welding/ forging bronze

[alan white]

I'm interested in discovering a simple means to fabricate custom bronze fittings.
I would want to use flat and round stock 1/4" or under. Welds would likely all be ground and filed, and my machine is a MIG.
For my use, a fluxed wire would be more economical than an inert gas, if the results have equal strength.
I would prefer a manganese bronze (high strength, min. 60,000 psi), though some of what I obtain for stock is simply labled "bronze" at my marine supplier.
I would be buying stock in very small amounts, and often using old marine fittings obtained at the salvage yard for stock. If feasable.
Has anyone any experience doing this?


Alan

[TerryKing]

Alan, this sounds interesting... Years ago I built water-cooled exhaust manifolds for a flathead Mercury V8 from copper, bronze-brazed together (gas torch). It wasn't all pretty, as I learned on it, but it held together for 10 years.

I know people here are welding Stainless, but I'd really like to hear about DIY fabrication in Bronze!

[alan white]

I used to fabricate fittings in stainless for my 23' cruising sailboat. The off-the-shelf parts were outragiously expensive, and didn't fit well anyway. Any new boat, I'd likely fabricate mild steel and have it galvanized.
However, bronze is available at salvage yards, usually at twice what they pay, which is pretty cheap. I recently bought a big propeller, and thought I'd cut it to desired pieces with a wheel on a die grinder/forge/etc..
I know the stuff is welded, seen it from jobber (bronze floors for an Araminta). I figure a spool for the MIG would be pricey, but long-lasting.
I really like shaping metal, filing, grinding, bending, heating and forging.
If I could get the welding down, I figure I could make anything simple.
I've also heard silver soldering is pretty strong, dunno psi, maybe 30k?

Alan

monel?
you can buy stick rods for this, , watch for polarity wont Run otherwise

[alan white]

Yeah, thanks, LJ. I don't have an electric stick welder (I do have oxy-acetelene and mig).
I checked the price for Monel rod. Not in stock, their catalog was several years old, still cost a lot back then. Gotta check online, I think.
So you're saying Monel will weld most all normal bronze (what's normal? That which is sold at my marine supplier---- rod and flatstock, old propeller, etc.).
Thanks again.

A.

[KevinMcKee]

Manganese bronze do not weld / braze well. it has a high zinc content thet burns at welding temp. weakens the metal around the weld. for high strength look for aluminum bronze, 90,000 psi tensil strength, and welds up ok. silicone bronze welds very well.

[alan white]

Made a fitting (pivoting tongue for gaff--- basically a flat strap with three holes in it) out of old bronze propeller. I cut the strip off with a steel-cutting wheel on a die grinder. That stuff is pretty hard--- resists bending more than steel, but does work okay (I had to take a minor twist out of it).
Drills beautifully. Now to try heating and bending/ forging...
Not knowing the type of bronze I'm using, silver soldering appears to be a good alternative for some applications.
I might check out aluminum bronze, as you suggest, if I want to know what I'm welding.
Thanks.

A.

UM SOMEONE who know what h's about, Nickel ally bronze, same as they use on high class rigging screws, guy here had these fittings cast in something similar to Merriman Bronze, he even made the floors of this Rhodes Yacht big boat, the size of the chain plates were so tiny, the strength of this stuff!! you could search founderies, castings non ferrous on google If you are looking for screws that you can TRUST Chatfield engineering in NZ have been casting and maching and forging Nickel ally bronze for years