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Stainless and Copper Range Hood

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Hi,

I am trying to find a cost-effective solution to creating a custom range hood without spending a fortune. I had envisioned alternating stainless steel and copper rows with a nice bowed cutout at the rim that I could just install over my existing basic non-ducted hood.

How can I bond the copper to the stainless steel to stand up to the heat - even if without chemicals. Can they be soldered together? Or otherwise, how else can they overlap? I had thought about taking 2 sheets, one copper and one stainless and overlapping them, with the top one cut into strips everywhere but the ends, but I am concerned it will still look unattached. Please advise.

Thanks.

Aileen Mayo
Hobbyist - Belton, Missouri

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Unfortunately, stainless steel can't be soldered, Aileen. So you would be limited to epoxy or fasteners. I don't fully understand what you are proposing, but even with my own lack of artistic sensibility, I'd have to agree that such an assembly will probably look "unattached" unless it includes screws that quite obviously connect the copper strips to the stainless strips. Artists would probably laugh at me but I think copper screws where the stainless overlaps the copper and stainless screws where the copper overlaps the stainless might look okay. Ted Mooney, P.E. finishing.com Brick, New Jersey

Art of Coppersmithing

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You can tig weld stainless steel to copper using a deoxidized copper filler rod. We have done this to a sample piece we intend on using stainless steel and copper for a up coming fountain we will be building. We are also looking at incorporating stainless into our hoods in the future.

Good luck
master coppersmith
Mark Murphey

Mark Murphey
- Indianapolis, Indiana

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We are getting our kitchen redone and I would like to make a copper range to cover a built in vent. (at this time we are considering a Faber stainless insert) I saw an article in a woodworkers magazine years ago about copper cladding a plywood range hood. That is sort of what I had in mind. I can work with copper a little. If anyone could direct to a magazine, or could provide a little advice I would appreciate it.

Richard Truelove
consumer - Baltimore, Maryland, USA

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Stainless steel can be soldered. In fact, it solders almost as clean as copper, much better than galvanized steel, tin, terne, or lead coated metal. Might be a little late, but I figured I'd throw my advice out there.

Aaron Vogler
- Haubstadt, Indiana