Are metallic bonds made up of ions or electrons?

Question

If you take a lump of copper for example is it made up of ions or electrons?

Answer 1

Metallic bonds explain why metals are malleable and why they conduct electricity.

Of course metals are atoms, and when they occur in large numbers, the electrons of the valence shells act in a fluid manner. that is, the electrons are released from the individual atoms, but are still found within the body of the metal 'lump'.

See this great site to explain more:
http://www.chemguide.co.uk/atoms/bonding/metallic.html

Answer 2

All bonds between atoms involve electrons either by sharing them or transferring the electrons from one molecule to another. Metallic bonds are generally made up of ions (don't forget, ions are just charged molecules that have more or less electrons than protons). So the answer to your question would be both.