How do i know its bronze..

[lotsasteam]

and not brass?

Got 4 rods 1/2 dia yellow round stock(not gold)
1 is brass for sure the other 3 ??

Manfred

 

[Swifty]

All the round bronze that I have has been cast, therefor having a rough outside diameter and darker appearance.

Paul.

 

[Herbiev]

If you drill a hole in it bronze forms a spiral like steel and brass forms crumbs like cast iron

 

[chipenter]

Usually bronzes machine with shavings from small chips to curly strings , brass will cut into small needles and some noise and will fly all over the place .

 

[Rivergypsy]

Just to be awkward, unless it's cartidge brass, which cuts similarly to bronze...
Colour's the safest - yellow/gold for brass, orange/red for bronze, and pink/red for copper, IMHO

 

[Cogsy]

Colour's the safest - yellow/gold for brass, orange/red for bronze, and pink/red for copper, IMHO

I used to sell bronze bushings when I was in the bearing trade and the ones we had were virtually the same colour as brass. The continuous cast bronze bar was a dark colour on the outside, but I believe also resembled brass when machined, so I don't think you can use colour as an indicator, at least if it's yellow/gold.

 

[thayer]

Usually ... brass will cut into small needles and some noise and will fly all over the place .

Usually being the operative word. I recently took a .050 cut on some 360 brass bar stock on my manual Sherline lathe while reducing the diameter and pulled off a 8-inch long curl. I was amazed at that until making the next pass which resulted in a 40-inch long piece which I saved.

Thayer

 

[Dave Sohlstrom]

If you make some chips and melt them with an oxy-act torch the zinc in brass will flash of and leave a white powder behind. Stay away from the fumes they are not good for you.

Bronze will just melt the tin in it will not flash.

Dave

 

[Mike N]

Brass does not necessarily make a good bearing surface. Not all Bronze is bearing material either. I'm not quite sure why you need to know if its brass or bronze?? I have a bucket with left over brass & bronze scraps & the color seems to different on most every piece!

 

[OregonBill]

Mike, which of the bronzes is best for bearing material?

 

[chipenter]

Phosphor Bronze PB102 in cast if you can get it the extruded is slightly softer .

 

[MachineTom]

Bronze material called CDA 932 is also known as SAE 660 Bearing Bronze. Nuf?

 

[GWRdriver]

The general rule is Brass = Yellow, Bronze = Reddish, . . . but there are instances where you simply can't tell. Chips can be an indication, but I've had brass curl and chip, and bronze chip (SAE660) and curl (C510). I usually know my materials by what I've ordered, and then keep them separated, but lacking that I usually go by color. I have had supplies of C510 (phosphor bronze) from different sources which behaved entirely differently from each other so that neither their color nor a machining test would have told me they were the same. My suspicion of course was that they were not the same alloy, and the supplier made a mistake.

 

[kcmillin]

Check it with a magnet.

A while back I received a 14" round x 2.25" thick gear from a large motor grader.
My friend said it was brass, and it sure does look like it. I got it home, cut a chunk off and machined it. It machined ok but much tougher than brass and bronze.

later I accidentally discovered that a neodymium magnet would stick to it. Ime not sure what this material is, but It seems to be an allow of copper and iron/steel or something.

Anybody have any experience with this.

Kel

 

[Omnimill]

Phosphor Bronze is normally used for bearings.

Oops late reply, already said ...

 

[MachineTom]

Checking with a magnet will prove if it is high in Iron, no help between brass and bronze. Some metals with alot of iron are not magnetic like some stainless steels, some with no iron are magnetic slightly like certain Titanium alloys.

 

[Mike N]

Mike, which of the bronzes is best for bearing material?

841 Oilite bronze, 932 Alloy, machinable bearing grade 936 Alloy are best.