# Cutting 3mm Copper



## jakeheron108 (25 Aug 2018)

Hi,

I don't really have much knowledge when it comes to metal working, but it's something I'd like to get into. I want to cut 3mm copper into 32mm discs and a few other custom shapes, as I'm unable to find any blanks thicker than 0.8mm. Could someone point me in the right direction of what I could use to do this (nothing that would break the bank), including certain tools for the job, websites and a few tips. 

Also, what good quality alphabet/numetical metal stamps would you guys recommend?

Any help would be much appreciated! :mrgreen: 

Cheers,

Jake


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## Rorschach (25 Aug 2018)

These people will make custom sizes for you.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Copper-Washe ... YyvZ58Ijig


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## Fergal (25 Aug 2018)

You could do it with a hole saw. You'd need to make a jig so that you could cut them out without using the hole saw's pilot drill if you need a complete disc without a central hole. A pillar drill would also make this process easier and more repeatable.


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## Inspector (26 Aug 2018)

You need to search for plate stock not sheet. You can also try looking for flat bar.


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## AES (26 Aug 2018)

Agreed you could do it with a hole saw (without centre pilot hole if you need a plain disc - no centre hole). As said, a jig + pillar drill would be a must if no centre hole is required. 

What would also work is any powered fret saw/scroll saw, if you can beg/borrow/steal the use of one. It would need a bit of practice to get nice clean circles, AND a reasonably fine-tooth blade, especially at 3 mm thick, but there's a huge range of blades from people like Pegas (Axi are the UK stockists) and this is definitely do-able this way.

Re material, I agree that this thickness is probably classed as "plate", not sheet, and also agree that flat bar of the appropriate width will do. As to where to buy, I guess that it's going to be expensive if buying new (do you have any local steel stock holders?), or purely by luck, a bit of skip diving, and/or talking to local metal working companies about their scrap bin. This last is probably not too helpful though, because if want decent quantities they'll be selling their scrap to the local scrappy (have you heard about gangs stripping cables from road and rail sides for the copper value)? Copper is a pretty high value metal these days.

IF it is OK from the looks/strength viewpoint (you don't say what the job is) you could try cutting these from thinner sheet and then sweating them together (solder) to get the thickness you need. At 3 mm thick with say, 0.8 mm sheet as a starter, you'd need a hefty solder iron though - preferably a pair of old-fashioned heat up over the gas jobbies because copper is a great heat sink and those old irons hold a lot of heat.

I inherited a set of number/letter stamps from my Dad in the '70s, not sure what make. For new I suggest you look at the suppliers sticky at the top of this General Metal Working section - people like Arc Eurotrade spring to mind (usual disclaimers).

HTH

Edit for a P.S. If you go through the sticky at the top of this section "Hacksaws, blah, blah, ......... " you'll find info on a quite cheap (50 quid or so???) little electric drill attachment called a nibbler. Again with a bit of practice, that will cut nice circles (without a centre hole) in any sheet metal up to about 2 mm thick, but that tool will not handle 3 mm material. And of course, the other possibility (for centre-less discs) is a powered jigsaw, again fitted with a suitable fine tooth metal cutting blade.

If you do go the thinner discs stuck together route, you can mount the stacked discs (after soldering or whatever) on a mount made of a ply disc with a metal shaft screwed into it, all hot glued onto the back of the stack. That can then be mounted in a pillar drill (or electric drill in a horizontal stand) and spun against a file (gently!) to true up the resulting disc.

That was my "after my shower afterthought"!


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## --Tom-- (26 Aug 2018)

Get a 32mm round bar and slice discs off from it?


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## jakeheron108 (26 Aug 2018)

Thanks for all of your replies, some very interesting ideas, I've a lot more to work from now! Much appreciated


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## jakeheron108 (26 Aug 2018)

AES":3p66iifk said:


> Agreed you could do it with a hole saw (without centre pilot hole if you need a plain disc - no centre hole). As said, a jig + pillar drill would be a must if no centre hole is required.
> 
> What would also work is any powered fret saw/scroll saw, if you can beg/borrow/steal the use of one. It would need a bit of practice to get nice clean circles, AND a reasonably fine-tooth blade, especially at 3 mm thick, but there's a huge range of blades from people like Pegas (Axi are the UK stockists) and this is definitely do-able this way.
> 
> ...



I appreciate the detailed reply, it was very helpful. I'm actually trying to make/design golf ball markers using hand stamps and a few other tools. I'm going to do some research on the pros/cons of all of the ideas you came up with to see which one would probably be most feasible.


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## AES (26 Aug 2018)

Glad to be of some help at least. As an additional thought to the previous poster, getting a bar of the correct diameter and "slicing" pieces off would also work. But without a powered hack saw (again see the sticky about "Hacksaws ..... ") it would be quite hard work if any more than 2 or 3 off were needed, even with copper. IF going that route you'd need a 14 TPI (or even 10 TPI) blade for a hand hack saw, IF you can find one!

The other possible "problem" with that approach would be cleaning the disc face up after sawing (I presume you'd need a pretty smooth surface - I can't picture the job, sorry, I don't play golf), and filing it up would be quite hard work, especially if you have little metal working experience. MAYBE final sanding on a disc (after rough filing), or in the pillar drill/horizontal drill stand would do. Pity you don't have a lathe!

Also, as suggested in my previous post, I'm guessing 30 mm copper bar would be pretty expensive.

Anyway, best of luck, at least between all of us posters, you have some ideas to play with to see if it's worth going on with your idea. If you need any more help come back and ask - there's loads of helpful people here.


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## Rorschach (26 Aug 2018)

I still think it would be best to buy in ready made discs and just polish them up yourself. If you are parting off discs in a lathe you will lose 50% of a disc everytime you cut one.


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## AES (26 Aug 2018)

Agreed about the wastage when cutting off in a lathe Rorschach (though some parting off tools - knife type - can be quite thin, and strangely enough, despite all the "dire warnings" about parting off in all my books, parting off has never been a big problem for me - beginner's luck I guess. I have MUCH more problem with internal bores!). But I only made the comment about a lathe in jest because the OP said he has little experience or equipment for metal working, and agreed it wasn't relevant.


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## CHJ (26 Aug 2018)

If you are after smart presentation then I think you will find it difficult to do it with stamps.
The copper disc, even with a solid steel anvil under it is likely to distort from the stamp and it is not easy to line up a row of letters.

Engraving with a pantograph engraver is the way to go unless you are skilled at free hand engraving in clear script.


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## Rorschach (28 Aug 2018)

AES":14ladasv said:


> Agreed about the wastage when cutting off in a lathe Rorschach (though some parting off tools - knife type - can be quite thin, and strangely enough, despite all the "dire warnings" about parting off in all my books, parting off has never been a big problem for me - beginner's luck I guess. I have MUCH more problem with internal bores!). But I only made the comment about a lathe in jest because the OP said he has little experience or equipment for metal working, and agreed it wasn't relevant.



I also don't tend to have any trouble with parting off, the thinnest blade I have though is still approx 1mm thick, when you are parting off 3 mm discs, presumably with a facing operation as well then you for every 2 discs you will lose at least 1 in swarf.


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## novocaine (28 Aug 2018)

a 3mm disc would be easy enough to cast from scrap copper. :lol: 

does it have to be 32mm? it's an odd size, if you did them 30mm you could buy this (https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/292434431970?c ... 1295145520) and have minimal wastage. 

you could also consider brass over copper (bit more traditional) and a lot cheaper and easier to get. 

already been told the best way to do it, hole saw and a jig in a pillar drill, you'll still need to clean the edges but that's not the end of the world, hopefully you are aware that a 32mm hole saw will give you a 30mm disc. 

stamps, I know this is a fashionable thing at the moment (no idea why), but engraving is so much cleaner looking, I'm carp at it, but a pantograph engraver can be had for sensible money secondhand but to be honest it's cheaper to pick up a small CNC engraver. this all depends on how many you are making though. if it's a few, then cut them yourself and pop down to timpsons for engraving. 

If you still want to go with stamps, I bought these for the missus (so she'd stop nicking my very old draper set), they seem good quality, didn't shatter when I smacked them and formed a reasonably letter form. 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B06 ... UTF8&psc=1


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## Gerry (28 Aug 2018)

Does it have to be copper? Would plastic suffice which could be painted.
It would be relatively cheap and easy to get these 3d Printed along with any lettering required.

Gerry


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## Beau (28 Aug 2018)

You could just keep it stupidly simple. Draw on your 32mm circle and cut grind away all you dont want. Had to make a disc in 2mm stainless recently and after lots of complicated deliberation just did the above with much better than expected results.

If you are needing lot I would look for a local laser cutting place. I needed some 3mm thick stainless washers made and they cost something like 30p each on small run of around 50. That was me providing the material but even so seemed like a bargain.


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## Neil S (29 Aug 2018)

Just thinking outside the box...
Could you get a 32mm disc of some other metal and electro plate it?
If you're making a lot it might be cheaper. You'd need to do all the engraving or stamping first though.
Neil

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## Neil S (29 Aug 2018)

Actually scrap that idea. Unless you got a good thickness of plate on there it would probably wear of and end up looking really cheap.
Neil

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