Annealing Buttplate

[Caprock]

I have inlet a wax cast brass buttplate on a Tennessee style rifle.  It came from Track of the Wolf or Pecatonica but probably the same source.  Its come to my attention that this plated is likely more bronze than yellow brass.  I can attest to that because a good file will hardly cut it at all.  Am wanting to file flats along the top but it looks like an ordeal for sure.   I have a torch so wondering if its possible to anneal this beast....heat to red and air cool....without screwing something up.

[Daryl]

Files for brass or bronze must be SHARP, as in new, to be decent. Files that have been used on steel might not cut brass or bronze well at all.
Hard brass or bronze is another thing.

[rich pierce]

There’s a small chance of minute warping. But air cooling is wise. I’d give it a try.

[Bill Raby]

Heat and then air cool. It will crack if you quench it.

[J Shingler]

Heat and then air cool. It will crack if you quench it.

Is this for Bronze? Because quenching brass in water is to anneal it and will not crack it at all. I just don't know about bronze. I definitely try to avoid that for the reason of the original poster.

[P.W.Berkuta]

You don't need to "quench in water" to anneal brass - air cooling is fine. I never tried to anneal bronze so my input on it will get you nothing. Try it and see. There were a LOT of bronze butt plates and trigger guards out there and I filed my share - lousy stuff. The ones that I used YEARS ago had a "pinkish" look to them.

[Daryl]

I've never cracked a  brass ctg. case when annealing & I've done thousands and thousands. Those also have a little zinc in them.
Getting them too hot is the danger in over-annealing them.

[bob in the woods]

Heat and then air cool. It will crack if you quench it.

Yes...learned that the hard way .

[Bob Roller]

A VIXEN file,sometimes called a "body file"in auto repair shops have semi circular cutting edges and are made for materials softer that steel/Any good car parts store should have them.
Bob Roller

[Daryl]

Taylor and I use those for filing barrels. The steel comes off in little curls. It takes a bit of pressure & PUSH to use these on steel.
A new one would be marvelous on brass. They remove metal quickly - very quickly. they will try to "track" if you don't control them.

[bluenoser]

Auto body file.  They are available with flat and convex faces.

[Dphariss]

In my experience if its Bronze (and there are different alloys) its not going to bend no matter what you do. It will likely break first. I have annealed a lot of brass parts, and cartridge cases and quenched them. Brass will not crack. Bronze, the gun metal alloy, is wonderful  for ML cannon barrels for example, but is stinks as a BP or other ML gun part. All the Union artillery pieces used in the our War Between the States had a failure rate in service, except the smoothbore bronze guns. So if you want a “brass barreled” gun make sure you get a “Gun Metal Bronze” alloy NOT BRASS.

[bptactical]

Auto body file.  They are available with flat and convex faces.

Also known as a "Vixen" file. Thats funny that it was mentioned for barrel use- they work great for it