Victorian copper shelf brackets with auxiliary piping

Victorian copper shelf brackets with auxiliary piping

orging Function and Form: The Making of Copper Shelf Brackets
There’s a certain satisfaction in taking raw material and shaping it into something beautiful—something functional. This set of copper shelf brackets began, as most things do at SmithWork, with an idea and a sketch, but the real story lies in the making.

The process starts with placing the copper pipping custom jig—an essential tool for consistency for soldering the brass to copper pipes. The jig holds everything steady while the solder sets to precision. You’ll see in the gallery the early stage: the brass held in place, the copper pipe ready to meet it.

Once joined, the elbows were soldered to the upright pipes, giving the pieces their first breath of structure; they being to look like shelf brackets now. Interestingly, this is where I used to stop the fabrication; clean up the solder and polish. And they were a popular design, so much so other builders began to follow suit using copper rather than mild steel pipping. So we upped the skill ante introducing the auxiliary pipping on the copper shelf bracket’s side.

The next slide depicts auxiliary pipes after they were measured and forged into shape. Polished to as it makes for easier final polish. These are just for looks; they don’t reinforce the bracket, or create weakness, yet create that unmistakable industrial feel—part vintage, part machine-age elegance. After soldering to the main body we polishing each section to a warm gleam, locking the design into its final shape.

What began as separate parts—copper pipe, brass fittings, forged auxiliary pipping—has now become something whole. With cast iron flanges added and every joint buffed to a mirror shine, these brackets are more than just hardware. They’re a glimpse into the rhythm of the forge, the quiet focus of hand work, and the beauty that happens when utility and artistry meet.
Each bracket is unique, made slowly and with care. The kind of piece that doesn’t just hold up a shelf—it tells a story while doing it.

Posted on April 5, 2025, 8:52 a.m.

Highly polished copper shelf brackets with cast iron flanges displayed on an anvil Brass bushing being soldered while copper shelf brackets are held in a jig Close-up of brass bushing being soldered to copper shelf bracket during fabrication Copper elbow joint freshly soldered to copper pipe for steampunk-style shelf bracket Eight forged and polished copper auxiliary pipes laid out after fabrication Auxiliary copper pipes being soldered onto handmade copper shelf brackets Zoomed out view of copper shelf brackets with auxiliary pipes soldered in place Handmade industrial copper shelf brackets with cast iron flanges shown on an anvil from a different angle