Replies

1. 
   Napie | Jul 14, 2009 03:03am | #1

   Try this, lot's of suppliers on Google:

   http://www.quickshipmetals.com/brass.html?gclid=CNL6nL3y05sCFSQeDQodKCIHLw

    

2. 
   RickL | Jul 14, 2009 04:30am | #2

   http://www.mcmaster.com is another. You can make straight cuts in non-ferrous with a negative hook blade on a table saw or chop saw. I worked as a Metalsmith and used many common woodworking to cut, sand and rout non-ferrous.

1. 
   hoels01 | Jul 14, 2009 05:53am | #3

   Awesome.

   I will try these ones out.

2. 
   sapwood | Jul 16, 2009 12:17am | #6

   Rick... Maybe you've got another tip, I can use. When enlarging an already drilled in brass with a slightly larger bit it will invariably either grab and stick or "screw" itself out on the bottom (exiting) surface. I've always lived with this problem and never searched out any specific solution. Perhaps there are bits that are specific to brass... bits that have a different angle etc. from your typical jobbers drill bits. I don't have this problem with steel, which is much harder. Nor in aluminum which is much softer. I realize there are many alloys of all these metals and I cannot say for certain what alloys I generally use. Probably the common ones.Oh yeah, drilling plexiglas gives similar results as the brass.

1. 
   mike4244 | Jul 16, 2009 12:26am | #7

   The machine drills that are made for brass have straight flutes, not the spiral that is common. These bits are hard to find. Probably would be good for plexiglas or other plastic sheet. I do not know for sure though.

   The straight flute bits look like a reamer but with a cutting tip.

   mike

2. 
   KeithNewton | Jul 17, 2009 04:00am | #8

   It is the high hook angle formed by the flutes of a normal twist drill that want to grab like threads of a screw. You can order slow spiral, or as stated straight. Or if you have a good eye, you can just touch the front of the cutting edge of a regular drill to a grinder, or a diamond hone, to change the sharpness angle. It only needs to be ground back a little wider than the thickness of the chip that is formed.

3. 
   RickL | Jul 17, 2009 02:40pm | #9

   Modify your drill bit...

   Reamers are another option to enlarge holes precisely

   Brass   Page 113  http://books.google.com/books?id=WTiepQOjuToC&pg=PA112&lpg=PA112&dq=modifying+a+twist+drill+for+brass&source=bl&ots=Ybsl-t8yaX&sig=HYZpu54eAoIot8UkoSu1-Te5EAE&hl=en&ei=9GxfSra8Aoe4M_iwva4C&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7

   Plexi...http://www.tapplastics.com/uploads/pdf/Tech%20Data-Drilling.pdf

3. 
   dkellernc | Jul 15, 2009 09:44pm | #4

   Be aware that "brass" is a pretty loose term - there are some 60+ commercial alloys called "brass", and many more if off-beat ones are considered.  "Brass", in the traditional sense, means copper and zinc, but what is strictly defined as "bronze", which is copper and tin, is also called "brass" in the trade.

   Generally speaking, you've a trade-off between machinability and malleability.  So-called "free maching brass" does not peen well at all - it tends to crumble when worked cold.  However, it cuts extremely well.  So-called "cartridge brass" is on the other end of the spectrum - it folds, hammers, peens and generally works extremely well cold, but tends to tear and deform if you attempt to machine it on a milling machine or file it.

   There's a bunch of ino on the web regarding this - some alloys are specifically formulated to work well when hot, some to work well when cold, and others that are specifically made to withstand saltwater corrosion, among other things.  Typically these alloying elements are lead, antimony, and selenium, but there are many trace elements (and some not-so-trace elements) added to brass for different properties.  One of particular interest to tool-makers is so-called "german silver", which is nickel-brass.

4. 
   md2453 | Jul 15, 2009 10:46pm | #5

   Try http://www.onlinemetals.com they sell all kinds of metal in small quantities

   Madison