an associate of mine wants to weld copper

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he went out this weekend and bought some manner of wire feed welder. He asked me this morning if he can fix his copper lawn ornament/statue with it. Ironworkers dont typically deal with copper (unless some of them are stealing it!), but my thoughts he would need a gas welder to do this fix..TIG? My own question is whether there are electrodes, i guess other than tig to weld copper?have a good week everyone.
Reply:I've made my own ornamental backyard pieces from solid copper (rain chains, and an electric fence to go around a koi pond, among other things), but I've NEVER seen a solid copper ornament in a store.  First thing I would do, is check that "copper" ornament with a magnet.If it is indeed copper, and if he has a wire feed welder that does GMAW (and not just FCAW), then he can use silicon bronze wire with argon as a shielding gas.  No, I've never tried this.I have TIG welded copper, and its not easy.  It draws huge amounts of power, and melts and runs away very fast.My recommendation (again, if it is really copper), is to use a copper-phosphorus brazing rod.  Those work very well without flux, and a MAPP (propylene now), torch is just capable of reaching the temperature required.  Don't bother spending the extra $$ on brazing rod containing silver.  It won't match as well in color, and the added ductility isn't too critical for ornamental purposes.
Reply:awesome, thanks for the advice.
Reply:Use TIG with silicon bronze wire, ive done that it the past and to my knowledge the repairs are still holding up fine.  You need to be careful, and make sure everything is stupid clean but it will work.Have we all gone mad?
Reply:You could always silver solder it......zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:id just silver solder it, cheap and easy, course if the thing was welded together not soldered then i guess weld iti have made and fixed weather vanes and copper lawn ornaments and they were all soldered together with a torch, flux and solderforney f100 220vmiller thunderbolt 225v a/ccampbell hausfield flux welder 115vcraftsman o/a rig(harris)collosal tech plasma cutter 50amp
Reply:One of my co workers TIG welds copper every once in a while and he uses the solid copper strands for heavy duty electrical cables, works great and looks really good as well. I believe he uses DCEN and 100% argon IIRC.
Reply:You can "bond" copper with good old S-6 wire MIG. Don't know if I'd go so far as to call it a "weld". I've done it lots. Works fine for ornamental stuff. Done mostly copper sheet to mild steel. Just use tacks welds.200amp Air Liquide MIG, Hypertherm Plasma, Harris torches, Optrel helmet, Makita angle grinders, Pre-China Delta chop saw and belt sander, Miller leathers, shop made jigs etc, North- welders backpack.
Reply:I TIG weld quite a bit of copper, generally 0.043 inch (1 mm) thickness.  It is similar to welding aluminum, except you use DC instead of AC.  Copper is a little harder to weld than aluminum because it conducts heat better.  As others have said, it takes more power than steel to weld.   If you have access to a TIG with pulse, try 2 pulses per second, good penetration but reduces the risk of burn through.   Figure to ride the foot pedal to keep from burning through, whether you use pulse or not.  I would not even try to TIG copper without a foot pedal current control.  I use deoxidized copper filler rod.One other tip, the end of the weld is often troublesome, always best to start at the edge and work in, rather than work towards the edge.As others have said, not sure that a lawn ornament would be copper.   Certainly the easiest way to braze it is phos-copper rod, no flux required.  However, the color match is poor.  Silicon bronze is closer to copper color, but of course copper filler rod is the best color match.I have welded copper with oxy-acetylene, but much prefer TIG.RichardSculptures in copper and other metalshttp://www.fergusonsculpture.comSyncrowave 200 Millermatic 211Readywelder spoolgunHypertherm 600 plasma cutterThermal Arc GMS300 Victor OA torchHomemade Blacksmith propane forge