I need some copper baseplate matterial

[Dr. Guitar]

For a concept pick up. Any ideas on good places to look?

[Mystic]

You can get copper at any hardware store. You also might try hobby shops.

[Paleo Pete]

Ask around at a few local machine shops, see where they get their material from, they should have just about anything you want in any size you want, as long as it's not a wholesaler that does not sell to the general public. There should be a local supplier, it's just not commonly known because it's basically a specialty market oriented primarily toward machine shops and fabrication outfits.

[Joe Gwinn]

For a concept pick up. Any ideas on good places to look?

Are you looking for solid copper (which is rare in pickup bases), or for copper-plated mild steel (which is very common in pickup bases)? A magnet will tell the difference.

[Dr. Guitar]

yes, copper plated steel, like a tele. Just wondering if some one would stock such a thing.

for my idea i may need to have some one copper plate a steel plate, which I have options for.

[Joe Gwinn]

yes, copper plated steel, like a tele. Just wondering if some one would stock such a thing.

for my idea i may need to have some one copper plate a steel plate, which I have options for.

Copper plating of steel is easy to do, and is well within practicality for home use.

[David Schwab]

Anyone know why they plated the steel plates? For rust resistance?

[jason lollar]

The copper according to the plater I use doesnt help keep the steel from corroding but it does make it easier to solder to.
years ago wolfe found some sheet steel that was copper plated both sides, bright plated which is expensive- I asked around all the machining places and they told me it was not a stock item.
It costs between 30 and 70 cents per tele baseplate to get it copper plated and thats a dull copper in quantities of 1,000, the stuff wolfe found must have been worth alot of money- it may have been clad.

[EtLa]

BTW according to caswellplating copper plate can be applied directly over brass, copper or nickel, but cannot plate directly onto steel, pot metal, zinc or aluminum.

[DrStrangelove]

DIY plating

BTW according to caswellplating copper plate can be applied directly over brass, copper or nickel, but cannot plate directly onto steel, pot metal, zinc or aluminum.

That may apply only to their triple chrome plating product.

You can plate copper directly on steel/iron using a concentrated copper sulfate solution and NO electricity. It is as simple as putting a few drops of solution on each steel plate and waiting until the the blue solution changes toward a green shade, perhaps a few hours.

For $33, Caswell ships a "plug and plate" system for touching up small pieces.

-drh

[David King]

http://www.alaskancopper.com/
Copper plating is one of the few that can go right over steel.

[Joe Gwinn]

BTW according to caswellplating copper plate can be applied directly over brass, copper or nickel, but cannot plate directly onto steel, pot metal, zinc or aluminum.

Keep looking. They used to copper plate entire automobile frames. Copper sulfate, a big hunk of copper, and a battery (or battery charger).

[Spence]

I get all my plating done at a workshop that makes and repairs wind instruments. They usually fit me in with all the other stuff they're plating and they'll polish the finished product too. They are also cheap.