Brass And bronze?

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Muskymoto
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Location: West sussex England

Brass And bronze?

Post by Muskymoto »

We attempeted to make a cast brass sign at the weekend the first attempt was the most sucsesfull but we think we had a mixture of brass and bronze

The second attempt we think we had mainly brass

Attempt number one seemed to have a better finish than just the brass alone

My question can you melt brass and bronze toghether does it matter if not how can you tell them apart?

Cheers
Marcus
pockets
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Re: Brass And bronze?

Post by pockets »

Great question. I'd appreciate knowing the answer on this one. I've been fairly lucky with the pocket knife scrape test (Orange=bronze, Yellow=brass), but would like something a little more positive.

Greg B.
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Fender
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Re: Brass And bronze?

Post by Fender »

This is a bit like saying, which is better, beef or pork? There are so many different alloys of bronze and brass as to make the question almost meaningless. Common brass is about 30-40% zinc, and is very yellow. But there also are other brasses that are red. Aluminum bronze is pretty yellow, too. What is the source of the scrap you are melting? Any of these can be melted together. If your requirements are not stringent, what does it matter? If they are, you better use ingot metal of known composition.
Surface finish has more to do with the sand you are using, how well it is compacted, moisture level, and the temperature of the metal when poured, in my experience. Coarse sand, loosely packed sand, too wet, and/or high melt temperatures make for rougher finish. Fine sand, well packed, without too much moisture, and the metal not overheated makes for better finish. You can also coat the mold to get a better finish.
Dan Watson
Chattanooga, TN
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steamin10
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Re: Brass And bronze?

Post by steamin10 »

Pockets and Fender both have it right. You cant get but an educated guess on scraps. Bearing brasses and bronzes will mix and do OK. But if you want to make Bells or Marine parts, you will have to revert to ingot for known alloys, and physical qualities. It is where I bump my head when casting.
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RONALD
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Re: Brass And bronze?

Post by RONALD »

Here is the ultimate authority on brass and bronze if you can afford it. In January 1997, I paid $52.50 for my 1st. edition copy. There may be used copies available, I would do a search.

https://webportal.afsinc.org/Purchase/P ... 5056834d9b
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Fender
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Re: Brass And bronze?

Post by Fender »

Here is another source of info on brass & bronze alloys:

http://www.anchorbronze.com/alloydatabase.htm

Skip down to the section on "Cast" alloys. There are eleven categories. Open up the Tin-Bronze list. There are ten different alloys just for tin-bronze!
Dan Watson
Chattanooga, TN
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