Cheapest copper sheet suppliers/old tanks

[madscotsman59]

I'm in need of two 3 foot x 3 foot copper sheets, 22 mil. I have been thru some sites and the cheapest I could find is $367.00 each. Now I don't know about you but that sounds steep.
Rather than beating myself to death with a english wheel and shapeing this stuff, I have a alternative. I found a neighbor in town that just took out a 20 inch wide by 7 foot tall hot water tank. it has 1/4 solid copper sheeting it is made from. The only thing is it is old as Moses and is green as a salad bar. And I know damn good and well it is sealed with lead solder. now I can cut this thing down and make three stills out of it and grind the rivets off and melt that old lead out and start the polishing process and re-weld it. The only thing is, will it be safe enough. I can't remember if the old copper was originally poured(processed) with lead. If it was I won't mess with it.. any thoughts? Thanks, Old Tom

[Coaster]

@ madscotsman59,

If in doubt about your Copper containing any Lead suggest obtaining a Lead Test Kit. Lead Test Kits are not that expensive and are easy to use.

Regards,
Coaster

[madscotsman59]

Oh Yeah, I forgot about those things, I guess I could make a fresh scratch with the grinder and get a clean sample. Thanks Guy, Tom

[Washashore]

Price sounds about right. I also was looking for sheet copper cuz I wanted to build a copper table. At the $400 for the sheet alone, I quickly abandoned that idea.

[jmart]

Going to sound ridiculous, but watch Craigslist ... I found a guy who was unloading a 4 x 8 sheet of 20 something gauge for 100 bucks. The downside is that it's glued to a 4 x 8 sheet of 3/4 plywood so eventually when I get around to using it I'll have to separate from the wood ... very carefully!

The story goes that some guy (previous tenant or something) had the wood and copper in between box spring and mattress and was supposedly deriving some sort of mysterious health benefit from sleeping on copper. Well, I'm going to derive a health benefit from it ... little vitamin C2H6O if you know what I mean.

There are bargains is positively weird places.

[Dnderhead]

""The downside is that it's glued to a 4 x 8 sheet of 3/4 plywood ""
that is also used as shelding in potable labs ETC.

[Washashore]

That'd be perfect for a copper table!!

[bgrizzle]

Checkout Rotaxmetals.net

I got a quote on copper sheet from these guys. 3'X8' (0.040" thick). $275.00

That did not include shipping...

[madscotsman59]

Thanks,

[texshinner72]

try online metals they where the cheepest i ordered 3x4 and they sent me a 3x7 for about 250 it was soft copper 20# i built a 22gal still made my old still into a thumper give them a try

[billybudd]

I got a 3' x 10' sheet of 16 oz for about $235 delivered from GutterSupply.com I think they also have 20 oz $$$ . I am very happy with the 16 oz.

[irishcarbomb]

metal by the inch . com

119.84 + shipping for 3'x3' 16oz
143.94 + shipping for 20oz

[Endysis]

Call your local scrap yard! They will usually sell copper sheet in various gauges for a little more than scrap prices (just called one here in the PNW and it's $5 a pound) should definitely be cheaper than having to ship from an online retailer.

[Bushman]

Call your local scrap yard! They will usually sell copper sheet in various gauges for a little more than scrap prices (just called one here in the PNW and it's $5 a pound) should definitely be cheaper than having to ship from an online retailer.

This is a good source in the PNW the last time I bought scrap copper it was going for $4.50 a lb.