bending brass

[jerrywh]

http://www.suppliersonline.com/Research/Property/metals/1267.asp
Just so the new guys don't get misinformed.
Here is the facts.

 

[Vaino]

Lately I've been using both Chambers and Goehrings brass TGs and BPs and don't anneal them....they bend fine as is. Evidently both Chambers and Goehring use high quality soft, ductile yellow brass. Even the sandcast brass TGs and BPs from TOW are bent w/o annealing, but only after a lot of brass has been removed and are near finished size. I don't buy bronze castings which might require annealing. Normally the only brass I anneal is sheet stock for Pboxes and RR pipes and a few inlays....Fred

 

[matt denison]

The annealing temperature for this alloy is between 800 and 1400 F.

OK, that is really darn hot. It is a six hundred degree window. So the actual temp. is not all that critical. All I'm trying to say - for the newbies - is heat it up really hot and bend away. Don't let the annalistic among us scare you into thinking you have to have special equipment or color crayons etc. Also remember that you can anneal brass over and over. If you are making multiple bends then anneal before each one to counter the work hardening. For instance when fitting a cast butt plate I anneal before bending the extensoin out of the way to get the rear plate fitted. When ready to fit the extension I'll anneal again to bend the extension back into place. It's simple and only takes a minute or two. KISS