Brass

[fat pete]

I have some brass rods and flat stuff. I was trying to work it and I handled it like copper...heat it and quench it then hit it....it splintered, weird, like wood almost .... so i tried it not heated it would dent but then also splinter....i had it in the fire for maaybe 20 -30 seconds and it didnt melt (red hot coals no yellow in the fire) can any one tell me a little about brass workin ... I wanna use it for decorative rivits and eyes stuff like that.....
thx

[WagonMaster]

Pete I went into the Blueprint area, Didn't find anything in there that can help you. Maybe someone will chime in.. I wish you luck.

[Finnr]

Workability of brass depends a lot on teh actual metals in the composition. I have run into some that you can work hot easily and others that are totally unworkable in the forge.
Finnr

[theimi]

hi...

on Anchor Bronze and Metals, Inc. (no, i don't have any relationship to them) you find lots of data and tables about all copper, brass and bronze alloys with chemical composition, material-, mechanical-, physical- and fabrication properties (e.g. cold working and hot forging properties, how to weld .... a.s.o.)
very useful

hth
frank

[Tald the dead]

I have forged brass and I believe it was a "naval" brass. Ill have to double check. Though the only time I had it splinter was when it work hardened.

Forged it in the low reds and is super soft and also used a gas forge so I can clearly see it and let it heat up a little more slow and even. Working it in the low reds I kept forging it until the heat was gone and not letting it work harden to the point of splitting.

heat it and quench it then hit it....it splintered, weird, like wood almost

Thinking about it now I never quenched the non ferrous metals, just let them air cool. I am curious why you would heat it, quench (in water right?) and then try to forge it. If its splitting while forging then I would have to guess it is work hardening and cracking.

There is a brass that is not recommended to be forged. It escapes me, maybe someone else knows what it is called.

Anywayz hope it helps.

[Bentiron1946]

Pitching the hot non-ferrous metals into water is called annealing. It make the metal soft for working again. Air cooling makes it soft just not as soft. Hot forging copper and brass is a lot trickery then cold forging steel. I have found that it is best worked cold unless you are working large stock then you can work it hot but cold work then anneal when it won't move anymore is the surest way to go. Brass can be difficult if you start to shape it before you anneal it. The biggest problem with brass is the zinc in it. I had some old brass that had some lead in it and shaped very easy for spoon bowls but you know the bug-a-boo of lead and food handling items.

[Brian C.]

Naval brass is what I have used with some success. Rich Waugh uses a lot of Silicon Bronze with great results.

[fat pete]

some good answers thx...maybe i didnt get it hot enuff n maybe i should use the propane forge....so u guys think it wasnt annealed enuff...I will work on it....u know it acted a little like aluminium.....

[Trollhammer]

I used some 1/4" brass rods from Home Depot to make wings for a mild steel bodied dragonfly. I took multiple attempts to avoid blobs of molten brass on the floor of the brickpile, but I did eventually get it to work. I had to pay real close attention to the colour and how the stock started sagging. In my attempts, if it started sagging and acting like play-dough, it was too late. I finished the charcoal forge a couple of weeks ago, and tried the same process...very unsuccessfully. I lost a lot of brass and didn't get anything done. I shut everything down early and in complete disgust and decided that brass was better done in a gasser, with vigilant observation...at least with my limited experience and skill.
Mickey

[RegionalChaos]

Whats a good source for flat pieces of brass or copper? My step son wants to make something like a Chinese coin. A round piece with a square hole in the center. I'm assuming all the work should be done cold on it?