Cast Parts

[Kevin Houlihan]

Can cast butt plates and trigger guards be bent cold or should they be heated first?
Thanks,
Kevin

[Acer Saccharum]

Depends on the alloy. Soft yellow brass, like the kind Reaves Goehring casts, can be bent and hammered all day. I think his castings are 60% copper and 40% zinc.

Silicon bronze can't be annealed easily. It breaks easily, too, when bending. Smae brass color, but very hard. A lot of the investment cast parts commercially available are silicon bronze.

[Mark Elliott]

Even Reaves' mounts should be annealed at some point, but they generally can be worked quite a bit and some hammer them to harden them up.   I have had really bad results trying to work investment cast brass, even that which I was told was yellow brass.   Be VERY careful not to overheat (not past dull red in normal indoor light)the investment cast stuff when annealing; and   Don't bend it much at all without annealing.     I would apply that same advice to any investment cast parts; brass or steel. 

[Kevin Houlihan]

  Oh...I left out the important stuff.  I was actually talking about investment cast steel.  I guess I assumed that everyone could read my mind 
Kevin

[Lucky R A]

Only your wife cn do that!

[Long Ears]

Snap, I learned the hard way and only bend steel furniture hot and don't quench it. Let it air cool. Please understand I'm not talking about lock or set trigger parts. That's a whole different game depending on what part and the alloy. Good luck, Bob

[JCKelly]

If you heat brass to bend it, it will crumble.

Bend brass cold.

If you feel you must anneal it to make yourself happy, heat it dull red and quench in cold water.

NEVER heat brass to bend it.

Most - not all, but most - cast brass contains a percent or three of lead. Helps make a sounder casting. If you heat that brass to bend it, the soft/molten lead moves in between the crystals & you get a casting with all the strength of hot lead as you bend it. It crumbles.

Then you get to buy a new casting.

A good deal of cold rolled brass sheet & plate, and most brass bar, also has lead in it. The lead improves machinability, and most all brass bar is meant to be machined. It helps the sheet be easier to engrave.

Just don't heat brass to bend it.

Yes, I am the P.I.T.A. metallurgist who comments on such matters.

 

[WadePatton]

If you heat brass to bend it, it will crumble.
Bend brass cold.
...
Just don't heat brass to bend it.

Yes, I am the P.I.T.A. metallurgist who comments on such matters.

no PITA, it's

great information, and quite timely as I've not worked any brass lately, but will know one of the things to avoid when i do. 

I always have an ear for out for metals education and understanding.  Tonight i hammered copper for the first time and love that stuff under a hammer, so malleable!  Feels about like hot steel, without the fuss of a fire.