[TheForge] Anyone tried to cut 24 gage brass sheet?

[Bruce .]

Jerry,
I'm not sure, but that sounds like overkill to me.
If he's got a flattened roll of brass, what he needs to do is anneal
at the outermost fold - only - and unbend that fold.  Then work
inwards.  The brass needn't be hot when it's unfolded.  Heating to red
(or perhaps lower), and cooling (or even quenching) will anneal it.

On Sat, Sep 8, 2012 at 5:33 PM, Jerry Frost <akfrosty at mtaonline.net> wrote:
> Okay, I had a different picture. Bruce has a good point about keeping layers
> together under a reciprocating saw.
>
> Can you build a fire in your yard? A couple bags of charcoal and something
> to put over the roll say sheet steel roofing to help keep ambient air off
> should anneal it enough to unrole. If you sprinkle a good dusting of borax
> over it it'll keep the oxy off the brass, where the layers are in contact
> aren't going to suffer too much. Just keep the fire burning a little rich,
> that's not enough air to make it happy. I'd just build a smokey wood fire
> but I live in the woods, the neighbors can't even see us. Oh yeah, you don't
> really need to quench it to anneal but it sure doesn't hurt.
>
> A weed burner and do it a layer or two at a time will work too.
>
> Don't be shy unrolling it but don't get too rough, it'll come if you're firm
> but brass work hardens just out of spite if you try bullying it. Unwrap it
> far as possible on the first pull, you'll only get 2-3 and it'll get hard,
> you'll feel it. Thinking about it here, each layer will have it's sweet time
> and not work harden when you unwrap the one out from it.
>
> Yeah, it'll be some hassle but it's just a job, nothing seriously technical.
>
> Jer
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Ron Childers" <ron at munlaw.net>
> To: "Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Friday, September 07, 2012 3:17 AM
> Subject: Re: [TheForge] Anyone tried to cut 24 gage brass sheet?
>
>
>> This is a large piece of sheet brass that looks like someone rolled it
>> then almost flattened the roll. Sorry I didn't make that clear, but I
>> don't think the snips will work; however, the suggestion to anneal is
>> probably the first step in the process of unrolling it. Since it must be
>> annealed to work anyway there is no lost motion. It is too big to fit in
>> any of my gas forges so it appears localized heat from a burner may be
>> the only way. It is about the thickness of a dime; what gage would that
>> be? If approached as a purely practical matter a trip to the scrap yard
>> would yield the perfect piece, but I have an aversion to wasting
>> anything.
>>
>
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-- 
Bruce
NJ