Soldering Brass to Copper

Cat_P wrote

on 5 Apr 2011 10:17 PM

I've posted this on another forum and haven't received much in answers yet so I thought I would post here as well.

And hello to those of you I know from Beading Daily!

I'm working on a pendant, copper backing (which I plan on stamping later) and I want to solder a piece of brass on it.

Well I did actually get that far, it wasn't easy but after reading and more reading, I realized I needed a lot more flux and a lot more heat.

Problem is though, my brass looks more copper now after a dip in pickle ( I know it's an alloy of copper and zinc).

Is this typical and will I be able to get the brassy color back?

I still have some small bits to add in brass to the pendant and this is where my other questions come in.

I was trying to heat some brass up to make small balls. That stuff melts weird, looks grainy almost and it doesn't always form into a nice ball, a few times it stayed in a funky clump.

Any help on this issue? More heat or something else?

If it helps to visualize what I'm doing, I'm making a square copper pendant, with a brass foot and toes soldered on, then I'm stamping a saying on the copper.

Help, please!!!!

LeeAnne70 wrote

on 8 Apr 2011 10:32 AM

You will probably never see this buut here goes anyway.

mix a solution of 2 parts hydrogen peroxide, 3 parts white vinegar soak the piece in ti for  20 to 30 minutes and the brass should be brass again.  It takes the copper off the brass.  do dot store this in a closed container. When finished dump it down the sink and flush with water. You may need to use a scrubbie to get the brown grunge off.   Hope this helps.

Sometimes you have to be patient and wait for an answer.

Post a pic when you are done.

Lee Anne

BogIron wrote

on 8 Apr 2011 3:49 PM

When I make up my brass rather than pickling to get the old flux off I just boil it in plain water not pickle. When you put brass in most pickles you are doing a sort of depletion gilding, instead of bringing the silver to the surface you are bringing the copper to fore by removing the zinc from the brass and that is the pink color you are getting so I just put mine in boiling water to dissolve the old flux. And you are correct that it doesn't ball up very well. I dip mine in handy flux first and it works much better. If you are using yellow brass it is not as forgiving about this are red brass or bronze wire. If you can get some silicon bronze sheet and wire I think you will find it much more enjoyable to work with than yellow brass. Red brass is also know as "gun metal" and it has different make up than yellow brass that is only zinc and copper. You could also experiment with "German silver" for a different look, however it contain nickle that some have skin reactions to.

You are correct that things are a little slow here but have patience, it eventually gets and answer

TTatOrnamentea wrote

on 28 Apr 2011 10:13 AM

Hi Cat,

Have you tried anything besides pickle on the piece yet as far as cleaning up your brass?  If you like a bit of a matte or satin finish, you could always go at it with some steel wool or finer grit sandpaper to get the bulk of the scale off.  As for the odd shaped brass beads, it's lumpy because its an alloy and one of the metals is melting first.  I'd heat it a bit longer or use a hotter torch.  Gook luck on your project!

Cat_P wrote

on 17 May 2011 9:29 PM

Thanks for all your replies here and sorry it took me a bit too long to get and reply. I'm not a patient person when it comes to this so please excuse me!

I kind of stopped on this project because I stamped it before finishing and one of my letters went wonky so I haven't touched it again. I do want to finish it, mostly because my daughter wants it when I'm done.

Boiling water- I'll have to remember that next time! Great tip on the flux on balling the ends- I'll try that too.

All the info was really helpful and I appreciate it! Going to try to start posting here more and I'll post a picture when I finally finish it!

Tamra S Kriedeman wrote

on 18 Apr 2012 3:40 PM

Hi Lee Anne!

I've been using this solution for a while...and storing it in a closed container...What happens when I do this?  Can you tell me where to read more about it?  

And dumping down the drain?  Is this an acid that need to be neutralized first?

Thanks for your help!

Tamra