Thread: Advice needed - cutting brass rod?

I need to cut 3/16 brass rod into 2mm lengths (168 dots for dominos) and I'm hoping there is a better way than using a hacksaw.

The brass rod I bought from the local hobby shop seems really hard but I've seen advertised on the web "half hard' and "quarter hard" brass rod.
I'd appreciate any advice.
Thanks
Robert

Originally Posted by JiffyRobert

I need to cut 3/16 brass rod into 2mm lengths (168 dots for dominos)

You can use the little diamond cut-off wheel in the Dremel. This works very well but you will need to rig-a-jig to get each cut the same (the benefit of this is that you can use the little wheel to dress them as well) ... or

You could use the parting tool in your lathe ... but this will use approx twice as much brass as the dots you end up with.

cool bananas ... greg

The reason it is so hard is that it has been work hardened during manufacture.

If you anneal it (heat it to a very dull red) hold it there for about 10-15 minutes and then let it cool slowly in air it will become soft enough to be cut with a coping saw.
You should be able to do this in a BBQ burner flame

An ideal tool that has a very thing kerf for cutting soft brass is a jewellers saw - it will fair rip through this material.

Rather than using rod, get some 2mm brass sheet and punch it instead using a hole punch set such as one of these

New Power Hole Punch Kit - Sheet Metal - Hand Tool Set | eBay

Originally Posted by DJ's Timber

Rather than using rod, get some 2mm brass sheet and punch it instead using a hole punch set such as one of these

New Power Hole Punch Kit - Sheet Metal - Hand Tool Set | eBay

Sometimes people say things ... and I suddenly realise I got a brain the size of a peanut. Now why didn't I think of that ???

cool bananas ... Greg

The punch idea is a good one, but the disks will be conical, the point on the punch tends to make them into tiny China man's hats.
If I had to do it I would grind a very narrow parting tool and use the.lathe.

The punch idea might be OK even if it makes them a bit conical as I intend to sand them flat once glued in the wood.
Will the 3/16 punch make a 3/16 hole or 1 3/16 disc?
I don't have a lathe.
Robert

You could grind the point off the punch, its only there to pick up center punch marks. The slugs will still be a little bigger diameter on the bottom than they are on the top unless the dia clearance is very tight.

I've made parting blades from old hacksaw blades. For 3/16 brass they should work fine. Though 168 start/stops might drive me batty. I guess you could part a few with each setup. Anyone parted with a traveling steady?

Stuart

Originally Posted by JiffyRobert

Will the 3/16 punch make a 3/16 hole or 1 3/16 disc?

It depends on the dia clearance. With a 3/16 punch the top of the hole and the top of the slug will be 3/16, while the bottom of the hole and the bottom of the slug will be whatever the diameter of the dia is. The only info I can find says standard dias have 0.006" clearance, so that would make it 0.1935"


Stuart

Originally Posted by JiffyRobert

I don't have a lathe.

Robert

He doesn't have a lathe.

Using a Dremel or air die grinder with a small friction disc would cut it cleanly.

Do you have either of those ?

The punch/plug shear idea is the best. You may have to spend some $s to do this.

Rob

Originally Posted by Mutawintji

Sometimes people say things ... and I suddenly realise I got a brain the size of a peanut. Now why didn't I think of that ???

cool bananas ... Greg

Greg,
No lathe....
Well, do you have a drill press?
168 of anything is going to take lots of time. I have a fully equipped jewellery workshop, including a very fancy vintage miniature German jeweller's table saw I just bought, and I think it would still take me all day.
I would suggest you make a die and punch set. like this one of mine, but for one size only.
These can be bought in smaller sets of sizes of punches. It might suite you to buy one??? They are called disk cutters, sometimes a percussion disk cutter. Local jewellery supply places will have them.


If that is beyond your tooling and skills, a chenier cutter will assist in the cutting using a jeweller's saw.

I recently had the need for forty-six 2.3mm diam rods 23mm long in 18ct gold.
Before I got the table saw, for about 35 years I used just the jeweller's saw, and sometimes combined it with a chenier cutter
Chenier is the tube in metal (gold, silver etc) used to make hinges, and other hollow-form elements in jewellery.
Here is a picture of another one I have, on the far right....older and more simple than the red handle one in the link above



Regards,
Peter

Yes, I have a dremel, a drill press and 4" angle grinder.
I tried to cut it on a small table saw without succes - I think the rod is to hard.
I'm not convinced the punch will go through 2 mm brass 168 times.

I'll get a blade for the dremel this evening and giv it a go.
Robert

Even the cheap punch should do it easily. I have the genuine version and it has done thousands of similar sized holes in brass, ally, steel and even stainless.

Peter, he has no lathe...... (just so we are clear)

Stuart, I have used the traveling steady whilst parting, it works a treat.

Originally Posted by Ueee

Even the cheap punch should do it easily. I have the genuine version and it has done thousands of similar sized holes in brass, ally, steel and even stainless.

Peter, he has no lathe...... (just so we are clear)

Stuart, I have used the traveling steady whilst parting, it works a treat.

It would be straight forward to make a punch and die without a lathe, just the drill press....but a couple of other tools I think might not be in Robert's tool kit. It would be a nice adventure in primitive tool making.

I don't have a punch like the one in the post. Do they punch out a nice shape?
5mm disks in 2mm half hard cartridge brass. Left that way to keep the edges crisp.
Regards,
Peter

Originally Posted by lightwood

It would be straight forward to make a punch and die without a lathe, just the drill press....but a couple of other tools I think might not be in Robert's tool kit. It would be a nice adventure in primitive tool making.

Hi Robert,

As Peter said, it's easy enough to make a punch and die for small runs in thinnish softish material.

You need a drill press and a grinder, a drill bit the size you want to punch and a bit of steel maybe 1/4" thick that you can clamp up in the drill press.

1. Clamp up the steel block in the drill press and make sure it can't move.
2. Drill a hole all the way through with the size you want.
3. Remove the drill bit and grind the other end ( away from the cutting tip) flat ( slightly dished won't hurt)
4. Replace the drill bit, but reversed so the cutting tip is in the chuck and the ground end is down.
5. Since we never moved the steel block it should be still aligned with the reversed drill bit.
6. Insert light gage sheet material and punch away.

There are lot's of little refinements you could make, but if you only have a few holes to punch the above method works fine.

I'm not sure how much force it would take to punch the sheet brass you have, if the above method doesn't work then Peter's suggestion of buying a proper punch would a good way to go.

Regards
Ray