Source for silicon bronze angle or suggestions for tig welding brass

[David Duncan]

My friend is a sculptor that has been tig welding brass angle together with silicon bronze rod for structural armatures for her concrete sculptures. She just purchased a Miller Syncrowave 200 and I was helping her set it. I had forgotten how horrible trying to tig brass could be. I suggested she try and find some silicon bronze angle but I haven't been able to locate any. Does anybody know of a source ? Or any trick for working with brass?

Thanks,
David Duncan

[OscarJr]

I order my straight cut lengths of silicon bronze down to about 0.045" (or 0.035" can't remember) from www.weldingsupply.com out of Illinois. I also wanted thinner, but I had to get a MIG spool for 0.023", Blue Demon brand from Ebay.

Brazing/TIG'ing brass you just have to keep the heat input to a minimum because I believe there is zinc in there that tends to boil out and spit up out of the puddle and ruin your tungsten/cup. Using pulse on a scrap piece first will usually help out.

[H80N]

My friend is a sculptor that has been tig welding brass angle together with silicon bronze rod for structural armatures for her concrete sculptures. She just purchased a Miller Syncrowave 200 and I was helping her set it. I had forgotten how horrible trying to tig brass could be. I suggested she try and find some silicon bronze angle but I haven't been able to locate any. Does anybody know of a source ? Or any trick for working with brass?

Thanks,
David Duncan

Have you tried Alaskan Copper Works...??

http://www.alascop.com/pdf/brbr/mill_bronze.pdf

http://www.alascop.com/index.php

[Danarc]

Set the balance to minimal cleaning and weld on AC. If it were an inverter I would recommend 90% EN, 100Hz plus. But a Syncrowave 200 is stuck with maximum 60% EN (a "10" on the Balance) and 60Hz.

Use enough amps to get the puddle started and flow CuSi into the joint. Don't worry about melting the parent metal or admixture; you are essentially brazing not welding.

[Ltbadd]

Have you tried Alaskan Copper Works...??

http://www.alascop.com/pdf/brbr/mill_bronze.pdf

http://www.alascop.com/index.php

I've never used ACW to buy materials so I don't know if they'll sell small quantities.

You might also look at Southern Tool Steel

[shovelon]

Set the balance to minimal cleaning and weld on AC. If it were an inverter I would recommend 90% EN, 100Hz plus. But a Syncrowave 200 is stuck with maximum 60% EN (a "10" on the Balance) and 60Hz.

Use enough amps to get the puddle started and flow CuSi into the joint. Don't worry about melting the parent metal or admixture; you are essentially brazing not welding.

Bingo! That is how we do it as well.
We did figure out that if we backfeed the bead and keep the arc buried in the filler, brass welds pretty good.