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Karl Knisley
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 Posted: Mon 02 Jun, 2008 9:01 am Post subject: Aluminium vs. Brass ? |
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Hello
Is cast brass stonger than cast aluminium? I have a gaurd and pommel of cast aluminium. Is it as functionaly strong a brass set?I know alot of aircraft parts are of aluminium.But there are probaby ,different tinsel strengths.Any ideas?
Thanks
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Anders Backlund
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| Posted: Mon 02 Jun, 2008 10:30 am Post subject: Re: Aluminium vs. Brass ? |
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| Karl Knisley wrote: | Hello
Is cast brass stonger than cast aluminium? I have a gaurd and pommel of cast aluminium. Is it as functionaly strong a brass set?I know alot of aircraft parts are of aluminium.But there are probaby ,different tinsel strengths.Any ideas?
Thanks |
I'm fairly certain brass is stronger then aluminum. Don't quote me on that, though, just talking out of limited experience.
The main reason aluminum is used in aircraft is the same reason they use titanitum; it's fairly strong in proportion to it's weight. But that doesn't mean it's very strong compared to heavier materials.
The sword is an ode to the strife of mankind.
"This doesn't look easy... but I bet it is!"
-Homer Simpson.
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Ed Toton
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Kelly Powell
Location: lawrence, kansas Joined: 27 Feb 2008
Posts: 123
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| Posted: Mon 02 Jun, 2008 4:48 pm Post subject: |
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Brass may be more brittle then aluminum....depends on how much copper is in it....QUESTION TO THE FORUM: Does brass work harden like bronze? That could eventually lead to brittle spots unless you periodically heat softened them(That works, doesnt it?)
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Jean Thibodeau
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| Posted: Mon 02 Jun, 2008 5:34 pm Post subject: |
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| Kelly Powell wrote: | | Brass may be more brittle then aluminum....depends on how much copper is in it....QUESTION TO THE FORUM: Does brass work harden like bronze? That could eventually lead to brittle spots unless you periodically heat softened them(That works, doesnt it?) |
I think that would be yes it does work harden: Alan Senefelder of Merc Tailor's makes a Russian style spangenhelm that is half brass and I remember him saying ( Here on the Forums or in a personal e-mail to me ) that the brass he was using became very springy and hard to shape and bend after being hammered into shape and that he had to anneal it when working with it a number of times as it would tend to bounce/spring back and became really difficult to wrap around the top half of the Russian helm. ( Second hand information but I think accurate ).
Different brass alloys might harden more or less or become brittle also more or less.
Pure copper also work hardens by the way.
You can easily give up your freedom. You have to fight hard to get it back!
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Joel Minturn
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| Posted: Mon 02 Jun, 2008 9:48 pm Post subject: |
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I can tell you from experience that brass does work harden. Learned that the hard way reloading rifle brass. And yes it can be annealed. Just remember that it is annealed the opposite of steel. That is you get the brass hot and then quickly quench in water. well thats the trick that works with rifle brass larger pieces might need a slight variation to that technique. But as for being stronger than Aluminum I also think that it depends on the alloy but I need to look up the numbers before I give you a definite answer to that one.
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Jean Thibodeau
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| Posted: Tue 03 Jun, 2008 2:07 am Post subject: |
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Common castings in low quality wall hangers or fantasy knives are probably made from " Pot Metal " rather than aluminium and may be mistaken for it if one has no idea what metal one is looking at.
Maybe a side issue I'm mentioning just in comparison to aluminium that even in a poor alloy is certainly superior to pot metal:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pot_metal
You can easily give up your freedom. You have to fight hard to get it back!
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Thomas Watt
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| Posted: Tue 03 Jun, 2008 9:17 am Post subject: |
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I have never seen an instruction to work brass with woodworking tools.
I have seen - and myself worked - aluminum worked with woodworking tools.
As a kid, I made my first "knife" out of aluminum bar that I whittled with my penknife.
As Jean mentions, pot metal is more common... and has a funny, nickel-like smell/taste (like sucking on a nickel - US 5 cent piece).
Have 11 swords, 2 dirks, half a dozen tomahawks and 2 Jeeps - seem to be a magnet for more of all.
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This is a standard topic