1/2 inch copper pipe (Ideas Needed)

[sdalcher]

I just picked up 36 lengths of 1/2 X 24 copper tubing for a song and am trying to think of some projects to make with these... I already am thinking about wind chimes and I seem to remember a project with cattails and tulips. I am looking forward to hearing and better yet seeing some of your ideas!!!

Thanks
Steve

[Johnnie C.]

I have made several flowers with copper in the center. My next copper project is going to be a table top fountain, where the water flows out of the flowers. If you try to soder copper to steel be sure to use silver soder and flux (I can't remember what kind of flux). You can see the pictures in the member gallery.

[triw]

Napkin rings cut the pipe in approx. 1.5 to 2 inch widths. Slide the rings over a smaller diam. piece of steel and hammer to give texture. If you cut the copper pipe on diaginal it gives it a different dimention.

[sdalcher]

Thanks guys, keep the ideas coming!

[az-joe]

cut a piece about 8" long lightly tap the outside of the ends and close up where it looks like a wenee. drill a 1/4" hole in each end and run a 1/4" brass rod through. It. Instant cattail stem. just add some long slender leaves cut from a couple of the other pipe you have and flatten them out. weld to the stem. add a few lilly pads for around the base maybe hammer out a insect of some sort and zowee ya got instant art

[Bentiron1946]

First get a piece of steel rod that just fits the inside, then cut you about 2" of the pipe, slide it on to the steel. Then get a piece of steel pipe that is the about has about the same inside diameter of the steel rod. Make sure that the copper is annealed. Then hammer the pipe down on the copper. It will scrunch up and wrinkle. Slide it off of the steel rod and cut it down the side. Anneal it again and lay it out flat. Presto! You now have a copper belt buckle.:cool:

[keenavv]

I am a 66 y/o male who started OA welding at about 15 and have played or got payed ever since. I have many metal working tools, HH187,Lincoln 100 set up for SS,cut 50 plasma , 2 OA torches , HF band saw, Hf portaband, HF 7 1/2" cold cut saw ,14" abrasive chop saw ,2 RR track anvils (1 small 1' , 1 large 2' crossing track). My shop is a two car garage and a 20x20 covered (tarp) area in front. In my younger days i did some art stuff.

[Avadon]

melt it down into ingots? (I'm not sure how high the quailty of the tubing is though.

[Avadon]

I am a 66 y/o male who started OA welding at about 15 and have played or got payed ever since. I have many metal working tools, HH187,Lincoln 100 set up for SS,cut 50 plasma , 2 OA torches , HF band saw, Hf portaband, HF 7 1/2" cold cut saw ,14" abrasive chop saw ,2 RR track anvils (1 small 1' , 1 large 2' crossing track). My shop is a two car garage and a 20x20 covered (tarp) area in front. In my younger days i did some art stuff.

I like that dark house!!

[Johnnie C.]

I have been incorporating copper with some of the flowers I make. I neck the pipe down about 2 in from the ends and then use silver sodier to get it to hold to the carbon. You can see the flowers in the members gallery.

[woodreaux]

You can hammer one flat to shut the pipe, fill with sand and hammer the other end flat to keep the sand inside. You can then bend the tubing on the beak of anvil or mandrel or any round shape and not crimp the tubing. Open and pour out the sand.

[frogvalley]

these are two of the current production items that I make for my galleries and shops. each one different and I forge them in batches of about 2-6 at a time. Each cob is 3/4 inch copper, cut random lengths about 4-6 long. I then heat them really low, just past a red. I pull them from the forge with a stainless 3/8 rod(mandrel) and crimp/hammer them onto/around the bar. As it cools it shrinks and simply slips off. Besure to support the backside and roundness as you crimp or you will irreparably distort the shape.

For 1/2 inch copper I'd use 1/4 or 5/16 rod for stems, drawn down slightly. I use low fuming bronze rod with a gas torch to attach.

for leaves/reeds i use 3/4 x 1/8 drawn to a point and cupped with either a spring die on one of my hammers, or with my swage block.

[fiddlefixer]

Hey, copper has a clang type sound, you might like it you might not. It does look great outside after a wile(if you don't seal it) and it's easy to work with! I had to scrap most of my old copper from plumbing when times were tough! One little tip,clean the flux off anything you don't want the soder to stick this makes things a little cleaner!
Have fun!