Hello,
I’m interested in doing a copper countertop for my kitchen (including the sink area). There will be one “L”-shpped section (long stretch of 12′ with a short stretch of about 4′).
Do you have any suggestion in the following areas:
- kind of J-break and where available (Home Depot has the standard J-break)
- kind of glues to use
- soldering techniques
- buffing techniques
- finishes
- detailing for undermount sink
Thanks,
Roger <><
Replies
Advanced search here will get ya covered in past threads but i will start out with what I know for a fact.
No glue, no soldering , no buffing, and no finish is needed. I'd stay away from and under mount sink if it were me. An intrgal copper sink is what I'd make up. Matter of fact, am thinking of doinf some with my copper roofing partner.
If you can brake a flat lock seam, and know what it is to hammer it tite, yer on the right track....make an edge wrap that has the lock on the top of the substrate, make the top cover with a lock to engage it and pound away, the slight raised edge will help keep spills from dripping over the edge.
Just let it age au natural, some vingar or lemon juice will clean it up.
Some friends of mine had a copper counter for a while (sold the house, didn't keep it long). They found it hard to keep free of spots and stains. You might want to try leaving a piece of scrap copper on your existing counter for a while to see if you like it.
Copper comes in different thicknesses, measured in ounces per square foot. 16 ounce is typical for roofing, but probably too bendy and bouncy for a countertop. 32 ounce should be easier to make lie flat, but making long bends is a bear.
The brake I have is a Tapco Max, barely adequate for 32 oz. Van Mark is the other maker, haven't used one.
Soldering should be avoided if at all possible. 32 oz. copper comes in 3' x 8' sheets, so you'll have some seams. Can you use the sink to minimize them? To avoid having a bump, maybe design the woodwork under the copper to accommodate a kind of upside-down standing seam. With such a seam locked, you could, very carefully, sweat it with lead free solder, much like doing plumbing. Maybe worth doing to keep the seam from becoming a crumb catcher.
The most important thing about soldering is that copper expands like crazy when you heat it, so the joint must be mechanically solid without the solder. Believe me, trying to stick two flat pieces together with solder ain't gonna happen unless you can put a point contact clamp every inch and a half.
When I did my roof, the best price on sheet copper was to have it shipped (all the way to LA) from N.B. Handy in Roanoake, VA.
-- J.S.