Copper tubing into a bracelet?
by Jetta
(Cary)
Can I hammer copper tubing from a water/refrig hookup? Would like to recycle the copper into a small bracelet. Do I need to heat the copper to make it more workable? What tips do I need to know before starting? Is there formula for length of tubing = inches of bracelet?
Yes, you can hammer the refrigerator tubing. I have a good friend that creates a lot of wonderful funky jewelry with it! It's actually become quite popular! If you anneal it first, the tubing will be much easier to bend the way you want it. Just be sure to shake or blow the water out after quenching before you start to hammer it to avoid getting your steel tools wet. Unless you want the resulting heat patina, I would suggest that you bring the copper back to its bright copper state by giving it an acid bath such as a pickling solution like Sparex2 which will remove any firescale or torching residue also.
The inches you use will depend upon how many loops of copper you're using, how flat your wire is and if you're adding any beads, etc. that change the inside diameter of the bracelet.
Usually bracelets made from tubing are bangles with no clasps. You must make sure that the inside diameter of the bangle is large enough to fit over your hand. As different folks have different sizes of hands, this will vary. An average bangle has an 8 inch inside diameter. I would suggest that you purchase an EZ Bracelet sizer to assist you with sizing. It's an invaluable tool when creating bracelets for others using their actual wrist or hand measurement. JoAnn's also usually carries them.
Stacy's Answer:
Hi Jetta!Yes, you can hammer the refrigerator tubing. I have a good friend that creates a lot of wonderful funky jewelry with it! It's actually become quite popular! If you anneal it first, the tubing will be much easier to bend the way you want it. Just be sure to shake or blow the water out after quenching before you start to hammer it to avoid getting your steel tools wet. Unless you want the resulting heat patina, I would suggest that you bring the copper back to its bright copper state by giving it an acid bath such as a pickling solution like Sparex2 which will remove any firescale or torching residue also.
The inches you use will depend upon how many loops of copper you're using, how flat your wire is and if you're adding any beads, etc. that change the inside diameter of the bracelet.
Usually bracelets made from tubing are bangles with no clasps. You must make sure that the inside diameter of the bangle is large enough to fit over your hand. As different folks have different sizes of hands, this will vary. An average bangle has an 8 inch inside diameter. I would suggest that you purchase an EZ Bracelet sizer to assist you with sizing. It's an invaluable tool when creating bracelets for others using their actual wrist or hand measurement. JoAnn's also usually carries them.
