If you regularly work with copper sheeting as a part of your day-to-day working tasks or a weekend hobby, you may have come across situations that have required you to cut it into a certain shape. Thankfully, there is no need to pay a professional to do this for you, as, with the right tools and correct measurements, you will be able to cut through your copper sheeting by yourself.

Copper Sheeting

Step 1: Lay the copper out on a flat surface that is large enough to support the entire sheet (a workbench is usually sufficient). Take a tape measure and begin working out the dimensions that you require, marking them onto the sheet using a texta or grease pencil and a straight edge.

Step 2: Elevate one end of the copper and support it with your free hand. You need to ensure that there is enough clearance for your metal cutting shears or electric jigsaw to fit underneath.

Step 3: Begin cutting the copper with the shears or electric jigsaw, making sure that you move forwards with slow and steady motions. Try to complete individual lines in one action.

Step 4: Take the deburring tool and pull it firmly across all of the freshly cut edges; this will take the sharp edge off and make the copper much safer for handling and transportation.

Continue cutting your copper sheeting in this way until you are left with your desired shape or size. Regardless of whether you are using the manual sheers or the powered jigsaw to cut through the metal, you will need to wear safety glasses and thick work gloves when working to ensure that you are protected.

If you are an avid scrap metal collector or you have found that you have mounds of junk lying around your workshop, shed or garage, you may be wondering how to best dispose of it. One way of doing this is to melt it all down into one larger piece of metal, either to sell to a scrap dealer or to make something new out of yourself. If either of these solutions appeals to you, you can use this guide to help you properly melt the scrap down.

Scrap Metal

Step 1: Separate all of your scraps according to type. This is highly important, as different metals will melt at different temperatures and this knowledge will allow you to adjust the heat accordingly.

Step 2: Put all of the scrap metal of one type into a crucible that is large enough to fit all of the pieces in. Pour a layer of baking soda over the pieces.

Step 3: Take a butane torch and adjust the flame according to the type of metal that you are melting. Copper, brass and gold, for example, will melt between about 926 degrees Celsius and 1,100 degrees Celsius.

Step 4: Put on a pair of thick work gloves and direct the torch’s flame towards the crucible. Wait until the scrap metal has melted into a liquid form. You can speed up this process by having a second person hold a second butane torch to the crucible as well.

Step 5: Once the metal has been liquefied, you can pour it into an ingot or other type of mould in order to form whatever shape you want. To avoid burning yourself, use tongs to move and tip the crucible.

You can repeat the same procedure for each of the different scrap metals that you have in your possession. If you are taking the materials to a scrap dealer, it is recommended that you place the liquefied material into ingot forms (as this are easier to weigh and transport).

Unfortunately, if metals are not stored correctly before they are used in production, they can be subjected to germs that like to live on the surface and could cause infections amongst the workers who are exposed to them. In order to prevent illnesses and diseases caused by the germs, metal must be sterilized before it is worked. This can be achieved by following a few easy steps:

Step 1: Place a pot onto a stove that is large enough to submerge the metal you will be working with in. You will also need to thoroughly wash your hands using soap and warm water, then put on a pair of sterile gloves to prevent re-contamination of the material.

Step 2: Give the metal a thorough clean using a solution of mild soap and warm water. You can then rinse the item with running water, checking it carefully for any traces of soapsuds.

Step 3: Place the metal item into the pot and cover it with water until it is completely submerged. Place the lid on the pot and turn the stove on to a setting that will cause the water to boil. Once the water is boiling, leave it like this for a full 15 minutes.

Step 4: Using a pair of oven mitts, take the pot off the stove and place it onto a heat resistant surface (such as a wooden chopping board). Leave the pot and the metal inside to cool to room temperature.

Step 5: Tip all of the water out of the pot, then change to a new pair of sterile gloves and remove the metal item. It should be used for working (or whatever use you have in mind) immediately.

As you can see, the sterilization process is a fairly simple one. The bigger factories and production companies are able to sterilize even the largest pieces of metal in a similar fashion, ensuring that their workers are not exposed to germs that could be potentially harmful.

If your home is filled with a number of antique metal items, it is likely that they have been constructed using either solid or plated brass (as this was a very popular metal at the time). Back when these items were produced, however, it was also very popular to paint the metal into a desired colour. If you would like to restore your brass items to their former glory by removing the paint, here’s how you do it:

Brass Rods

Step 1: Make sure that you are wearing the proper protective gear, as you will be working with some poisonous chemicals. At the minimum, you should be wearing a facemask, thick work gloves and goggles.

Step 2: Pour some paint thinner into a metal bucket. Ideally, you should have filled the bucket with enough paint thinner that the brass object will be completely submerged. If you are removing paint from a larger brass object, you should instead soak a cloth or a toothbrush in the thinner.

Step 3: Place the brass item into the bucket and let it soak for several minutes (skip this step if your item is much too large to fit).

Step 4: Take the toothbrush or cloth and use it to scrub at the painted areas of the brass. You will need to do this until all of the paint has been removed.

Step 5: Once all the paint has been removed, you will need to rinse the brass item thoroughly in warm water. Then, apply a specialized cleaner and run it into the item with a clean cloth. To finish, buff well with a proper buffing cloth.

Remember that, as paint thinner is a highly poisonous substance that could cause serious health problems, you should only use it in a well-ventilated area (preferably outdoors). If you do happen to get the thinner on your skin or in your eyes whilst cleaning your brass, you should go to your local emergency room immediately.

Since thousands of years metal is being used to make musical instruments, either the whole or some part of it. This is all because metal has been proved to be ideal for musical purpose. Today, almost every instrument has some part made of metal. Its contribution is extremely large, so much that musical world is hard to imagine as complete without it. Here are some metals which are used to craft instruments for music.

Brass
Brass (copper and zinc alloy) is also called musical instrument metal, because of its major contribution in this category. Almost all the instruments are crafted with this metal. For example, Trumpets, trombones, French horns, saxophones and tubas. It is also used in guitars to make slides.

Bronze
Musical instruments crafted with Bronze have historical background related to ancient China. The major characteristic of Bronze (copper and tin alloy) for which it is preferred is that when it is shaped properly can produce sound like bell. In early days, bronze was used to make bells, gongs and cymbals. This metal is still used in modern instruments such as trumpets and some types of guitar strings.

Nickel Silver
Nickel silver as an alloy of zinc, copper and nickel is extremely durable metal. It looks like silver and is similar to brass in terms of composition, because of which it is sometimes used to create silver-colored brass instruments, certain musical parts and accessories.


Steel
Steel is a modern day’s alloy metal that has recently entered into the world of music. Though steel has not much larger contribution, but still has significant role in manufacturing drums. Apart from that, the metal can be seen as electric and acoustic guitar strings, and parts/accessories of other instruments.

So far we have seen aluminum as foils to wrap food items, utensils to cook food, parts of vehicle, etc. Surprisingly there are also other uses of aluminium that we regular people are unaware of. The metal that we see around is pure aluminum, but when it is in impure, there are various ways it can be used. Say for an example aluminium chloride (AlCl3). This is a compound of aluminium and chlorine. Though, it is white in color but due to impurities like iron trichloride, it appears yellow.

Basically, it is consumed and produced during the production process of aluminium metal, though they are also extensively used in other areas of chemical industry.

• Petroleum Refining
  AlCl3 is extensively used in the manufacturing and refining petrochemicals such as ethylbenzene, alkylbenzene, ethyl chloride, alkyl aryl ketone, etc. 

• Chemical Industry
  In chemical companies it is largely used to manufacture pharmaceuticals. Dyes intermediates and other organic chemicals such as anthraquinone, phthalocyanines, acetophenone, butyl rubber and phenylethyl alcohols are some other products produced using this compound. Apart from that it is used as a nucleus inhibitor during titanium dioxide production. 

• Pure Aluminium Production
  Aluminum Chloride is an impure form of aluminium, hence it is used in aluminum production, in the metallurgical industry and as a flux in aluminium smelting. 

• Cosmetic industry
  The most strainge use of this compound is in cosmetic industry where it is used as an astringent, active ingredient in antiperspirants, etc. Other uses Other uses of AlCl3 are in the production of synthetic rubber, lubricants, wood preservatives, paint manufacturing, antiperspirants and making detergents.