How to Bend, Cut and Weld Brass Tubes Almost Easily

Brass is arguably one of the most practical and useful alloy around ever since it was discovered in prehistory. You find brass in wires inside your electric driller, brass tableware in your kitchen, or even brass tubes in your bathroom. Bending, cutting, or welding brass isn’t something that can be done with just one’s hands; there are detailed ways to go about them with special tools to make those tasks easier to do.

Bend

You’re going to need a tubing bender for this one, which is available for rent or purchase from virtually any hardware store around. The more common ones have two handles and a calibrating apparatus that can bend in 30, 45, or 90 degrees. You put the brass tube into the tube holder itself, then pull the movable handle to lock into contact with the tube.

Grip both handles firmly as you’re pulling the movable handle against the tube. Apply enough pressure until the tube bends up to the marked 30 or 90 degree angle on the apparatus. You can release the handles once the tube is bent to the desired angle, then simply remove the tube from the bender.

Cut

For this exercise, you can actually simply use a razor-sharp knife. Put the tube on the table, and move the blade up and down on the tube itself. Keep at it until the tube is finally cut. The only drawback to this is your cut might not be as precise as you want it to be.

If you want a more accurate cut, try using a midget tubing cutter because it’s designed specifically for that purpose. Mark the spot on the tube where cutting will begin, then put in the brass tubing where the machine’s cutting disk lines up with the mark. Twist the knob on the midget cutter clockwise until its cutting disk severs through the tube.

Weld

Before welding brass tubes with an acetylene torch, find out how much zinc and copper content there is. The greater the amount of zinc, the lower the melting point of brass which you have to determine. Coat the brass tubes with a flux-and-water paste when you’re ready, and adjust the torch’s flame for sufficient acetylene to prevent zinc fumes from being produced while welding.

Finally, use a welding tip larger than that for welding steel because brass tube expands more when heated. The welding tip also allows more clearance for the filler metal. You can also read more about bending, cutting, and welding brass tubes on eHow.com.

Lawrence Halter - About Author:
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