Forging brass

[jgarrett]

I have about 20 pounds of brass keys that are not doing me any good as keys.
I would like to melt them down into bars, rod or whatever. Anybody with experience in this??
Thanks,
Julian

 

[compound driver]

HI
dont try working the brass from the first smelt let it run into pigs and then re smelt it. just before you poor the second time plunge a small lump of aluminum to the bottom of the pot it acts like a flux and burns out a lot of the crap.
BE WARNED ITS A DANGEROUSE GAME I do it to produce castings for the traction engines but I do it with the greatest care and all the safety precautions I can use.

Cheers Kevin

 

[jgarrett]

Thanks Kevin, I found this site http://www.backyardmetalcasting.com/index.html
I did do some aluminium years back.

Gonna give it a try.
Julian

 

[rake60]

Be very careful Julian!

At the approximate 1720 Degrees F required to smelt brass a little
moisture turns into a LOT of steam very quickly.
If you've worked with aluminum I'm sure you've seen a least one
pop. The 500 degree difference between aluminum and brass can
magnify that effect more than you would think.

It can be done safely. As I have always said your best safety equipment
is between your ears. USE IT! :wink:

Rick

 

[compound driver]

HI
My brother and i worked next door to a foundry years ago. late one night shift a load of scrap was dropped into a blast furnace. The cold scrap was damp we both heard the bang. Sad part was the ejected steel covered one of the guys head to foot. We were later told he was chased around the foundry till he dropped. he died.
Dont piss about with molten anything unless you know what your doing.

Dropping scrap into a pot can also cause a super heated pocket to form in the melt the result is a jet of flame out of the melt at working temperature not nice.

Cheers kevin

 

[jgarrett]

All good advice..I assure you that I will use the utmost care. I have plans to borrow my neighbors fire bunker gear. We have 2 kilns so have a little experience working with hot stuff.
Thanks,
Julian