Ok everyone, here is the way I make my copper roses.
First start out with some copper sheet.. I use 23 gauge but thats just what I happened to have lying around. Cut out six rectangles from the sheet, I do three larger and 3 smaller ( length and width is up to you ) ... the larger ones I use to make the bottom petals ans the smaller to make the upper ( better symmetry that way ) You will also need a Duplex Nail to form the stem.
Duplex nails.. these are the smaller kind.
Now take the copper rectangles and snip off the four corners and another cut about halfway down the length of the strip and remove the small square from the side with a pair of pliers..
Next, mark the center and drill the hole in the copper so that it fits over the nail ( 9/64 bit works for me)
Make sure that on the Duplex Nail that you cut off the top head with a hacksaw or grind it off as well as removing the spike end of the nail ( less poky that way) and smooth with a file.
Now for the fun part... sorta... Take a small cross pein ( I use a tack hammer but still a very small cross pein) and strike the copper pieces starting at the squared end and continuing in a radial pattern to the other side.
Do the same to the other end and don't be concerned about the edges lengthening into the square gaps.. it can be cut back later
They should look like this..
Repeat previous step until all six pieces look similar
And now since this is copper... and it work hardens... its time to anneal. I use a propane torch just because the pieces are small and I'm too lazy to start a forge for it
All pieces after annealing
Use a wire brush to remove the scale
Next place the nail in the vice and begin to put the petals on.. ( not shown in vice for better picture)
Make sure that when you layer the petals that they alternate directions... so petal one is left to right.... petal layer 2 should be forward to down , think of it as a multi-layered addition sign.. +
Once all the layers are on the stem take a pair of pliers and a light hammer and while using the pliers as a block, strike the top to compress the copper petals. This gives you a nice raised portion of the nail that u need for the next step
Now use the ball pein to knock the top part of the nail you just exposed down to form a cap...aka rivet or pin like in handles of knives.
After this is done the layers will be very close together and very snuggly fit.. take a knife and use it to get under the petals, working from the top down.. also use a pair of needle nose pliers to bend the squared edges out of the way of the petals below.
Do some more bending and forming to get the look you want... More realistic the better.
Then your done.
The uses for this are limited to what u want to do with them.. I'm planning to sell these for about $5 a piece at my job this summer.. but also will incorporate them into other decorative fixtures once I get them planned out. I hope this does a good job at explaining how to make a rose.
First start out with some copper sheet.. I use 23 gauge but thats just what I happened to have lying around. Cut out six rectangles from the sheet, I do three larger and 3 smaller ( length and width is up to you ) ... the larger ones I use to make the bottom petals ans the smaller to make the upper ( better symmetry that way ) You will also need a Duplex Nail to form the stem.
Duplex nails.. these are the smaller kind.
Now take the copper rectangles and snip off the four corners and another cut about halfway down the length of the strip and remove the small square from the side with a pair of pliers..
Next, mark the center and drill the hole in the copper so that it fits over the nail ( 9/64 bit works for me)
Make sure that on the Duplex Nail that you cut off the top head with a hacksaw or grind it off as well as removing the spike end of the nail ( less poky that way) and smooth with a file.
Now for the fun part... sorta... Take a small cross pein ( I use a tack hammer but still a very small cross pein) and strike the copper pieces starting at the squared end and continuing in a radial pattern to the other side.
Do the same to the other end and don't be concerned about the edges lengthening into the square gaps.. it can be cut back later
They should look like this..
Repeat previous step until all six pieces look similar
And now since this is copper... and it work hardens... its time to anneal. I use a propane torch just because the pieces are small and I'm too lazy to start a forge for it
All pieces after annealing
Use a wire brush to remove the scale
Next place the nail in the vice and begin to put the petals on.. ( not shown in vice for better picture)
Make sure that when you layer the petals that they alternate directions... so petal one is left to right.... petal layer 2 should be forward to down , think of it as a multi-layered addition sign.. +
Once all the layers are on the stem take a pair of pliers and a light hammer and while using the pliers as a block, strike the top to compress the copper petals. This gives you a nice raised portion of the nail that u need for the next step
Now use the ball pein to knock the top part of the nail you just exposed down to form a cap...aka rivet or pin like in handles of knives.
After this is done the layers will be very close together and very snuggly fit.. take a knife and use it to get under the petals, working from the top down.. also use a pair of needle nose pliers to bend the squared edges out of the way of the petals below.
Do some more bending and forming to get the look you want... More realistic the better.
Then your done.
The uses for this are limited to what u want to do with them.. I'm planning to sell these for about $5 a piece at my job this summer.. but also will incorporate them into other decorative fixtures once I get them planned out. I hope this does a good job at explaining how to make a rose.
