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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    South Coast of New South Wales Australia
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    296

    Default Anyone have any experience casting brass?

    I have unlimited access to brass scrap. What I'd like to do with it is pour some castings to end up with brass cylinders around 12-14 inches long by 4 inch diameter.

    Anyone know how one goes about this?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    SA
    Posts
    1,649

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Ferrous View Post
    I have unlimited access to brass scrap. What I'd like to do with it is pour some castings to end up with brass cylinders around 12-14 inches long by 4 inch diameter.

    Anyone know how one goes about this?
    I tried melting brass and it was a failure.

    While my crude backyard furnace does aluminium OK, brass takes a LOT more heat to melt, so you need a good setup to melt it.

    Also I believe it gives off particularly nasty gases, so better read up on the safety side.

    Rob

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    1,628

    Default

    Brass cylinders would be relatively easy in terms of ramming up your flask, and patterns, you will need to make core boxes so you have cores if you want the cylinders hollow.

    Where are you located??
    …..Live a Quiet Life & Work with your Hands

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Victoria, Australia
    Age
    74
    Posts
    5,080

    Default

    I've done a bit, you will need a furnace, crucible, pattern, petrobond, crucible handling equipment, safety gear etc....

    You can get away with a normally aspirated gas burner. But a forced air burner is better.

    A good starting point is to read up in the foundry area of the forum. I wrote up a bit of an introductory blurb http://www.woodworkforums.com/attach...casting101.pdf

    Recycling brass and bronze scrap is good fun, and whenever we do a bronze pour, I try to remember to prepare a few cylindrical blanks as stock for the lathe.

    Regards
    Ray

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    South Coast of New South Wales Australia
    Posts
    296

    Default

    Thanks for the info.

    I'm still interested in doing this, my two sons are plumbers and scrap brass in 'on tap' so to speak in virtually unlimited quantities and the price of brass bar stock is very dear so pouring brass round stock looks super appealing to me.

    Just not sure if it's out of my league, I've been watching a ton of uTube videos and reading up as much as I can find on the web about it.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    4,779

    Default

    Hi there,

    If you have virtually unlimited access to scrap brass, you would be mad not to do the homework and set yourself up a nice foundry!

    Simon
    Girl, I don't wanna know about your mild-mannered alter ego or anything like that." I mean, you tell me you're, uh, super-mega-ultra-lightning babe? That's all right with me. I'm good. I'm good.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Laidley, SE Qld
    Posts
    1,038

    Default

    I'm casting aluminium using all online knowledge, ie making an LPG burner, making a furnace, mixing the sand, making a crucible etc.

    Metalcasting forums

    Quite a few Australians are members, there may be someone local to you who can guide your endeavours.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    South Coast of New South Wales Australia
    Posts
    296

    Default

    Not 100% sure what the actual brass tap bodies are made of, but the spindles and handles look like 'normal' brass.

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