I set out to make a large, 12×18″ copper map of the world. I decided to keep the oceans copper and have the land masses react to obtain their colour.
Starting with the largest size of copper sheet I currently have on hand, I glue the sheet to plywood, trim it to size, file the edges, and sand the copper surface up to 220 grit.
The stencil is simple, but I had a hard time getting my cutting machine to cut it out without the material slipping and messing-up the cut. After multiple attempts, I got a successful cut, so I could move forward. I transfer the stencil to the copper.
I decide to have copper oceans and coloured land for this map, so I will weed away the land parts. I apply chemicals and seal the plate in my big container to react.
When the reaction is complete, I remove the plate, rinse it, dry it, apply clear coat, and let it cure. Next I remove the remaining vinyl to see how the oceans turned out. Some air bubbles let the chemicals seep underneath to react, but it wasn’t the end of the world. I just cleaned up a couple spots and buffed the oceans a bit before sealing it all under clear coat. The cleaning process left the copper looking slightly aged, but I think it turned out well.
The customer who bought the map would prefer if I could add a wire for hanging, so I did just that. I cut small squares of wood and got some spacers to ensure the eyelets would not poke straight through the 1/4″ plywood backing material. I attached rubber pads on the bottom corners and tossed-in a couple “Bear Claw” screws for hanging the copper plate to the wall.
Overall, I have some insight about tackling the world map again. I’ll find some wider rolls of vinyl to be able to make a larger stencil on my machine. It took longer than expected to weed the ocean parts because the vinyl was difficult to pull and kept tearing, rather than coming off in one piece. Perhaps I’ll go for a weaker type of glue strength – i.e. “temporary” over “permanent” vinyl. I might also cut down on the weight of the piece and use a different backing material, like cork board.
