I want to put a thin brass plate 1mm thick between 2 curved services. When the plate is placed between the 2 curved services will the plate automatically take the shape of the curve? Or is the 1mm plate to thick?
Brass Plate
- Thread starter Mikegtr
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Phill05
Established Member
You would need to heat up the brass to anneal it (make it soft) let it cool it'self don't dip it in water then it should bend to the shape better.
Hi Phill
Thanks for the tip.
Thanks for the tip.
AES
Established Member
You MAY not need to anneal the brass plate first. It depends on A) how hard the 2 curved pieces it's going to be sandwiched between are, and B) you can buy "Half Hard" brass plate in various thicknesses.
But if you're not sure about either of the above/already have some brass, then annealing is the way to go. If not familiar, exactly as Phill05 has said, rest the brass on a firebrick or something, keep the flame moving all over the brass (don't stay still in one spot, especially if it's a small, pin point flame ), and the brass needs to get pretty hot all over - about a dull cherry red is good.
AND exactly as Phill has already said, don't quench it in water (or anything else), let it cool naturally.
Also, don't forget that brass will "work harden" - that means don't anneal your piece of brass then put it off to one side for a week (!), because when you come back to it it's quite possible it'll be harder than before you annealed it. DAMHIKT!
But if you're not sure about either of the above/already have some brass, then annealing is the way to go. If not familiar, exactly as Phill05 has said, rest the brass on a firebrick or something, keep the flame moving all over the brass (don't stay still in one spot, especially if it's a small, pin point flame ), and the brass needs to get pretty hot all over - about a dull cherry red is good.
AND exactly as Phill has already said, don't quench it in water (or anything else), let it cool naturally.
Also, don't forget that brass will "work harden" - that means don't anneal your piece of brass then put it off to one side for a week (!), because when you come back to it it's quite possible it'll be harder than before you annealed it. DAMHIKT!
I was soft soldering together a couple of small turned brass items the other week and grabbed the MAPP gas torch off the shelf to do it.
MAPP is more expensive than propane but does give some extra ooomph !
What I hadn't thought about was the melting point of brass.
I lingered on the piece pushing some extra solder into the joint and duly melted the part.
So don't be too cavalier when you do your annealing.
MAPP is more expensive than propane but does give some extra ooomph !
What I hadn't thought about was the melting point of brass.
I lingered on the piece pushing some extra solder into the joint and duly melted the part.
So don't be too cavalier when you do your annealing.
Many thanks for all your replies. To anneal brass could you use a 2000W heat gun?---not enough power? Flame required?
If I had to buy a gas touch what would you recommend? My knowledge of gas torch'es is zero as never used one in my life. I am a DIY guy.
If I had to buy a gas touch what would you recommend? My knowledge of gas torch'es is zero as never used one in my life. I am a DIY guy.
Adam W.
A Major Clanger
From schoolboy metalwork I seem to remember that a nice broad feathery flame worked best for annealing, but that's about the full extent of my knowledge on the subject.
Phill05
Established Member
Send the wife out shopping and drop it on the kitchen hob until cherry red turn off the hob and leave to cool.
AES
Established Member
Phill's idea will work (if you're not all electric), but a hot air gun won't, not enough heat.
For "normal DIY" I use a very cheap Camping Gaz blowlamp with one of those screw & clip on blue cartridges. Quite expensive per "millilitre" or whatever, for the gas, but if you're not going to do much else with it, it'll do fine. Quite a big, broad & feathery flame too, which, as above, is just the ticket,
But as per my previous post, try to bend it without annealing first. It may not be necessary, and that'll save you buying a blowlamp if you will really have no other use for it.
To test, take a big wodge of old newspapers, thicker at each end than in the middle, fashioning into a rough curve. Lay that lot on a firm bench or the floor. Then find a bit of "bar", smooth metal ideally, but wood if you can't find anything else. Length should be at least as long as both your hands are wide, PLUS the width of the brass you're trying out. Diameter should ideally be "pretty big" (say a couple of inches - 50 mm - or more) but a bit of old broom stick will do fine if it's nice and smooth. Used that idea myself several times, and it works a treat if the brass is not too thick/hard. Your 1.00 mm may well be fine.
The idea is to use the bit of bar just like Mum did with a rolling pin for pastry, always pressing downwards pretty hard as you roll your "rolling pin" to and fro across the brass. Watch what happens to the brass. If it starts to curl upwards (towards the rolling pin) then the chances are you won't need to anneal, especially if the diameter/radius you want is fairly "open", and if the 2 bits of material you're going to sandwich the brass between are fairly tough.
HTH
For "normal DIY" I use a very cheap Camping Gaz blowlamp with one of those screw & clip on blue cartridges. Quite expensive per "millilitre" or whatever, for the gas, but if you're not going to do much else with it, it'll do fine. Quite a big, broad & feathery flame too, which, as above, is just the ticket,
But as per my previous post, try to bend it without annealing first. It may not be necessary, and that'll save you buying a blowlamp if you will really have no other use for it.
To test, take a big wodge of old newspapers, thicker at each end than in the middle, fashioning into a rough curve. Lay that lot on a firm bench or the floor. Then find a bit of "bar", smooth metal ideally, but wood if you can't find anything else. Length should be at least as long as both your hands are wide, PLUS the width of the brass you're trying out. Diameter should ideally be "pretty big" (say a couple of inches - 50 mm - or more) but a bit of old broom stick will do fine if it's nice and smooth. Used that idea myself several times, and it works a treat if the brass is not too thick/hard. Your 1.00 mm may well be fine.
The idea is to use the bit of bar just like Mum did with a rolling pin for pastry, always pressing downwards pretty hard as you roll your "rolling pin" to and fro across the brass. Watch what happens to the brass. If it starts to curl upwards (towards the rolling pin) then the chances are you won't need to anneal, especially if the diameter/radius you want is fairly "open", and if the 2 bits of material you're going to sandwich the brass between are fairly tough.
HTH
I would add the caveat that a good electric heat gun will output as much as 650 or for the best ones 700C, but probably not enough volume of air to get a metal plate up to that temp.
There is a common type of torch from Berneze, Rothenberger + clones that uses thick walled disposable gas cylinders. They are distinctive because the cylinders are made in 2 halves with a visible join halfway up. Grab one of those
There is a common type of torch from Berneze, Rothenberger + clones that uses thick walled disposable gas cylinders. They are distinctive because the cylinders are made in 2 halves with a visible join halfway up. Grab one of those
A great help. Many thanks
