[TheForge] Bronze casting

Wed Dec 3 12:05:07 2003

I wouldn't say there was no heavy industry left - it's just quite hard to
get hold of materials on a 'hobby' scale. We certainly have people who can
supply these things, but they're normally only interested in selling lots at
a time to account customers.

I'm constantly amazed by what people get up to in their garages in the
States; I think easier access to quality DIY shops etc makes a big
difference.

Thanks for the hep, guys.

Rich.

Richard Maynard
[email protected]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: [email protected]
> [mailto:[email protected]]On Behalf Of Ries Niemi
> Sent: 03 December 2003 01:37
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: Re: [TheForge] Bronze casting
>
>
>
> On Tuesday, December 2, 2003, at 12:19 PM, Rich Maynard wrote:
>
> > I may have forgotten to mention that I'm in the UK. We can't just pop
> > down
> > to Walmart and pick up some Naval bronze, you know! After a brief trawl
> > around, the bronzes I can easily get hold of are a phosphor bronze
> >
> > Cu  %  REM        Ni  %  0.10 max.
> > Sn  %  10.0-11.5  Fe  %  0.10 max.
> > Zn  %  0.05 max.  Si  %  0.02 max.
> > Pb  %  0.25 max.  S   %  0.05 max.
> > P   %  0.50-1.00
> >
> > or a nickel aluminium bronze
> >
> >         Al    Fe   Ni   Mn   Si   Sn   Pb    Zn   other
> > % min.  8.5   4.0  4.0  -    -    -    -     -    -
> > % max.  10.0  5.5  5.5  0.5  0.1  0.1  0.05  0.4  0.05
> >
> > (which 'meets Admiralty standards!')
> >
> > I'd be interested in giving this a go - are either of these worth
> > trying?
> >
>
> I cant believe there is no heavy industry left in the UK- there must be
> a metal supplier that stocks bronze. Here in the US, where all our
> manufacturing is supposed to have moved to China, I can get about 10
> different types of bronze delivered to my door the next day, and I live
> way out in the country. Silicon bronze and naval bronze are often used
> in the marine industries- arent there any boat builders left in
> Blighty? find one and ask where they get their silicon bronze-
> You are confirming my supposition that the only industries left in the
> British Isles are custom mobile phone rings, rave clothing, and illegal
> drugs with really clever brand names pressed in the tablets.
>
> Anyway- your phosphor bronze is probably something like our alloy C52400
> supposed to have good cold workability, but not very forgeable. Any
> lead usually makes it forge crummy.
>
> and the nickel aluminum is approximately C63000
> This one is hot workable-  probably the better choice of the two. I
> have a friend who has done some forging with aluminum bronzes, and he
> says they are quite forgeable. He is, however, a master smith- he can
> make anything look easy. I have not forged any myself.
>
> ries
>
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