What Brass!

[Garth Keel]

I have a piece of sheet brass 12x12 .02" thick. What is the best way to cut this into smaller sizes. What about Curves. :confused:

[Ben Cadotte]

Do you have a scroll saw? Scroll saw with nice fine tooth blade will do the trick nicely. Can sand or file the edges smooth. Avoid aviation tin snips. They will just beat up the metal while cutting it.

[Bill Huber]

Take it to an printing company or good copy shop around and cut it on a guillotine paper cutter.
I have done it with aluminum.

[Garth Keel]

Ben: Would a coping saw work?

Just a large heavy duty paper cutter for straight cuts? I have one of those but did not think of it.

[Bill Huber]

Ben: Would a coping saw work?

Just a large heavy duty paper cutter for straight cuts? I have one of those but did not think of it.

You don't want to use one of those that you pull the knife down and it slices the paper, that is just like big shears and will curl the brass.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I've successfully cut sheets of brass shim stock with some sharp scissors.

[David DeCristoforo]

"Would a coping saw work?"

With a metal cutting blade blade and jeweler's bench pin
(like this...easy to make one quickly from scrap)

http://www.contenti.com/products/bench-pins/110-253.html

brass can easily be cut with a coping saw.

YM

[Ben Cadotte]

"Would a coping saw work?"



brass can easily be cut with a coping saw.

YM

Yup coping saw will work too. Just keep a support close to the edge being cut as you can. If the support is too far away you may bend the metal down as your cutting it. You can cut it larger than you want then sand it to what you want (can use power sander, hand sand, or file). Do not use a grinder!! To clean the edges!! Brass will load the wheel up. Not a good thing!!

[Garth Keel]

Thanks for the help.

[Wilbur Pan]

If you have a saw that cuts on the pull stroke, what has worked for me is to take a piece of scrap wood and make the cut that you want to make (straight, curved, whatever). Then put the brass sheet over the cut, and use the kerf of the cut as a guide. The pulling action of the saw will help clamp the brass to the scrap wood guide as you repeat the cut, and the wood will support the brass to minimize curling and bending of the brass at the edge of the cut.

[Michael Weber]

If your going the jewelery saw blade route, be aware these are extremely fragile blades. If your old like me you may not even be able to see the teeth on the blade. Typically, you run your finger over the blade while installing to feel which way the teeth point. You need to go very slow and let the saw do the work, don't try to push the blade, it will break. it will also break if you don't saw almost straight up and down. There is a little learning curve. Silversmithing used to be a hobby. dont really need to buy or make a bench pin, just a slot in a thin board will do what you need which is to support the metal as it's cut. You need to install the blade so that it cuts on the down strock.

[Charles Wiggins]

I have a piece of sheet brass 12x12 .02" thick. What is the best way to cut this into smaller sizes. What about Curves. :confused:

Garth,

I am having trouble envisioning .02" thick, so I'm not sure about using a jeweler's saw (special saw frame similar to a coping saw or a fret saw), but you might look into that - a hobby shop should have them. You can get some fairly fine blades to go with one.

Another trick to try would be to sandwich the brass in between some thin sheet stock like two pieces of hardboard and cut it on the band saw or scroll saw with a fine blade.