Bending brass??

[Anonymous]

Anyone have any idea on how to bend brass for brake pipes and iron grabs?? I've read a lot of the MRR superdetailing articles and the most it mentions about bending brass is " bend .03 diameter brass to make the break pipes..." and my hands are no where near as nimble as the authors if he does it by hand.
Thanx

[Big_Boy_4005]

Pliers. Needle nose if you need sharp bends, there are also round nose for less sharp bends. If you need gentle curves, wrap it around a dowel.

[selector]

Or, tap a couple of nails of different sizes partway into a small piece of wood, and bend the wire around the nails to get an even tighter, but nicely circular, bend.

[Jetrock]

Jeweler's needle-nose pliers are best for bending brass--they are made with smooth inner surfaces, so you don't leave tool marks on the soft brass. A jewelry supply store can be a good source of nice tools of thiss sort. There are also other sorts of jewelry pliers intended for making loops and gentle bends that can be used to bend piping for things like caboose ladders or any place that needs a gentle curve.

[Anonymous]

Inexpensive roundnose pliers of serviceable quality may be found at "craft" stores. Because the jaws are tapered, you have your choice of radii for the bend. This may be a good place to look around for pastel chalks for weathering, too. Just take some antihistamine with you when you go, lest the dried plants excite your allergies!

[Anonymous]

go to micromark.com. they have special tools for bending wire in all forms. they are a multi-piece set, for making all types of shapes in metal and brass wire.


matt arentzen northeastrailworks.com

[nobullchitbids]

Not mentioned so far are loop pliers. These are pliers with one grooved jaw and one round jaw, with the round jaw tapered in stages to generate various radii.

Another tool, once offered by Grandt Line and useful for grabs, is a jig -- the most difficult element in making these is getting them all the same, and the Grandt Line jig made this problem essentially go away.

Yes, for general bending, needlenose pliers are preferred; however, it might be a good idea to have more than one pair, so that you can work one against the other. A very nice set of four is made by Sears Craftsman and comes in its own vinyl case. Smooth-jawed pliers are less likely to impart marks to the brass than serrated jaws, but I use wire sufficiently small that this never really has been a problem.

Remember, in bending the wire, to slip all your required fittings -- tees, valves, &c. -- into place before making the bend (these items I've found do not go around corners easily, and unbending the wire fatigues it, can cause it to break).

Finally, when installing the wire, remember that it fries easily -- if you are using a torch to put multiple components together, remember to seal off with a haemostat or other clamp the portions you do not want to heat, and use a small flame. The finer the wire, the more important this rule is. Brass is not like iron -- it anneals (becomes soft) above a certain temperature and cannot be rehardened except by being reworked. Cook your wire and, for all intents and purposes, it will be no good -- permanently.

[Anonymous]

Hey guys thanx a lot!

[Anonymous]

And anneal the wire before you bend it. It may not affect gentle curves, but it seems to me that brass wire is drawn cold, and working brass cold hardens it. Really sharp bends will break brass wire.