Bronze Powder Source

Does anyone know where to source about 1/2 LB of bronze powder. Approx. equi-dimensional grains about 15 microns or so. I want to try it in epoxy as a machine tool rebuilding material.

Thanks, John.

Reply to
John Wilson
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Look it up on Google, John. It's common in art applications, notably for "cold bronze casting" (bronze powder in epoxy). It's available in various powder grades, flakes, etc.

Good luck. I'm assuming you're using bronze because you're building up bedways or saddles and you want the bearing properties of bronze. There are several methods and proven, commercial materials made for that purpose, including a couple of epoxy formulations, but I don't know if any of them use bronze for the bearing material.

But if you're in a mood to experiment, have fun and let us know how it works out.

Ed Huntress

Reply to
Ed Huntress

Art and Theatrical Paint suppliers carry it for use as pigment. Called Bronzing powder.

Reply to
Ernie Leimkuhler

Kennametal in Fallon NV can supply this. Alternatively Aremco in NY also makes a powder they call bronze but honestly it is only about a couple of percent tin. Mostly copper.

Jim

Reply to
jim rozen

Devcon makes it already mixed with epoxy:

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Randy

Reply to
Randal O'Brian

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Steve E.

Reply to
Steven E. Eyrse

Thanks Ed, I've been googling and more but was shying away from the pigment type because I figure it is probably flat flakes, I feel equi-dimensional particles would be better suited. Experimentation is probably the best way to find out if I live long enough. I was figuring on throwing some moly and PTFE into the mix for good luck John

Look it up on Google, John. It's common in art applications, notably for "cold bronze casting" (bronze powder in epoxy). It's available in various powder grades, flakes, etc.

Good luck. I'm assuming you're using bronze because you're building up bedways or saddles and you want the bearing properties of bronze. There are several methods and proven, commercial materials made for that purpose, including a couple of epoxy formulations, but I don't know if any of them use bronze for the bearing material.

But if you're in a mood to experiment, have fun and let us know how it works out.

Ed Huntress

Reply to
John Wilson

Thanks all for the suggestions and links John

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Randy

Reply to
John Wilson

Well, commercial producers have shown that there is quite a wide range of materials that will work. The specific load (the load per unit area) on a lathe or mill isn't particularly high, so plastics, including epoxy, seem to do the job pretty well.

I'll be most interested in how you get it flat. Please let us know as you progress with it.

Ed Huntress

Reply to
Ed Huntress

Kennametal makes this - the quasi-sphericial bronze powder. I've been using it at work. The typical application is for sintering diamond to dicing saw blades. It's high purity and graded for size.

Jim

Reply to
jim rozen

How can bronze be high purity?

Tim

-- "I've got more trophies than Wayne Gretsky and the Pope combined!" - Homer Simpson Website @

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Reply to
Tim Williams

In the case of an alloy, the exact composition is known. A lot of the "bronzes" sold (here one example is the bronze powder or flake sold by aremco) has a somewhat uncertain compostion. If you want to use it as a pigment, that's fine as long as it looks nice.

The Kennametal stuff has to have specific physical and chemical properties, because it's used as a starting material for other processes. You can buy it with varying tin composition and be sure you get what you want.

Another issue in the 'purity' tag is how much stuff is in the bottle, that *isn't* tin and copper? Some folks don't mind a few percent of random contaminants, others would find it unacceptable.

Jim

Reply to
jim rozen

Check the McMaster Carr catalog. They carry a number of bronze compounds made for just this purpose made by Devcon, although a little bit pricey. Gloat, I just got a large can at the local tool and die store on closeout for $18.00.

JohnL, metalmangler

Reply to
John Lovallo

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