Tig Welding 464 Naval Brass

LocoCaballo · Thu Oct 31, 2013 11:04 am

I need to weld some 464 Naval Brass for a handrail that is being fabricated. I have an older Lincoln Tig 300/300 with a water cooled torch, 1/8" 2% Thorium Tungsten and Tri Mix Gas ( 2.5% CO2, 7.5% Argon 90% Helium). The material has been forged to 3/4" thick x 2 1/4" wide. It is important to color match as well. With it being preheated I was able to weld some with silicone rod but the high copper content makes it apparent. Just needing some help to 'get er done'.

noddybrian · Thu Oct 31, 2013 11:34 am

If there is any off cut or spare material pound it flat on the anvil & cut into strips will work - maybe not 1st choice - but it's gotta color match.

LocoCaballo · Thu Oct 31, 2013 11:57 am

Thanks Ace. I do have some 3/16" round 464 that can be forged out for the filler. The problem that I run into is the zinc burning off in the arc. Didn't know if there is any technique used to accomplish this.
Hindsight. Make sure it can be done before committing. Should have used 655 silicone bronze for the whole.

noddybrian · Thu Oct 31, 2013 2:44 pm

I'm sure someone with more brass experience will add something - I have to admit Tig brazing is something I tried maybe twice & did'nt get on with at all well - made a right mess & burned off alot of zinc ! I can do most stuff or pick it up quick - but I just did'nt see the need to learn it - I'm happy with oxy / acetylene for this type of work - like so many things - Jody makes it look easy but it's trickier than it looks - also I think you want to go up to the large size gas lens & use plenty of argon which just seemed like alot of expense to prevent excessive zinc burn off - I think it's a process that will become more used as Tig sets are so cheap & some of the new cars that use high alloy / very thin sheet metal require it for body repair .

Good luck with the project.

Thu Oct 31, 2013 6:24 pm

I hate to say it, but your best odds at a color match will be with the 464 as filler, and oxy/ace rather than TIG. You'll have far less burnout of the zinc, but your flame needs to be dead neutral. A good silver-braze flux should be adequate. When done, wire brush/wheel or spot-blast the flux off, and wipe the color back with dilute Muriatic acid before polishing.

Good luck. Let us know how it goes, and how you ultimately get it done.

Steve S

LocoCaballo · Thu Oct 31, 2013 6:30 pm

After reading some on this site I tried using AC instead of DC Straight. That's the ticket. I'll post some photos later.
Thanks for the posts.

nova_70_383 · Fri Nov 01, 2013 7:22 pm

yes use AC... i would not suggest a gas lens more then likely you will ruin it from splatter. use a standard collet body and cup. i use alumibronze filler. it seems to match color wise to me. the trick to getting it to weld is to use just enough heat to melt the rod, if u see zinc and such sweating out of the pores back down a bit on heat. using pulse can help too. welding backward can work better too, some brass alloys are very dirty. sometimes using pulse and pulsing the foot pedal works too. i weld brass, alumibronze, and bronze where i work frequently.

LocoCaballo · Tue Dec 03, 2013 11:37 am

The alumibronze filler worked very well. This was one of those jobs that seemed to never end. It's crated and shipped and I wanted to post a few photos. Fortunately I was able to avail myself to the cutting edge technology from the early 60's with my Lincoln 300/300. I've had it for about 20 years now. If anyone knows of an Amptrol foot control for sale that would be a nice addition. It's kind of a Rube Goldberg set up for my water cooled torch. There is the pressure vessel with the coffee can funnel with a paint filter to filter the water being recycled. The vacuum pump is attached to draw the water in for efficiency. Then the air line is attached to put 40 lbs. pressure for the water to flow. It ends up in the 5 gallon bucket where the process starts over being sucked into the tank. The next project is making a cooler. Hope this gets some laughs. 'I've been doing so much with so little for so long I think I can do anything with nothing'.