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Thread: Brass filled cracks
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26th January 2016, 03:26 PM #1Senior Member
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Brass filled cracks
Has anyone had any practical experience filling cracks/voids in timber with melted brass?
Doable?
What's the process/ pitfalls/ advice?
Cheers,
Cam.
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26th January 2016, 04:01 PM #2rrich Guest
I would think that melted brass would char the wood.
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26th January 2016, 04:08 PM #3
Brass melts at pretty close to 1,000 degrees C, and wood is one of those hard to dry materials, so to me the idea screams of steam explosions, huge areas of charred timber, and large puddles of molten brass dripping onto the floor, not to mention the difficulty of machining it flat after.
Even the traditional six foot pole wouldn't put me at the sort of distance I'd like to be away from that sort of activity!
I think you'd be better off using an epoxy resin and some bronzing powder to mimic the effect - Metal Powders - Barnes Products
The other option would be brass turnings in clear resin.
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26th January 2016, 04:19 PM #4Taking a break
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Aside from the issue of getting to the 900+ degree melting point (and all the associated safety risks), filling large voids may pose an issue as the brass cools and shrinks away from the edges. Small cracks may also cool and solidify before they're full.
A much safer method would be to use brass powder and a clear epoxy resin, although the look won't quite be that same as solid brass.
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26th January 2016, 04:34 PM #5Senior Member
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Well it seemed like such a good idea...
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26th January 2016, 04:42 PM #6
Use pewter instead. Different color, but similar effect. http://www.woodcraftguild.org.au/wp-...od-turning.pdf
Cheers,
JoeOf course truth is stranger than fiction.
Fiction has to make sense. - Mark Twain
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26th January 2016, 04:46 PM #7Taking a break
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26th January 2016, 04:48 PM #8
.... not "melted brass" but l have created the impression of inlaid brass by mixing epoxy and fine brass powder, filling the void/s and then polishing it?
flettya rock is an obsolete tool ......... until you don’t have a hammer!
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26th January 2016, 04:52 PM #9Senior Member
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great! any way to modify the colour?
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26th January 2016, 08:39 PM #10
You can only modify the colour before you do the epoxy pour - after that, you're pretty much stuck with whatever colour you started with as the epoxy will prevent tarnishing of anything but the very surface layer.
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26th January 2016, 08:45 PM #11a rock is an obsolete tool ......... until you don’t have a hammer!
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26th January 2016, 08:49 PM #12
The local key cutter can be a source of brass shavings
regards
Nick
veni, vidi, tornavi
Without wood it's just ...
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26th January 2016, 09:15 PM #13
.... also have a look at metalpowders.com.au and many model shops sell it as 'weathering powders' for adding realistic finishes to scale models.
flettya rock is an obsolete tool ......... until you don’t have a hammer!
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26th January 2016, 09:52 PM #14
You can buy fine brass powder from a lot of your woodworking shops. DON'T mix it with epoxy though, you should use thin CA. A bit of brass, bit of CA, bit of brass, etc until filled. Brass powder is actually brown and tarnished, you will not get the brass finish until cut back, plus don't flood the brass powder only a drop at a time. If you use epoxy when you cut it you get a very few sparkles of brass and a lot of epoxy. By using thin CA, not the cheap crap, the glue flows through leaving a solid block of brass. Any small voids can be refilled with more brass/CA
I use it all the time as it is fantastic with dark timbers, like the Penny Leaf shown, but looks good with most timbers.Neil____________________________________________Every day presents an opportunity to learn something new
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26th January 2016, 10:27 PM #15GOLD MEMBER
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I've done and used what Nick said... collected filings from key cutters.
Experienced in removing the tree from the furniture
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