Copper Forming (sort of)

[Parm]

ive rescued a proper old steel frying fan from the scrappy recently. I've got it all seasoned now and it's a joy to cook with, but now I would like a lid for it.


I've got some copper sheet (2.4 mm thick) much larger than the diamter of the pan. I've a good assortment of hammers, panel beating hammers and shaped wooden mallets and I can easily get my hands on a lether bag filled with lead shot/sand.

The question is how easy would it be to make a doomed lid about 300 mm diameter where the dome is approximately 100 to 150 mm high and what technique would you recommend

 

[gordon stephenson]

Spinning over a wooden former on a lathe would be nice, Then joddle the edge to locate on the pan rim.
P.S. How about looking for a cymbol From a drum set, I know they are not copper but might make a good lid,

 

[Tiggy_dorset]

Copper work hardens. To soften it, heat to cherry red then quench in water.

 

[Parm]

Spinning over a wooden former on a lathe would be nice, Then coddle the edge to locate on the pan rim.
P.S. How about looking for a cymbol From a drum set, I know they are not copper but might make a good lid,

That's a really good idea and one I'll definately look into. Copper was only an idea as Ive got a couple of small sheets kicking about

 

[Parm]

Copper work hardens. To soften it, heat to cherry red then quench in water.

Also usefull, never cooled in water though

 

[optima21]

how about just buying a lid for it?

glass lids :-
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/282024386606

aluminium :-
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/252361085363

 

[123hotchef]

i have a top of off a copper cylinder here going begging

 

[Kent]

The ball of a hammer? Obviously metal spinning gives a more manufactured look but do you want that and have you the kit?

Been searching for some copper like that a while for my spitting carp I want to make on my top pond filter outlet. Just too tight to buy new

 

[brightspark]

Copper doesn't need quenching to anneal, air/water/oil/milk all work equally well.

Water is just loads quicker than air.

that is verry true that's all I do but some do it because it cleans the scale of the copper quenching it in water

 

[Parm]

i have a top of off a copper cylinder here going begging

I've got a cylinder top too but it's way to big, lus I fancy having a go at doing something ive never done before. The copper sheets were given to me for nothing

 

[123hotchef]

give it a go plenty of videos on utube

 

[Parm]

The ball of a hammer? Obviously metal spinning gives a more manufactured look but do you want that and have you the kit?

Been searching for some copper like that a while for my spitting carp I want to make on my top pond filter outlet. Just too tight to buy new

Spinning isn't an option as I don't have a lathe, ive been reading about sinking into a wooden former or raising using a ball shaped anvil. Just don't know which way to go. Copper sheets are free to me so may have a go with both techniques

 

[julianthegypsy]

I'd sink it into a wooden former. You should be able to tell when its getting hardened, then heat and quench to anneal and carry on, but you will need to be patient and repeat the annealing often.

 

[Parm]

I'd sink it into a wooden former. You should be able to tell when its getting hardened, then heat and quench to anneal and carry on, but you will need to be patient and repeat the annealing often.

What diameter should the former be and how deep the hole to make a dome about 300mm diamter and between 100 to 150mm high

 

[Screwdriver]

Mmm...

Copper

Lovely metal.

 

[Bsmith]

Used to make chinamans hats for vents. Cut the circle then cut a wedge out from outer edge to centre, bend round and rivit. But I don't think it's a peak you want.

 

[Kent]

I should run with a bag over a wooden block as forming the dish shape into the wood is nearly as hard as making the thing
Bag. Ball hammer or better a bossing Mallet go at it
Lucky enough to have a copper source does it matter if you make a mess first go? Just take it nice and gental like starting central

 

[Parm]

I should run with a bag over a wooden block as forming the dish shape into the wood is nearly as hard as making the thing
Bag. Ball hammer or better a bossing Mallet go at it
Lucky enough to have a copper source does it matter if you make a mess first go? Just take it nice and gental like starting central

Yes that's the one, I've got several sizes of bossing mallet

 

[Newlands]

Doming block and a planishing hammer. Imagine a series of concentric circles, each about 3-4 mm bigger than the last. Place the blank on the block, start at the centre and tap around each circle. This stretches the metal slightly, and as it has nowhere to go it automatically starts to form a dish shape. Because the metal only work hardens where you have hit it, you should be able to work the whole blank from centre to outside once, before you need to anneal. You then repeat the process several times to get the depth of the dish that you want.
If you don't want the planishing hammer marks I think you can use an English wheel with a doming block or similar to get a smoother looking finish, but I have never done this myself, just resorted to abrasive paper and a cork block.

 

[Parm]

Doming block and a planishing hammer. Imagine a series of concentric circles, each about 3-4 mm bigger than the last. Place the blank on the block, start at the centre and tap around each circle. This stretches the metal slightly, and as it has nowhere to go it automatically starts to form a dish shape. Because the metal only work hardens where you have hit it, you should be able to work the whole blank from centre to outside once, before you need to anneal. You then repeat the process several times to get the depth of the dish that you want.
If you don't want the planishing hammer marks I think you can use an English wheel with a doming block or similar to get a smoother looking finish, but I have never done this myself, just resorted to abrasive paper and a cork block.

Now this is exactly the type of advice I was after. I've not got a domming block but it won't be too difficult to source (hopefully)

Gonna give this a go in the next few weeks as it make more sense than a dished wooden block or leather shot bag