Copper is one of the easiest metils to spin in the lathe, because it is pliable arid can be annealed straight off when it becomes hard. The tool must bear on the metal with firmness, but it is best not to take too large feeds, but to mould the metal gradually. It is of great advantage to hold a piece of hardwood against the back of the blank, particularly in the earlier stages. When the blank is first put on the chuck, or after it has been annealed, it feels very soft and yielding, but after a short time it gets harder, and it is not wise to work it too hard. The tool should not be moved from centre to circumference only; that would tend to draw the metal away from the centre and make it thinner there and more liable to break. When the tool has travelled from the centre outwards, let it travel back again to the centre; in this way the metal can be kept of the same thickness throughout. If the blank is fixed to the chuck by a screw through the centre, turn the chuck gradually during the spinning and anneal rather often.