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How To Weld Brass

Brass, an alloy of copper and zinc, is a highly useful metal that has many applications in both the commercial and personal industries. It is, however, a difficult metal to weld as copper and zinc have very different melting points (zincs is much lower). This can be off-putting to many people but, by following these easy instructions, you will find welding brass a breeze.

You will need to begin by finding out what the zinc content of your particular brass is, as this will determine how strong a flame you will need. You will also need to invest in some oxyacetylene gas to form a protective shield around your brass during the welding process. The oxygen and acetylene gases are stored separately, but are mixed during welding.

First, you will need to mix a flux with water until it creates a paste. Paint this onto the brass surfaces that you intend to weld. You should use either a braze-welding flux or one that is specially created for oxyacetylene welding.

Next, you will need to adjust the acetylene gas low until you have achieved a strong oxidizing flame that is sufficient enough to develop a coating on the brass metal. This is highly important, as having enough oxygen ensures that zinc fumes are not released from the brass. Having too much oxygen, however, will make welding highly difficult.

You will need to ensure that the welding tip you use is at least one size larger than the one you would use for steel of a similar thickness. This is because brass has a high heat conductivity, and this will make welding the brass together much easier.