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Rotax Metals
December 10, 2018

Characteristics that Set Bronze Square Tube, Bar, or Sheet Apart from Other Products

Choosing a metal for your project is not as easy now as it was centuries ago. With a new alloy being discovered almost every year, you definitely have a lot more choices now. It can get quite confusing, especially if you have no idea how to identify the metal you need.

In case you are looking for bronze, you have to be able to set it apart from other metals so you won’t end up buying a metal that isn’t suitable for your project. Not only is it wasteful, but it’s also dangerous to use a metal that doesn’t have the necessary properties for its supposed application. To help you choose, here are some of the characteristics that set bronze square tube, bar, or sheet supplies apart from other metal products.


bronze tube

It Is Copper-Colored

While this is pretty obvious, considering that bronze’s base metal is copper, you still have to keep in mind that its color is almost similar to that of copper. The reason for this is that copper alloys vary in appearances. Some have lighter tone while others don’t have the physical characteristics of copper at all. So when you go looking for bronze, you can immediately narrow your choices by simply eliminating anything that doesn’t look brownish.

It Is Heavy

Have you ever tried lifting a bronze statue before? If you have, then you must have been caught off guard by its sheer weight. Although most metals are heavy, bronze is quite special, because you can distinguish it from faux bronze by its weight. There’s a certain material called “bonded bronze” that is particularly popular in sculpture. It’s a mix of resin and bronze powder and definitely makes a good sculpting material. The only problem is that it’s not pure bronze. You can tell because it’s three times lighter than genuine bronze.

Tougher than Copper but More Flexible than Brass

Sometimes, even when your choices are just copper, brass, and bronze, there’s a chance you can still be confused as to which one is bronze. In this case, you might want to check their toughness. Go pick a sheet or plate of each metal and try to bend them. You will notice that the most pliable one is copper and the toughest is brass. Bronze is neither too soft nor too hard, which is why it makes a perfect sculpting material.

A Ringing Sound

Like buying any other product, you need to be vigilant when it comes to the quality of your bronze. Avoiding fake bronze is one thing, but avoiding low-quality bronze is another. Bronze can be considered high-quality if it was properly cast, doesn’t have impurities, and has a perfect mixture of copper and tin. You can actually determine this by listening to the sound it makes when hit with another object. A genuine bronze should create a beautiful ringing sound, much like what you hear from a bronze bell.

To make sure that the material you are purchasing is bronze and is genuine bronze at that, it would be best to go to a trusted metal supplier, especially one that specializes in copper alloys, such as Rotax Metals. You can discuss with them the specifications of your project so that they can lead you to the right grade and quantity. Also, you don’t have to worry about quality because for sure all of their bronze tube stock and other products are from the best sources.

December 3, 2018

A Quick Guide to Etching Copper Sheets for Crafts

There are a number of ways to decorate metal. You can paint it, stick adornments on it, or even carve through its surface. After all, metals are malleable and very easy to work. They make a great material for a variety of crafts. Copper, in particular, is one of the most extensively used metals for making art pieces, thanks to its extreme workability. And one of the best ways to decorate copper is through etching. Here’s a guide for those who want to try etching copper sheets for crafts.

etching copper sheets

Step 1: Preparation and Safety

Etching involves the use of acid or mordant, usually ferric chloride. Either chemical can burn your skin. It’s important to observe basic safety precaution to avoid possible injury. Wear safety glasses and gloves to protect your body from spillage. Before you wear them, make sure to prepare the copper sheet you will be etching first. Clean and dry it thoroughly to remove any residue that might inhibit the etching process.

Step 2: Design and Resist

Now that you have the blank copper sheet set, the next step is to choose a design and put it in a resist either through cutting or printing. A resist is a substance that covers the areas on the metal that you don’t want to be etched. It can be anything from photocopy ink to photo film. Make sure to line the resist up properly to produce a fine output. If you are using ink as your resist, make sure it is completely dry before applying the acid to prevent it from smudging. Cover the back of the plate with resist, too, so it won’t react with the solution.

Step 3: Tape and Etch

To further protect the areas on the blank surrounding the design, you have to cover them with tape. Cover even the back until there’s no air gap left. A burnisher can help push the tape flat down so all gaps are eliminated. Once you’re done, slowly lower the blank into the etching solution and leave it there for at least half an hour. Every 5 to 10 minutes, stir the solution with the blank to shake off residue and improve the etching process.

Step 4: Neutralization

Once you confirm that all sections of the design have been properly etched, prepare another solution. This time, it’s a solution meant to neutralize the acid on the plate so you can safely hold it and apply the finishing. The neutralizing solution is simply a mixture of baking soda and water. Baking soda is known to have the ability to defuse the coarseness of acids.

Step 5: Cleaning and Finishing

Once you’ve removed the tape and the resist from the blank, you’ll notice slight discoloration on the surface of the blank. Don’t panic. This is normal. All you have to do is to clean and polish the surface of the etched copper thoroughly to get rid of most of the stain and bring out the sheen hiding beneath it.

To get the best results, make sure your copper blank is made by a trusted foundry and is supplied by a reputable supplier like Rotax Metals. You don’t have to go far just to find out where to buy copper sheets because Rotax Metals is a prominent brand. Experts like them can teach you the right etching techniques as well.

November 26, 2018

Interesting Facts about Bronze the Country’s Top Bronze Tubing Suppliers Want You to Know

facts about bronze

Bronze is one of those metals that most people have heard of at least once. It’s very popular, much like gold and silver. Despite its popularity, bronze is quite elusive to most people, and that’s mainly because they don’t get to see objects made of bronze on a regular basis. In fact, bells of old churches and statues in museums are probably the only things that they can imagine when thinking of bronze. It turns out, there’s more to bronze than most people know. If you want to learn more about bronze—maybe you are thinking of using bronze tube, bar, or sheet for your own project—check out the interesting facts below.

It Isn’t Mined

All metallic elements are extracted from the earth through mining. Although bronze is undoubtedly metallic, it’s not an element. Rather, it’s a compound of two elements—copper and tin—which, unlike bronze, are mined. Those two elements are mixed together by smelting in a foundry to produce bronze. In other words, bronze is a manufactured metal. Sometimes, to improve the properties of bronze, a miniscule amount of other metals, such as aluminum, manganese, nickel or metalloids, such as arsenic, phosphorus or silicon, is added.

It Is Not Magnetic

One of the biggest misconceptions about metals is that all of them can be attracted to magnets. Bronze is one of those that cannot. So if you want to check whether or not a certain piece of furniture is genuine bronze, you can simply try to stick a magnet on its surface. If the magnet sticks, then it’s probably made of iron or nickel coated with bronze-colored paint. Many scrap yards do the same when segregating all the metals they can recycle.

It Doesn’t Rust

As an alloy of two metals that don’t rust, it’s pretty obvious that bronze doesn’t rust as well. But this doesn’t mean it doesn’t react to oxygen, which is the primary catalyst of rust. It does react but in a much different way from how iron and ferrous metals react. Instead of forming rust, it forms a patina on its surface. This is a layer of material that grows thicker over time, further improving bronze’s protection against the elements.

It’s Hard to Melt

If there’s one weakness you would want to improve in metals, it’s their low resistance to heat, thanks to their high conductivity. But some metals like bronze don’t heat up fast. Bronze’s melting point is about 950 °Celsius (1,742 °Fahrenheit), which makes it a great material for applications that involve extremely high temperatures. It also has a property that allows it to slowly expand while cooling down, which is helpful for sculpting.

It Can Be Welded

Those who are new to metalworking and are looking for the right metal to use in their projects are reluctant to opt for bronze. They keep asking, “Can bronze be welded?” Well, it can’t be welded using standard brazing techniques. Special brazing, which involves the use of dedicated filler bronze rods, is needed to connect bronze surfaces. The process is similar, though—melting the surface a bit to allow it to weld with another surface as it cools down.

There are many other facts about bronze that you should know before opting to use it for any of your projects. Knowing a thing or two about the metal you are planning to use could help in finding the right grade and amount. Copper alloy experts and bronze tubing suppliers like Rotax Metals can help you find the perfect materials, and they have a large inventory that can supply you with as much metals as you need.

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