[TheForge] welding red brass, slightly OT

[ries]

Andy, first you have to find out what it really is.

"red brass" is a meaningless term, most often used by scrap guys to  
name a bin that they throw 30 or 40 different alloys into.

my guess is it might be C320, which is a copper zinc alloy.
zinc alloys tend to sputter and pop, and leave potholes, when you weld  
em.

brazing is better.

I would tig braze it with a silicon bronze filler- might not give an  
exact color match, but will be strong, quick, and I know it works.  
Course, as you know, I have two tig machines in the shop.

gas brazing, you would just need to try some different rods. some  
people use a piece of the base metal for filler, which can work, but,  
if you get that zinc hot, its gonna melt out at several hundred  
degrees below the copper, so even if you start with the same alloy,  
thats no guarantee you will finish with it.

ries


On Jul 1, 2009, at 8:30 AM, Andy Gladish wrote:

Would anyone like to offer any experience with welding red brass pipe?
I'm starting a railing project, the builder has already purchased a  
bunch
of red brass 1 1/4 nom. pipe, and I'm curious what process works best,  
and
any hard won tips that y'all might want to pass on.
Thanks!

Andy Gladish, Metal Work
Element Forge
www.ElementFe.com
Online Store at: ElementFe.Etsy.com
Email:  andy at elementfe.com
Portfolio @  elementfe.carbonmade.com
Work blog @ elementfe.blogspot.com

Benjamin Franklin said : 'So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable
creature, since it enables one to find or make a reason for everything  
one
has a mind to do.'
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Ries Niemi
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http://www.riesniemi.com/