[TheForge] Bronze

[Grant Marcoux]

Robert:  I recently held a bronze sword forging course for a couple of
fellows who made nice knock-offs of a Greek and Etruscan sword..fun.
Anyway, we used silicon bronze of the Everdur alloy.  Naval and
architectural bronzes are not stable under heat and tend to crumble as they
are generally alloyed with lead and/or zinc to make them machinable and
extrudable.  These elements have VERY low melting points and you will see
crumbling quickly.

I suspect that the silicon in the forgeable alloys acts as a toughener and
de-oxidizer.  Maybe Brer Binnion could weigh in on this point.

Anyway, forge this material at the lowest red, showing at the thinnest
portion of the area to be forged.  Bronzes will melt at their thin edges
while you wait for the thickest parts to come to color.  If the meatl
appears too bright, let it cool to sunrise red before striking.  You can
"anneal"  by exposing the piece to the flame/heat and carefully looking for
that first rainbow-like "flash" of color on the surface of the piece.  The
metal is now soft enough to forge, but it will rapidly work harden, as it is
copper based.  You will feel the metal stiffen and begin to ring! "Anneal"
and repeat.

Let me know what happens!

										Grant

--Original Message-----
From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net]On Behalf Of robert hensarling
Sent: Thursday, June 08, 2006 9:50 AM
To: Sponsored by ABANA
Subject: [TheForge] Bronze


I'm wanting to try my hand at forging a little bronze.  I'm going to buy
just a little (one sq. foot) of 1/16th" and also some bronze rod for vines,
probably just 3/8's".

Could anyone please tell me the class (220, etc) for the sheet and rod?
This is my first venture and would like to get the numbers right.  I already
have Silicon Bronze rods for my tig (don't know if it can be forge welded,
but if it can, I'm more than positive that I couldn't do it very well).

Seems that someone once said to use a outfit in Denver for the stuff, Atlas
Metal I think.


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