Dade City FL 33523

 

Our Complete Craft Metal

Catalog Online:

COPPER SHEET METAL

BRASS SHEET

ALUMINUM SHEET

THIN SHEET METAL Foil

CRAFT WIRE: ALUMINUM WIRE  COPPER WIRE  BRASS WIRE  NICKEL WIRE

TOOLS & SUPPLIES

RECYCLED METALS

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Aluminum Wire  

 For Sculpture Craft

This high quality raw wire comes in a satin finish which buffs up a bright finish.

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ALUMINUM CRAFT WIRE

This round aluminum craft wire is light weight & inexpensive: ideal for Craft, Sculptures, Jewelry, Wire wrapping, Fabrication, Art & Armatures. More about Aluminum Wire

 

  The Soft Aluminum Wire bends very easily.

  The Medium Stiff Aluminum Wire bends less easily & holds its shape better.

Save up to 50% (or more) on our longer wholesale spools.    

Order samples to see what works best.Sample sets of Aluminum Wire:

 

 

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CRAFT METAL SUPPLIES

FOR 26 YEARS

 

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Metal Crafting information

 

 

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  Updated September 27 2011

MORE ABOUT Aluminum Wire  

 For Craft: Available below through our online catalog.

This round aluminum craft wire is light weight & inexpensive: ideal for Craft, Sculptures, Jewelry, Wire wrapping, Fabrication, Art & Armatures.

 

  This high quality raw wire comes in a satin finish which buffs up to bright. See our Quick Polishing jewelry cloth Aluminum resists tarnishing more than copper or silver.

 

  The Soft Aluminum Wire bends very easily especially the thinner wire.

  The Medium Stiff Aluminum Wire bends less easily & holds its shape better.

   Thin wire works well for jewelry & fine craft. Thick is often used sculptures & armatures. Thicker wire is stiffer than thin.

 

The Gauge chart picture may not appear correctly on some computer screens due to different screen resolutions and page size settings.

 

We urge ordering a sample to see exact thickness and to get a feel of a wire. Nothing beats hands on experience .

 

 

BACK TO OUR ALUMINUM WIRE CATALOG

Each coil or spool individual a separate single length. CAUTION: Raw craft wire may have sharp ends.

 

 

Different metals have different properties we suggest ordering samples to see what works best.

 

Soft wire: This wire is the softest in the metal choice it is easy to bend and work.

Our soft aluminum wire is the softest. More about Aluminum Wire

 

HOWEVER: Our SOFT copper, brass & nickel wire is a bit stiffer than aluminum. This is due to the natural properties of these metals. There is no way around it if you want these real metals.

About COPPER CRAFT WIRE  More about Brass & Bronze wire    More about NICKEL wire

 

We do not offer fake wire: Wire that is coated to look like another because they do not last and often get marred when working with. In addition they are not strong wire and cannot be soldered.

 

You can paint our aluminum wire to look like brass or copper after making something from it  to have a very soft wire that looks like something else. Automotive paint departments often have all these choices.

 

THE THICKER A WIRE IS THE HARDER IT IS TO BEND

 

Medium Stiff wire: is made to bend (but less easily) and hold its shape better.

Wire can be work hardened by bending back and forth or by hammering it to make it flatter and stiffer. It will also be more springy.

 

Metal can also be hardened by heating to glowing red hot and dousing in ice water repeatedly.

 

Bending wire:All our wire can be bent by hand - within reason. A thick 6 gauge wire will not bend around a 1/4 inch rod. It also depends on the users hand strength.This is why we urge ordering samples to see what works for you.

 

Once a wire is bent it becomes more hard and will be more difficult to bend again. A metal can be softened when working with it by annealing it: Heating it with a torch to glowing red hot and allowing it to cool slowly.

 

Wire that is easy to bend and then magically holds its shape:

It cannot be both ways these are opposites; some effort is required for this result. Yet this is the most commonly asked question of us.

 

While when a wire is bent it becomes more hard and will be more difficult to bend again, Soft wire will remain relatively soft.

 

Metal can also be hardened by heating to glowing red hot and dousing in ice water repeatedly. Wire can be work hardened by bending back and forth or by hammering it to make it flatter and stiffer. It will also be more springy.

 

We suggest trying our medium stiff wires. Medium stiff wire will be harder to bend and will hold its shape better.

 

THE THICKER A WIRE IS THE HARDER IT IS TO BEND

 

Again we urge ordering samples or small amounts to get hands on experience and to see if it will work for an intended project. This is how we taught ourselves over the last 30 years. There is no way in words that this can be related, not by e mail and not by phone conversations.

We no longer accept returns of wire if a sample has not been ordered first.

 

 

RAW METAL DEFINITIONS & TERMS

 

Bulk Metal :   Our cut to length bulk metals for the crafts person provides what is needed at a good value. Our cuts are generously long & approximately square. Metal by the running foot or yard is shipped in one length whenever possible. We use this metal to craft our own creations.

 

Grades:  These solid metals are of an especially pure high grade for fine craft work. All of It is solderable. It is not to be used for electrical work.

               New Craft Metal has a bright rolled satin finish. It may have some very slight manufacturing ripples, scratches & color variations.                

 

              Reclaimed -Recycled metal: This unused older metal has scratches, finger prints, ripples and/or dents. Some is shiny and and some has patina from age. It is all very usable at a good price. We use this metal in our own creations.

 

Gauges or Thickness: The lower the gauge number the thicker the metal. For example 6 gauge aluminum wire is the thickest and 20 gauge aluminum craft wire is thin. See below for gauge charts. This craft metal is approximately the gages indicated.

 

Hardness: Is affects how easy it is to bend or work the craft metal:

              Soft is pliable yet holds up for folding and hammering.

             Medium stiff, bends less easily and holds is shape better in larger pieces

               Thicker metal bends less easily than thin. The more a metal is worked the stiffer it gets.

 

FINISH: Our raw/bare metals can be buffed up after a piece is completed.  More information on METAL CRAFT HOW-TO : Cleaning, cutting, forming, soldering & finishing

 

PATINA: All the metals we offer are raw with no wax or varnish and will gain an aged patina over time. Patina solutions (available at most hardware stores) can be used to speed the aging process. Aluminum only turns gray with time - but can be painted or polished. More about Patina

 

 

CAUTION :HANDLE WITH CARE , Raw metals have sharp edges. Rolls and coils are tightly wound and may spring open. They are not for use by children . Gauge thickness shown is approximate.Our metals are sold only for craft work; and they are not tested nor certified safe for electrical nor electronic uses, nor home construction nor internal consumption, and they are not certified for food service. These metals may have sharp edges and are not for use by children.

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Old prices from old versions of our web site will not be honored.

Gauge Thickness chart & Information

 

 

Gauge Is thickness. The higher the gauge number the thinner the metal.

 

The chart below shows approximate gauge thickness for metal to give a relative idea of different gauges. It is in American Standard Gauge of Average wire gauge thickness.

 

Gauge -Thickness	Dimension inches thick	Dimension millimeters thick	NOTES
2	.258 inch or slightly over 1/4 inch thick	6.54 mm	VERY HEAVY THICK WIRE .For large sculptures & armatures- cuts best with a bolt cutter or saw.
4	.204 inch	5.189 mm	THICK WIRE .For large sculptures & armatures- cuts best with a bolt cutter or saw.
6	.162 inch	4.1mm	THICK WIRE .For large sculptures & armatures- cuts best with a bolt cutter or saw.
8	.128 a little over 1/8 inch	3.26 mm
9	.114 inch	2.91 mm
10	.102 inch	2.6 mm
12	.081 inch 50	2 mm thick	About as thick as a standard wire coat hanger
14	.064 inch a bit thicker than 1/16 inch	1.6 mm	This and thicker is Considered PLATE METAL in sheet metal. as in "copper plate"
16	.051 inch	1.30 mm
18	.04 inch	1 mm	A bit thicker than a standard paper clip in wire. Heavy PLATE METAL in sheet metal. as in "copper plate"
20	.032 inch	.80mm	About the thickness of a standard paper clip.
22	. 025	.65mm
23 Photo shows Approximate thickness: 23 gauge	.023 or 23 Mil	.576 mm	Standard heavy weight Sheet metal for larger craft work, roofing and range hoods etc. In copper sheet it is 1 pound per square foot approximately. For sheet metal it cuts with a tin snips or saw
24	.020 or 20 Mil	.5 mm -half a millimeter	Heavy weight Sheet metal. For sheet metal it cuts with a tin snips or saw A medium fine wire for craft.
26	.016	.40 mm
30	.010 also known as 10 mil as it is 10/1000 inch thick	.25 mm 1/4 mm	Medium weight sheet - cuts with a scissors. twice as thick as 36 gauge below, But a very thin wire- not very strong
36	.005 also known as 5 mil as it is 5/1000 inch thick	.125 mm 1/8 mm	Heavy FOIL: Standard Embossing & tooling & foil. Cuts with a scissors. 7 times thicker than houshold aluminum foil.
38	.002	.101 mm	Medium weight foil slightly lighter than above Extremely thin wire
45-50	.0014 .0007		thin foil- Household"tin" Aluminum foil- called very thin foil - standard aluminum kitchen foil "tin foil"

 

The Gauge thickness lines may not appear correctly on some computer screens due to different screen resolutions and page size settings.

 

Adjust your screen or estimate If this does not appear as one inch.

 

 

Or see the inch dimensions in the chart lower on this page and compare with a ruler.

 

 

AWG: Average wire gauge

Charts for copper sheet & wire: based on American Standard gauge:

 

Gauge Is thickness. The higher the gauge number the thinner the metal.

 

*This chart shows approximate gauge thickness for metal to give a relative idea of different gauges.

The Gauge chart picture may not appear correctly on some computer screens due to different screen resolutions and page size settings.

 

Or see the inch dimensions in the chart lower on this page and compare with a ruler.

 

 

We urge ordering samples to see exact thickness and to get a feel of the metal. Nothing beats hands on experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are different standards of gauge measurements that vary from industry and country - this is the American Standard gauge system for non ferrous metals.

 

 

Thinner metal bends & cuts more easily in general than thicker of the same metal..

 

Sheet metal in 23 & 24 gauge is heavy - traditionally used for roofs and range hoods- where it will last hundreds of years. It weighs one pound per square foot approximately.It cuts with a tin snips or saw.

 

 

 

Anything thicker in sheet is in the area of metal plate. It is difficult to bend and can not be cut with tin snips. A cutting torch or saw is used for this.

 

Medium weight sheet is 30 gauge easy to work and most cuts with a scissors.

Light weight sheet , 36 to 38 gauge is a hefty foil. It cuts easily and is easiest to work.

 

 

Thick wire from the thickest 2 gauge and the progressively thinner 4, 6 & 8 gauge are more difficult to bend and cut than thinner wire.

 

 

In addition soft wire feels thinner than stiff wire in its handling as we innately associate thickness with stiffness. For the same reason comparing sheet metal may be misleading as the thickness may be the same but the stiffness is different.

 

The gauges are AWG average wire gauge which means they are approximate and vary slightly from length to length. But they would not vary by even a 1/2 gauge.

For craft metal this is the best as scientific/ engineering gauged metal is much more expensive because of the cost of manufacturing metal with tolerances 1/1000 of an inch and finer.

 

PLEASE REFRESH YOUR SCREEN TO SEE ALL OUR NEWEST OFFERINGS & CURRENT PRICES Old prices from old versions of our web site will not be honored.

 

 

Craft Metal , Tools f & Supplies

for over 25 years

 

How to SOLDER BOOKLET

 

 

ALUMINUM WIRE 

 

COPPER WIRE

 

JEWELERS BRONZE & BRASS WIRE

 

 

NICKEL SILVER WIRE 

 

  

WIRE CRAFT TOOLS

 

 

COPPER SHEET METAL

 

BRONZE SHEET METAL

 

 

 BRASS SHEET METAL

 

ALUMINUM SHEET

 

 

SHEET METAL TIN SNIPS

 

SALES & SAMPLE SETS

 

Recycled & Vintage Craft

Metal    

 

 

COPPER Foil

for EMBOSSING

 

 

ALUMINUM FOIL

FOR EMBOSSING

 

 BRASS FOIL

for EMBOSSING

 

COLORED

ALUMINUM FOILS

 

FOIL EMBOSSING TOOLS

 

  

METAL CRAFT TOOLS

 

POLISHING CLOTHS

 

 

Craft Metal , Tools f & Supplies

for over 25 years

 

How to SOLDER BOOKLET

 

 

ALUMINUM WIRE 

 

COPPER WIRE

 

JEWELERS BRONZE & BRASS WIRE

 

 

NICKEL SILVER WIRE 

 

  

WIRE CRAFT TOOLS

 

 

COPPER SHEET METAL

 

BRONZE SHEET METAL

 

ALUMINUM WIRE 

JEWELERS BRONZE & BRASS WIRE

NICKEL SILVER WIRE 

COPPER WIRE

  

WIRE CRAFT TOOLS

ALUMINUM SHEET

 

 BRASS SHEET METAL

BRONZE SHEET METAL

 

COPPER SHEET METAL

 

SHEET METAL TIN SNIPS

 

ALUMINUM FOIL

FOR EMBOSSING

 BRASS FOIL

for EMBOSSING

COLORED

ALUMINUM FOILS

 

COPPER Foil

for EMBOSSING

 

METAL CRAFT TOOLS

How to SOLDER BOOKLET

Recycled & Vintage Craft Metal

POLISHING CLOTHS

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