Should I Clean My Copper
by Judy Freyer Thompson
Yes, you should make a habit of cleaning your copper wire before you start to use it. There are many different methods, so choose what method is best in your situation. Listed below are a few tips on how to clean your wire.
Instructions
Condiment Cleaning
Follow this link to Condiment Cleaning



600 Grit Sandpaper
600 Grit Sandpaper works great for cleaning longer lengths of wire, the grit is fine enough so it will not leave noticeable marks on your wire. This works great if you are going to apply a patina to your finished piece as it gives the wire surface a minuscule amount of 'tooth' for the patina to adhere to. Simply roll a length of wire off the coil, fold the sandpaper in half and run it along the length of the wire.
Judy Freyer Thompson's Should I Clean My Copper - 600 Grit Sandpaper, General Education, , 600 grit sandpaper
Safe Pickle Cleaning
If you are annealing a coil of wire, you can remove the fire scale after annealing by placing it in your pickle pot shown in this tip on a Safer Pickle.

This will remove the fire scale and clean the wire.

Judy Freyer Thompson's Should I Clean My Copper - Safe Pickle Cleaning, General Education, , cleaning copper wire
Judy Freyer Thompson's Should I Clean My Copper - Safe Pickle Cleaning, General Education, , cleaning copper wire
Twinkle Brass and Copper Cleaning Kit
This product is available at your local grocery store. Although targeted toward cleaning copper cookware, the paste formula works well cleaning copper whether you are cleaning plain wire, sheet, or a finished piece. Keep in mind the paste is quite thick, so you will need to have an old toothbrush on hand to remove the paste from tight spots if necessary.
Judy Freyer Thompson's Should I Clean My Copper - Twinkle Brass and Copper Cleaning Kit, General Education, , cleaning copper wire

Materials

18 Gauge Round Half Hard Copper Wire
H11-18H
  • Lesson Quantity: 5.00 feet
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 5FT
  • Price: $3.38
  • Gold Club Price: $2.53
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20 Gauge Round Half Hard Copper Wire
H11-20H
  • Lesson Quantity: 5.00 feet
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 5FT
  • Price: $2.08
  • Gold Club Price: $1.56
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Copper Wire
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Copper Sheet
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Tools

WET/DRY PAPER 9 X 11 ASST- 20PC- 2EA GRIT 180-3000
ABR-500.90
  • ABR-500.90
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
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  • Category: General Education
  • Technique(s): General Education