Handmade Etched Copper Cuff Bracelet

Copper has long been used for jewelry making. It is thought that copper bracelets may help relieve painful arthritis, and some people wear copper cuffs on each wrist for this purpose as well as to accessorize their outfits. Copper is a soft metal and is easy to work with. If you are artistic and like the idea of wearing jewelry that is handmade, consider making your own etched copper cuff.

Things You'll Need

• Sheet copper -- about 6 by 12 inches (or slightly larger than your desired finished size)
• Water
• Alcohol
• Latex gloves, several pair
• Sponge
• Cleanser or copper cleaner
• PnP paper
• 600-grit sandpaper, wet/dry or 0000 fine steel wool
• Scissors
• Double-sided tape
• Laser printer or copier
• Dense foam blocks -- available at craft stores
• Iron
• Ammonia
• Cotton balls
• Plastic container
• Ferric chloride
• Safety goggles
• Jeweler's saw and file
• Measuring tape
• Black marker
• Soup can or other wrist-shaped form
• Soft polishing cloth

Instructions

Etching Copper

1. Clean the copper with cleanser and a soft cloth until the water runs off clear. There should be no beading on the surface.

2. Put on latex gloves to prevent skin oils from marring the copper surface.

3. Rub the copper with a piece of 0000 fine steel wool or use 600-grit sandpaper for wet/dry projects. This creates a finish for the etching and smoothes scratches.

4. Choose an image or pattern and run it through your printer or copy machine on the dull side of blue PnP paper. A laser printer, works best for this purpose, or you can use a regular printer or copier. Check first with the manufacturer or your manual, to see if your printer can handle this paper.

5. Affix the copper piece to a piece of wood with double-sided tape to keep it from sliding around.

6. Trim your image slightly smaller than the copper bracelet piece, leaving one side flush with the copper edge.

7. Heat your iron to its cotton setting. Clean the copper again with the cotton ball and some alcohol. Lay the PnP paper face down onto the copper. Iron the edges first and then the entire piece of paper onto the copper. This is a slow process and will take at least five minutes on smaller pieces. Move your iron in a circular motion, and if bubbles form in the paper, continue to iron them flat.

8. Continue to iron until a black image shows through the paper, and then stop ironing.

9. Allow the copper to fully cool. Then remove the PnP paper by peeling it gently. If the image transfer is blue-colored, replace the paper and continue ironing because it is not complete.

10. Cover the edges and back of your copper piece with the colored foam building blocks to protect them from the etching chemical. Put on your safety goggles.

11. Turn the copper piece with the image side upside down into a plastic container filled with ferric chloride. Use tape stretched across the back of your copper piece and over the ends of the container with the ferric chloride to suspend the piece.

12. Leave the copper piece in the solution from 30 minutes to 5 hours, depending on how deep you want your etching to be. Check it frequently to see its progress. Remove from the ferric chloride when the etching is finished.

13. Rinse off the chemical and place the copper into a solution of ammonia and water mixed 50-50 for a few minutes. Remove it from the solution and rub with a cotton ball moistened with alcohol.

Making the Bracelet

1. Measure your wrist with a measuring tape, to determine the length needed. Decide how wide you want to make your bracelet.

2. Mark your piece of copper per your measurements, using a marker. Mark off the desired width as well as the proper length.

3. Cut the copper bracelet from the sheet metal with a jeweler's saw, cutting the corners rounded.

4. File the edges smooth with the file to remove rough spots.

5. Bend the copper sheet around a form, like a soup can, which is close in size to a wrist. Copper is relatively soft and easy to bend. Take it off the can and continue to gently bend the metal until it's the right size and shape to fit your wrist.

6. Polish it with a soft polishing cloth to remove fingerprints and bring out the shine.

Tips & Warnings

• Images on PnP paper are in reverse of how they will look on your bracelet, so set your printer accordingly.

• Make sure to remove all scratches to prevent the etching acids from getting under your image and ruining it.

• Ferric chloride stains porcelain. Use a sink made from stainless steel, if you have one.

• Always wear gloves and eye protection when working with ferric chloride.

References

• Hodgepodgerie: Etching Copper
• Goss Design Studio: Etching of Copper, Brass and Bronze