Whether you’re producing home décor items out of copper as a hobby or as a living, you must learn how to protect the sheet metal. Copper material will easily scratch if a sharp object rubs against it. However, by following a few steps recommended by a copper sheet supplier, you can eliminate minor and major scratches with ease.
Brass is by alloying copper and zinc. The metal maintains the lustrous appearance of copper, but since zinc is much cheaper than copper, brass is only about one-third the price of copper. This gives the alloy a wide range of uses, most commonly as a decorative material for architecture. Brass sales allow large quantities of brass to be purchased at prices much less than pure copper.
Varied Appearance and Properties
Although a yellowish shiny metal is the standard appearance for brass, this appearance can be altered depending on the exact composition of copper and zinc used. A composition containing more copper will have a reddish color, for example. Most brass styles contain between 55 percent and 95 percent copper. As the amount of zinc in the alloy is increased, the properties of the metal change. Reddish brass made of mostly copper will have the highest grade of corrosion resistance but will be weaker than a more balanced alloy. Zinc primarily adds strength, so an alloy of 40 percent or higher zinc will be more suited to machine parts or load-bearing items.
Other Elements in the Mix
Certain types of brass may contain trace amounts of other materials besides copper and zinc. Lead may be added to improve weight and structure for machined parts. Iron may also be added to improve strength. Muntz metal is a common type of brass alloy composed of 60 percent copper and 40 percent zinc with trace iron. It is one of the most durable forms of brass, combining effective corrosion resistance with strength suitable for use on ships and as bolts in architecture. The inclusion of iron allows brass to be worked by forging. Arsenic may be added to brass alloys with more than 20 percent zinc to fortify the metal’s corrosion resistance.
Versatility Unmatched by Any Other Alloy
Brass can be worked into a variety of shapes such as tubes, square tubes, balls and sheets. The metal is light, durable and corrosion resistant. Different grades of brass can be shaped in different ways. Wrought brass is made by either hot rolling or forging the brass. Cast brass is made by pouring molten brass into molds. The chemical composition of the brass, usually determined by the ratio of copper to zinc and other metals, determines the best way to shape the brass.
Sources:
Brass, MadeHow.com
What is Muntz Metal?, WiseGeek.com
Many different types of metals can be purchased as sheets, square metal tubing, angles, and other forms. These forms each have a distinctive use that is appropriate for certain projects.
In addition to these basic forms, each metal can be further distinguished by properties such as thickness and weight. This is referred to as a gauge. The gauge of a piece of metal is assigned a number that corresponds to a certain weight or thickness. Generally, as the weight of the metal decreases, the gauge number increases.
Using the right sheet metal gauge for any product is important; however, it is not always easy. Sheet metal suppliers cannot always agree on gauge numbers, and there are some who disagree with the use of gauge numbers at all. This is because some projects require that the measurements of the material be exact.
The reason that the gauge system is disputed is because some weights might be rounded off to meet a certain gauge if they are in between sizes. This can causes errors in sensitive manufacturing jobs that can be detrimental to whole project. This disagreement between suppliers is the direct result of the importance of choosing the right gauge of metal for a project.
However, there are things that you can do to make sure that you’re getting the right weight of metal for your project. For example, if you require the use of sheet metal, you can use a sheet metal gauge to help you measure the thickness of the sheet of metal. The gauge you use will depend on the type of metal. If you need both ferrous and non-ferrous sheets, you will need a different gauge for each metal. This is because these gauges for each metal have different thicknesses associated with them.
If the metal you need is of a rare cut, size, or weight, you can ask experienced sheet metal suppliers such as Rotax Metals to create a custom size for you. While the gauge system is great for traditional weights, you can always veer away from this system if you have a specific weight in mind.
Sources:
How to Choose, Cut, and Bend Sheet Metal, Make:
Sheet Metal Wire Gauge Sizes Table Chart, Endineers Edge