The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Copper heat Sink?

I got the new edition of the Eastwood catalog today and noticed that on pg. 25, they show "Copper Spoons" item #19108. I've seen these before and understand how they work, but I have a few questions for the welders out there!

Can any piece of copper do? Or does it have to be this type of flat panel. I work with copper at the water plant and can get a peice anytime I want and flatten it. Mount it on a stick and weld away. Is it a certain thickness or special type of copper/tin/zink etc. mixture?

Thanks
Jake

V-6,

My two cent guess...

Copper won't stick to the metal if 'welded' and has the ability, if thin, to draw away lots of the heat, which could result in melt-through, plus it is inert and won't contaminate the weld.

I'll bet any old piece of copper would do the trick.

Stuart

I use a scrap of copper pipe that I hammered flat on one end, works well. Brian

yep i use a 3/4" pipe that i hammered flat. got a couple of em different lengths that i shape to meet the condition.

Thats what I needed to know, I did not feel like spending $29.95 for a small peice of copper!

Jake

Yep, another copper pipe smashed flat.

Brian

The only advantage to the spoon is a long handle for positioning. If you flatten the end of the pipe just leave a long un-flattened section for a handle. The hollow pipe will stay cooler; the copper "spoon" will absord ALOT of heat and do it quickly.

I wrapped my pc. of copper pipe around a magnet with an on/off switch. Then I could stick it to the backside and plug firewall holes easily. It will also absorb the heat and decrease warpage.

Curt B.

I flattened the pipe out FLAT and it is about a foot long so it is pretty close to a "spoon" with a handle.

Brian

I do heavy duty electrical work and use 1/4 x 4 copper buss bar. I clamp the workpieces by sandwiching them between a central bottom piece and another piece along each side. I welded the length of my fleetside tailgate in a single pass with zero warpage. I takes three peices of copper, but it works really slick. The bonus is this: a near perfect finish on the underside. I guess any heavy gauge copper will work.

I've also used a piece of pipe and smashed it...worked well for me.

Copper buss bar about 1/4" thick, just like 59patchy uses. works really well. I just bolted a wooden handle on it. I've used stainless steel in an emergency but you can stick it if not careful. Aluminum plate 3/8" will work also....Rick