Copper project
Copper is often used as an outdoor decorative metal because of its appeal and durability. It's not uncommon, though, to see it used indoors as well. Copper is one of the easier metals to work with because it's soft, and there are some tools that make working with copper even more enjoyable.
Drill
A drill and metal-cutting drill bit are essential tools for working with copper because they will help you secure your project together. For example, if you are making a copper planter box, you will have to secure the corners together. When you put a corner together, you can clamp your corner, drill through it, and put either a rivet or screw through it to secure the corner, then remove the clamp. You may also want to use a drill to finish the copper with a wire-brush bit or polish copper with a steel-wool bit.
Pop Rivet Gun
A pop rivet gun goes hand-in-hand with a drill because you need a drill to use a rivet gun. Pop rivets are less conspicuous than screws, and in some cases give you a stronger hold than a screw. The downside to pop rivets is that they are more work to remove than a screw because you have to drill through them completely to take them out of a hole. And sometimes after you've removed the rivet, the hole is too large to fill with another rivet. When riveting copper it's also important that you use copper or stainless steel rivets because not all metals are compatible with each other and can be corrosive and cause rotting.
Clamps
Working with any kind of metal requires a good set of clamps because unfortunately, we don't have three hands. You will come across situations, like in the planter box example, where you need to drill, hold and rivet or solder a corner together, and having a clamp to hold the corner makes all the difference. Not only do clamps make the job easier, they also ensure that you drill the hole in the right spot because you aren't worried about holding the corner together.
Solder Pot
Solder pots or fire pots are can cost around $500, so they are a large investment. But if you work with copper frequently and need to solder it, a fire pot is the way to go. Rivets and screws are good for holding your projects together, but solder can hold it together better than screws and rivets as well as form a watertight seal on your copper. Some people prefer soldering copper because it's a more discrete connection than screwing or riveting.
