Brass

[Trollhammer]

Take a piece of copper water pipe, cut down one side, and unroll it flat. Door plates work pretty good too. The ones I've found are usually brass, and a bit thicker than water pipe. I believe there's an online site that sells sheet brass and copper too. I can't remember the name right off hand though. You could probably get away doing it with a hole saw and file the pilot hole square. Or punch the center out rather than filing it square.
Mickey

[fat pete]

I was told that some brass just isnt forgable only machinable....I have a pile of this stuff my pop liberated from a machine shop he used to work at...I have copper and alluminium from there also....
I appreciate the discussion and as I find out more I will continue....thanks for your help!!

[tetnum]

um i would try and hold off on the heat
most here have herd of paw paw
and no brass is not galvnization BUT
if you over heat it you will end up with molten copper and gasious zinc oxide(that will kill you)and it is cumliative in the body

we all value your input here so please be careful

[Bentiron1946]

Brass does have a lot of zinc in it, up to 30% in some cases but if you work it until you hammer start to bounce back a little then anneal it you find that it is an OK metal to work with. It is not as much fun a copper but still nice. Bronze is better since it is tin based it works a little better but they all work harden so still need annealed, heat until they start to color up to red then drop in water. I you get much hotter then that you are way to hot. Sometimes it is just best to go until the metal turns all black and then drop it in the water. You want to have a good loud sizzle when it hits the water. Most folk over work the brass, copper, bronze or silver and create internal stress cracks so that after it is annealed they have it come apart on them. Don't over forge the cold metal. One marker to tell you if you have cold forged to long is if little flakes of metal are popping up you have gone to long without annealing.

[fat pete]

thats cool bentiron....i am goin to try with the propane....i feel more confident not puddling it that way my coal forge is outside so I cant get a good read on the color.....I had it sizzlin tho in the quench....I have used the same stuff to pin things like knife handles.....it shines right up tho ...nice....thanks!

[Bentiron1946]

In some of my early sculptures I used 3/8" to 1/2" brass rod for rivets to hold 1/2'' steel plate together. Looked real nice. I would put them at about 2"o.c. and then beat them mushroom shaped. No heat needed.

[peacock]

There are several alloys of brass. As a rule only navel brass SAE#73 and forging brass SAE#88 are recomended for forging. # 88 is copper 58 to 61 % lead 1.5 to2.5 % iron max. .30 other elements .50 % the remainder is zinc.
Other types of brass are cast and will not generally forge. The brass you have is most likely not meant to be forged. All the smiths that I know use silcon bronze when they need a copper alloy in their work. Sorry but your brass may not be what you want I hope this helps.

[welder19]

I have never forged brass or copper but I have done quite a bit oc casting with them, the zinc in it will vary depending on the type of brass you have and isn't really a health issue unless you over heat it and you'll know it when you see a yellowish smoke and residue, DO NOT breath it, but if you don't over heat it you should be fine but I would still recomend doing it outside or if you really want to be safe then wear a respirator.

welder19