List of Coppersmith Tools & Equipment for Beginners & Experts 2020 [Updated]

Coppersmithing is a very hands-on trade that involves the use of practical tools to complete different projects. Coppersmiths, also known as redsmiths or braziers, make a variety of items using copper or brass as the workpiece material. These items can range from practical cookware to stunning art pieces.

Coppersmiths of all skill levels use tools that facilitate the completion of coppersmithing projects. Some of these tools can have many general purposes and applications and others can be very specialized for particular coppersmithing projects.

Using the appropriate tools when working on complicated metalworking projects and make a big difference in the finished look of the product. The following list of coppersmithing tools includes the essential tools, supplementary tools, and safety equipment that can be used for coppersmithing projects and applications.

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Complete List of Coppersmithing Tools & Equipment

1) Workbench

A workbench is an important part of the equipment needed to carry out many metalworking projects, including coppersmithing. Workbenches are often made of sturdy wood and act as a place to work, form, and design your workpiece.

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2) Bench Vise

A vise is a very important piece of equipment to have in any workshop where metalworking is involved. It provides a sturdy, hands-free grip that allows you to form and shape a metal workpiece without having to hold the workpiece yourself.

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3) Anvil

An anvil is an invaluable tool that has a strong, heavy body with a flat surface to place a metal workpiece and work it with another tool to shape it. There are many different anvil styles available, but it can be a multi-purpose tool with many useful features beyond a reliable work surface.

Usually coppersmiths work with a square shaped, flat surface anvil but also tend to use smaller stake anvils as supplementary tools.

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4) Leather Sandbag

A leather sandbag is a common coppersmithing tool that is often used when working with sheets of copper. The sandbag acts as an anvil that provides less resistance to force when the workpiece is worked, making it a great tool when trying to create designs on copper sheets that require the work surface to “bend” with the workpiece.

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5) Metal Shears

Metal shears are essentials tools for both trimming or cutting pieces of metal with the ease of cutting paper with regular scissors. They are specifically designed to cut through metal efficiently and safely.

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6) Jeweller’s Saw

A jeweller’s saw is another important cutting tool for pieces of metal. This is a great, adjustable tool that can be used for many metal cutting applications. This saw consists of a frame and a blade. The frame can be adjusted depending on the size of the cutting application and for ease of blade installation.

There are many blade types available to accommodate for different precision cuts and metal applications.

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7) Ball Peen Hammer

The ball peen hammer is one of the most versatile tools for metalworking. Its head consists of a flat face and a peen on the other end. The handle of this hammer is built to allow for a good grip on the hammer when impacting a workpiece. The flat face allows you to flatten the workpiece while the peen can create rounded indentations on the workpiece, adding texture to the design.

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8) Combination Hammer

The combination hammer is a power tool that can be used to hammer metal via rotary motion or drilling motion. This tool is useful for projects that require a lot of repeated hammer and consistent force. This tool is very powerful and can save you a lot of time when trying to hammer thick copper pieces.

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9) Raising Hammer

The raising hammer is often used to form hollow shapes from sheet metals. This hammer consists of two rectangular faces that impact the workpiece from the outside surface of the intended hollow piece and “raises” it into the desired shape.

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10) Wooden Metal-Forming Mallet

The wooden metal-forming mallet is another great tool used to shape metal workpieces. The forming mallet has a wooden head and two blunt faces that uniformly strike the workpiece, minimizing damage to its surface. Due to its wide face, it is also a great tool to drive chisels into a workpiece.

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11) Bench Buffer & Buffering Wheels

Using a bench buffer and buffing wheels are great smoothing tools to create a finished look on your copper workpiece. They provide a means to apply polishing substances to a workpiece. Since copper is often used to make cookware, creating a shiny, polished finish is extremely important and can elevate the overall quality of the finished product.

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12) Scriber

A scriber is a useful tool when trying to mark sports on a metal workpiece because it has a pointed end that can be abrasive on the metal. This tool is particularly used on sheets of copper when determining where to make folds and indentations.

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13) Scribing Compass

A compass is another great tool for scribing a workpiece. It allows you to mark circles or parts of a circle by placing one of its legs on the intended center of the circle and adjusting the angle between the two legs to specify the desired radius. This can be used as a guide for cutting circles out of the metal or create a circular design on the workpiece.

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14) Stakes

Stakes are useful metalworking tools that can support the workpiece as a hammer strikes it. They are available in many different shapes and sizes. Many jewellery makers use stakes to form pieces of jewellery such as earrings and bracelets.

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15) Chisels

Chisels are great tools used for forming and decorative work on copper workpieces. They can be used with a hammer to shape the workpiece and add valuable texture. Chisels of different sizes and shapes are widely available to satisfy the needs for a variety of metalworking projects.

The use of chisels to form a workpiece can add more functionality to the finished product and create an appealing look.

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16) Safety Glasses or Goggles

It is always important to wear appropriate eye protection when metalworking. Small pieces of metal can cause serious injury to the eyes if they are left unprotected.

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17) Safety Gloves

Leather or other heavy duty gloves can be very useful when cutting sheets of metal. Gloves can protect your hands from abrasive or sharp materials, allowing you to maneuver your workpiece with confidence.