hand working brass

[bigegg]

I have a new project...
a matched set of walking stick, folding knife, and fixed blade knife.
fittings in brass + hardwood[1]

I've put a wanted ad on the forum for some 1" cubes, but in the meantime...

how easy is brass to work with handtools: files, hacksaw, dremel, taps+dies?

I've never worked with brass before - only steel and aluminium (with woodworking tools(!) )

what cutting fluids? do I need "metalworking" tools? - , can it be routed? (tct tipped router bits)

[1] I don't know what hardwood - it came off a pallet, but it's stunningly figured, and incredibly hard and heavy - perfect for a few knife handles!

 

[fizzy]

I love working with brass. Can be dry machined - no fluid - and also works very well with files and hacksaws. Similar to aluminium I suppose. And yes it can be routed.

Pallet wood varies by a huge amount. I know because I cut up plenty of the big chunky bearers. Some of it smells like camphor wood. You can get some that is so tough and abrasive it dulls blades quickly and is far harder to cut than steel. You can get some that is top quality hardwood - I have often thought of keeping some of those pieces but they are so full of nails I didn't bother.

 

[pressbrake1]

I enjoy working brass sheet though I don’t like machining it because of the mess!

 

[Kent]

Brass is lovely to work. It doesn't need coolant. A range of files and abrasives are all you require
Remember it comes in different hardness levels soft, half hard and hard. It never gets proper hard like steel
Half hard is generally what you would want.

 

[nick952]

Get some new unused files and hacksaw blades, otherwise you'll struggle, as the cutting edges need to be sharp and oil free, otherwise they tend to skid rather than cut.

Edit:- Also as when filing aluminium and other soft metals, some ordinary blackboard chalk, rubbed into the file teeth before starting, helps prevent the file getting clogged (pinning). Don't use french chalk as it's too "greasy"

Finally, don't use a File Card to clean the file teeth, as they tend to take the keen edge off the teeth.

 

[dobbslc]

Did anyone else read the title as
Hard working brass?

 

[Kent]

I would disagree and definitely card. Use a far courser file on brass than you might on steel. Bastard cut diwn to second cut abrausive after that

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Did anyone else read the title as
Hard working brass?

Nope - Spec Savers for you, young man.

 

[ronan]

Be careful drilling brass with a hand drill, the bit has a tendancy to grab. I know a lad who had his arm broken when this happened to him.

 

[Wallace]

You can also use nill or negative rake when turning brass.