, I've received no complaints about the copper.
I've seen a huge number of copper projects completed with the 36 gauge copper and none of these required the heavy duty version when protected with a suitable finish. Considering the expense of crating and shipping the heavy copper sheeting, I doubt there is enough "demand" to warrant adding it to my website.
Yes, unfortunately there is another Internet-based supplier that has taken images, text, and ideas from my websites without my permission. I was astonished to learn that this supplier is a teenager running a "business" from his parent's basement. There is really not much I can do about this type of theft. |
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