Stamping or tooling copper sheets is an age-old craft rendering sheets of soft metal, copper or brass into works of art. Craftsmen choose these metals because they stretch and can be formed by tools to different shapes. The copper commonly ships in rolls and may distort during handling. Roll it flat using a rolling pin or piece of PVC pipe before starting the project.
Work Surface
Copper stamping work is done on the back side of the copper sheet. The work surface must provide enough flexibility to allow the copper to bend downward when tooled from the back. Common surfaces include foam or rolled up towels with a stack of old newspaper also useable as a no-cost work surface.
Stylus
The copper is stamped or shaped by pressure on a stylus. Deeper impressions in the copper are made by repeating the passes of the stylus over the same area. This blunt tool can be made of wood or metal and can be purchased or made. Use a wood chopstick for a stylus or round the ends of a wood dowel. Make the point of the dowel quite round. Points can poke a hole through the copper sheeting or file. If the design calls for a hole through the copper a punch is used.
Stamps
Crafts people use preformed tools, called stamps, along with a mallet to stamp predetermined shapes on to the copper sheeting. The work is done from the back, as in other forms of copper tooling, by holding the tool against the copper and striking with the mallet. Various predesigned stamps are available from craft retailers. Traditional copper craftsmen, such as made lanterns and decorative boxes in the colonial era, used only the stylus and punch to produce their decorative copper items.
