Etched Copper Cuff

  Hello! This tutorial teaches how make a beautiful Etched Copper Cuff. Let's do it!

What you'll need:

Copper pipe 
Steel wool
Tin shears
Metal file
Permanent marker
Hydrogen peroxide
Muriatic acid
Packing tape
Scotch brite scour pad
Baking soda
Car wax or metal lacquer

                                        How to do it:

Use the steel wool to clean off the copper if it's old and used. Then washed it off and dried.

Measure the size of the cuff -You can use a flexible measuring tape around your wrist (leave a bit of space to slide your wrist in the cuff) and then wrapping it around the outside of the copper and marking where to cut it.

Use the tin shears to cut it and then use the metal file to smooth down the sharp edges. Then bend the copper so that it fits nicely around your wrist.

Use a permanent marker to do a design on your copper. Whatever you color on will be the raised part. If you don’t completely fill in your design it will have some etching in it.

Line the inside of the cuff with packing tape so it does not get etched.

Mix 2 parts peroxide with 1 part acid – you can use an old tupperware container and save the mixture for later projects.  **Use necessary safety precautions during this step. Do not get this on your skin. Also, this is not something that you want to just pour down your drain after you’re done – it should not come in contact with any metal surface. Be sure you dispose of it properly.**

Be sure your cuff is fully submerged in the mixture. Leave it in for 1-2 hours (depending on how deep you want the etching), move it around (with a stick or something) occasionally to get bubbles off.

Pour water mixed with baking soda on the cuff to neutralize the acid. (Again, not in your sink.)

Use scour pad to scrub off the permanent marker and remove the tape from the inside.

You can finish your cuff by applying car wax or metal lacquer on the entire thing so that it won’t turn your wrist green when you wear it. 

Tutorial of The Merrythought