Working bronze, and other metals!

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

The one I have is the taymar TC2000 High power propane/butane mix....

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

OK, before I go and order some bronze, what was the correct percentage phosphor bronze? I think I have asked this question before....but.....see the goldfish impression! :oops:

[Marcus Mummius]

Copper, and it's alloys Bronze and Brass, anneal by heating them up to a dull red color and then quenching/cooling quickly in water. If you let them cool slowly, that will harden it.

This is incorrect. If you let a copper alloy cool slowly it will be softer than if you quench it. If you want to quench it in water after annealing do it directly after reaching the annealpoint, otherwise you will loose a lot of the softness again...

I don't know how much fosfor ancient bronze had, Caesar. Most bronzes were copper and tin (Sn), copper and lead (Pb), copper and arsenicum (As) or a mixture of the above elements. A lot of the metals the Romans used were wild mixtures.

Vale

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Ok, well according to the info sheet I recieved, phosphor bronze contains 5% tin, suitable for wrought work apparantly.

It just says the phosphor bronze suitable for casting has a higher tin content.

Then it mentions leaded bronzes for castability,

And aluminium bronzes for strength and corrosion resistant properties, for sea valves etc.....

so probably 5% bronze would be ok, although I recall some one mentioned 8 - 10%, but could be wrong, as , like you said Jef, their metals were all over the shop.

[brennivs - tony drake]

Gaivs it might be worth looking up METAL SUPERMARKET @ www.metalsupermarkets.com I have lost there pamphelet I believe they sell bronze sheet
Regards Brennivs

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Thanks Brennius!

Some prob with the link but might be helpful if I contact them directly!

[Hibernicus]

A tutorial:
http://museum.worldwidesam.net/reenactm ... helmet.htm

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Thanks Hibs.