Your last post uploaded as I was writing all sorts of questions. There is no one who stocks bronze sheet close to you? Most cymbals are spin formed on a lathe out of sheet. Totally different process, I doubt you can get the correct sound out of a forged cymbal vs modern spun cymbals.

 

Unfortunately, there are no industrial applications for B20 bronze, so there is only one foundry I know of that produces B20 sheets.  They are in Germany, and expensive.

 

There are no professional-level or B20 bronze cymbals that are spun into shape.  Spin forming is used only for entry-level (mostly brass) cymbals.

 

Ryan, I use a 50lb Little Giant with a speed control on the motor to forge my cymbals.  The speed control allows me run the hammer flat out with the clutch for consistency, and vary the strength of the blows using the speed control.  You might be able to set something like that up to work, but I think I'd be looking at presses for what you are doing.

 

Later,

Matt

Presses are not ideal for production of thin sections because the metal cools too quickly and the tonnage requirements rapidly increase. They are also slow if you don't invest significantly in the valving and controls. I tried doing some 0.220" x 2.625" wide flat bar on a press once and it was extremely inefficient. The best way to do the job in question is with a combination of hammers and a rolling mill to finish, but a rolling mill with rolls wide enough is a huge machine. You could look at roughing out your jobs and then contracting the rolling to an outfit like Braburn.

Thanks, Matt. I've been working multiple angles on this. Just got done with another attempt at casting the blank outright, at 1/8" thick and about 16" diameter. Hasn't filled, but very close. Might have to go 3/16".


Braeburn, you say? Just looked them up. They're in PA, lots of steel mills there, but too far away.
I had contacted a lab in Iowa that has a 12" wide rolling mill. Not wide enough, but I asked them if I could use it, or have them roll my bronze. Cost was $170 an hour, and their furnace was only 5x7".

Your last post uploaded as I was writing all sorts of questions. There is no one who stocks bronze sheet close to you? Most cymbals are spin formed on a lathe out of sheet. Totally different process, I doubt you can get the correct sound out of a forged cymbal vs modern spun cymbals.

Bronze sheet is usually brass these days...no tin. If you know a tin bronze seller let me know as I have other uses for it.

Like swords?

Check out these guys. Everything is done frome scratch

Thanks, InFire, I had not seen that.

I wish I had a team of strikers.

Treadle stop won't come close as the temp. of the stock will change as you forge so the same treadle position will yield different thickness.   I saw cymbals been made once. They casted, forged, then spin. Setting up a spinning lathe is not much trouble.

I've been reading up on Bradleys, specifically the Bradley Compact.  A 100 lb version might be available close to me.  The small amount of literature I've found says that this hammer has an adjustable stroke depth.  I wonder, will this work?

It won't work, I have a 100lb Compact and it is fundamentally the same as other mechanical hammers it doesn't have a depth stop.

 

A punch press has an adjustable repeating stroke depth, I wonder one could be made to work, with the right dies and forging sequence.

 

Possibly use the Bradley for the initial forging and then a press or roller for final sizing.

Thanks, Andrew.

I think I would look at this from a different perspective, I have always expanded out damascus plates using the power hammer equivalent of a rounding hammer small top die and flat bottom die, or a tight fuller top die and flat bottom die .pretty much what I would do by hand.

 I am not sure if a big hammer is really the answer and you might get more work done with a fast smaller hammer and limit the depth by moving the piece around.

 anyhow good luck , and please show us your results.

Thanks, Basher.

I looked at the Bradley Compact today, and it doesn't have enough throat clearance.  The smith who owns it is also of the view that a smaller hammer should work fine.  The thickness will just have to be checked as I work.