Other Than Brass or Silver
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It beats the crap out of fiberglass and plastic with those diamond shaped white inlays against the stainless steel and aluminum background! Go for it MM!!! :redthumb:
Anyone ever build a muzzleloader with Bronze hardware?
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Actually, there are quite a few bronze bits of furniture on home built guns.
Anyone who buys their "brass" castings in the "investment cast" form usually gets bronze.
The sand castings are usually brass.
As some of us have found the hard way, the bronze investment castings can be rather brittle. This sometimes results in the part breaking rather than bending :curse:.
When filing or sanding, the bronze castings do not cut as easily. In fact, although it's hard to put in words, the bronze parts feel like they have some lubricant built into them so the file doesn't seem to "bite" in.
I have read that some people shy away from investment castings and bronze because of these reasons.
I have found that with any bronze or brass casting, it is best to anneal (soften) it before working on it.
Although it seems wierd, brass and bronze are just the opposite of steel when it comes to annealing.
Heat the part up to the bright red condition and quench it in cool water to anneal it. Yes, that's how you harden steel, but it's also how you anneal brass or bronze.
I have also had good luck using this process on German Silver (which isn't silver at all. It is mainly a copper/nickle alloy).
Brass and bronze also "work harden". This means, if you bend or form it, it will harden the material. The more times you bend it, the harder it will get until it becomes so brittle it will crack or break.
If your doing a lot of forming to either of these materials, after bending it, it is a good idea to re-anneal it.
________________________________________________________________
Actually, there are quite a few bronze bits of furniture on home built guns.
Anyone who buys their "brass" castings in the "investment cast" form usually gets bronze.
The sand castings are usually brass.
As some of us have found the hard way, the bronze investment castings can be rather brittle. This sometimes results in the part breaking rather than bending :curse:.
When filing or sanding, the bronze castings do not cut as easily. In fact, although it's hard to put in words, the bronze parts feel like they have some lubricant built into them so the file doesn't seem to "bite" in.
I have read that some people shy away from investment castings and bronze because of these reasons.
I have found that with any bronze or brass casting, it is best to anneal (soften) it before working on it.
Although it seems wierd, brass and bronze are just the opposite of steel when it comes to annealing.
Heat the part up to the bright red condition and quench it in cool water to anneal it. Yes, that's how you harden steel, but it's also how you anneal brass or bronze.
I have also had good luck using this process on German Silver (which isn't silver at all. It is mainly a copper/nickle alloy).
Brass and bronze also "work harden". This means, if you bend or form it, it will harden the material. The more times you bend it, the harder it will get until it becomes so brittle it will crack or break.
If your doing a lot of forming to either of these materials, after bending it, it is a good idea to re-anneal it.
Well, I've annealed a few 7mm TCU cases in my wildcat days, so this in something I'm OK with, problem is, Musketwife don't let me play with fire too often...
She said I scare the Musketkids without eyebrows... :crackup: :crackup: :crackup:
She said I scare the Musketkids without eyebrows... :crackup: :crackup: :crackup:
Tony Lucero
32 Cal.
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[quote}She said I scare the Musketkids without eyebrows... :crackup: :crackup: :crackup: [/quote]
:crackup: :crackup: :crackup: :thumbsup:
:crackup: :crackup: :crackup: :thumbsup:
