The metal worker's materials: copper, brass, bronze and tin

There is a reason the blacksmith trade belongs between arts and crafts and industry: materials are chosen as much for colour and malleability as for strength. Where the structural smith strikes in steel the metal smith works in so-called non-ferrous metals — copper brass bronze and tin. They are soft enough to be driven pressed and bent in cold conditions they take patina beautifully and they can be soldered with silver solder for invisible joints. Knowing their properties in your fingers is the heart of the trade.

§Copper — the pure base metal

Copper (Cu) is the metalsmith's basic element. It is soft very tough and an excellent conductor of heat and electricity. Precisely the toughness means that copper can be driven deeply without cracking — you can hammer a flat plate into a deep bowl simply by moving the material. In return work hardens copper quickly: the more you hammer the harder and more brittle it becomes until it finally cracks if it is not softened along the way by annealing. Copper is used pure for roof covering vessels pots church inventory and driven artworks.

§Brass — copper and zinc

Brass is a copper-zinc alloy, typically with a copper content of around 60-70%. The zinc makes the metal harder, yellower and easier to machine in the lathe and mill than pure copper. Brass is the chandler's classic material for fittings, fittings, lamps and chandeliers because it can both be cast, turned, chased and gilded. A variant with very high copper content is called tombac and has a reddish, almost golden colour used for ornament and imitation gold.

§Bronze and tin

Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin (and sometimes other metals). It is harder and more wear-resistant than both copper and brass and has long traditions in bells statues bearings and fittings. Pure tin on the other hand is one of the softest and lowest-melting utility metals — it is the main material in tin casting and pewter work and melts already at low heat which makes it suitable for casting in molds but unsuitable for items that must withstand heat or heavy loads.

Semi-finished products: plate, wire, pipe and rod

The materials are supplied as rolled sheets in various thicknesses as wire tube and rod. Sheet thickness is chosen according to the part: thin sheet for light driven parts thicker sheet where load must be carried or deep drawing. Annealed material is soft and formable from the roll while hard (cold-rolled) material is stiffer and is used where the part must hold its shape without post-processing.

“Choose the metal based on the life the item should live — not just based on what is easiest to hammer.”