Copper Rain Chain

Step 5 But don't solder yet!!

You need to link the rings before soldering. Now that they're linked brush each joint with a little soldering flux, heat it in the torch and flow in some lead free solder.

PS this is where you need the gloves, copper in an excellent conductor of heat.

Comments

[cmoorecole]

I love this and have needed to fix my downspouts. This actually seems easier to me than actually fixing the downspout - maybe because I make jewelry and this just looks like a set of huge copper rings - oh yeah - it is. I make tiny chains of silver and/or copper rings, so I think I can do this. . The hardest part is finding a ladder or a neighbor to loan me a ladder, so I can put it up. What I wonder - must the rings be that size? I'd like to make them larger, because I have a big heavy-duty cardboard tube that measures 3" across. Would this make any difference in how the ring chain functions? I'm assuming that your 25 rings in the picture gave you a chain that's about 4 ft. long, so I'd make 16 of the larger ones. Do you think this would be just as good?

[Tool Using Animal]

I don't think size matters ;-) I was in down town Sanford Fl last month and some of the artsy shows had chains made with 1" rings.