Making Copper Sheet Fence Post Caps

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Making Copper Sheet Fence Post Caps - Read the following do it yourself/diy article to discover more about Making Copper Sheet Fence Post Caps and more about Landscaping. - Information and article directory provided by S&S Designed Landscaping and The Landscape Design Site.
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Making Copper Sheet Fence Post Caps

Imagine this: You’re about to build yourself a nice fence that’s about twenty-five posts long and you decide to both decorate and protect it from natural rotting with some copper post caps. However, when you go to the store, you realize that at five bucks a cap, this project suddenly skyrockets in expense! Why not save yourself some money and create these easy-to-make copper sheet caps on your own? To start, you'll need a scrap piece of 4x4 fence post (or 6x6) about three feet long, a circular saw to create the form on the top of the scrap post, a wooden mallet (preferably hardwood with a 3 inch diameter) to hammer the copper sheet around the form, the copper sheet itself and a pair of metal cutters. The recommended copper sheet is a soft temper, .021 inch thick copper sheet (also known as 24 gauge or 16oz copper sheet). First, you will want to figure out what shape you want the post cap to be. A basic triangular tip is a good choice. So, using the circular saw, cut the form (your piece of scrap post) to the desired shape. Second, you might have to experiment, but cut the copper to the correct size for your particular post cap design. I might recommend using some scrap metal to experiment instead of valuable copper sheet. But it’s your choice. Once you have your cutout, you can anneal the copper sheet to make it more pliable. However, the annealing is completely optional and not entirely necessary due to the copper sheet already being quite soft. Nevertheless, annealing is simply heating the copper sheet for an extended period of time, usually until it is glowing, and then allowing it to cool slowly. This heating can be performed with a common blowtorch. Next, no matter if you choose to anneal or not, use the mallet to bend the copper around the form. A good technique for working the copper sheet is to pound the mallet in the way you want the metal to bend. This will work best if you can draw the mallet directly towards yourself while hammering. Finally, to add a nice shine to the copper sheet cap, apply some sealant to keep the it bright and corrosion free. And…Viola! You now have a beautiful copper sheet post cap! On a final note, be sure to wear eye protection and all the necessary safety equipment while operating any potentially dangerous tools. Hope you enjoy your new post caps! If you would like more information on copper sheet with soft temper, select this link copper sheet for a fence post cap. This Article Was Written By: Daniel Kitts
Daniel Kitts is VP of Sales and Marketing at Storm Copper Components Co. a distributor of fabricated copper products, copper bar and copper sheet metal. Article Source: http://www.the-landscape-design-site.com/diy Please Rate this Article Not yet Rated Click the XML Icon Above to Receive Landscaping Articles Via RSS! Additional Articles From - Home \| Landscaping Important Facts About Planting And Transplanting Trees - By : Francis Blair Your Guide To Outdoor Teak Furniture - By : Kenny F Leichester Live In Style Outdoors - With Outdoor Teak Furniture - By : Kenny F Leichester Patio Design - Enlarge Your Living Space With An Backyard Patio Design - By : Mary Swanson How To Plan For Shrubs In Your Garden - By : Simone Piette PacificPavingstone.com: Top Ten Reasons to Choose Paving Stones - By : Terry Morrill PacificPavingstone.com: Driveway Pavers - Mortarless Interlocking Paving Stones - Pavers - By : Terry Morrill PacificPavingstone.com: Choosing the Right Paving Stone Colors - By : Terry Morrill PacificPavingstone.com: Benefits of Concrete Pavers for Your Driveway, Patio or Walkway - By : Terry Morrill PacificPavingstone.com: Creating Your Ideal Garden Patio Retreat - By : Terry Morrill Free Landscaping Ideas Free Landscaping Pictures Directory Pictures Of Backyard Landscaping Buy Landscape Fabric Backyard Landscaping Ideas Front Yard Landscaping Ideas Landscaping Plan Landscaping Plans Lawn Care