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melting brass padlocks

Hi all

Today I tried melting brass for the first time. I had some nice heavy brass padlocks around and so I dumped them into my 4" pipe crucible. After

2 hours and several pounds of charcoal the padlocks were orange but simply the brass did not flow. I did not took the steel pieces apart since I'm lazy and I expected to fish them out when the brass melted. Is padlock brass the yellow brass novices are cautioned against? If so, what would be a common scrap source for silicon bronze? Taps, hinges, fittings, something?

regards,

Mongke

Reply to
mongke
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Hotter. More charcoal (more underneath?), lid, more air. You're almost there!

Tim

Reply to
Tim Williams

Mongke:

I can melt brass w/charcoal, but I have to do it on the first load of coals, adding more isn't enough. I agree with Tim. More air, better air flow - that's part of my problem adding more coals, the ash starts filling up. And a top.

Reply to
John Hofstad-Parkhill

Are you sure that they are not bronze, instead? I'm not sure what the difference in melting point is between the two, but I know that my old Yale padlock is bronze, not brass, and I would expect others to be as well -- at least those intended to be out in the weather and to take a beating.

Good Luck, DoN.

Reply to
DoN. Nichols

Actually I can't say. I remember the packaging of at least one read "brass". All they are yellow tending to slight green. Some of them were outdoors and came in fine.

regards,

Mongke

Reply to
mongke

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