[TheForge] Bronze Suppliers

[Ries Niemi]

On Friday, November 12, 2004, at 11:18 AM, Gladish Family wrote:

> Does naval bronze have lead in it? And if so is it enough to consider a
> hazard?
> I seem to remember this being kicked around a couple years ago...
> Andy g.
>
>

Andy-
Naval Bronze, which is usually C465, is 60% Copper, 39.25% Zinc, and 
.075% Tin.
Forges very nicely- I have gone thru about 2000lbs of it in the last 2 
years.

There are some leaded "naval brasses" made, C482, and C485, which do 
have lead in them, for ease of machining. Not so good for forging.
With bronzes, because there are so many alloys, it really helps to have 
a reference book that gives you the breakdowns. I use the ASM Metals 
Handbook, Desk Edition, which I was lucky enough to find used for 25 
bucks. New it is over 200. Sometimes it turns up on ABEbooks.com or 
ebay.
It has alloy breakdowns, along with prefered manufacturing techniques, 
for pretty much every metal.

ries