Brass plates and brackets, where to get

Go to a blacksmith.

Smartarse.

Care to recommend one?

|Grunff wrote: |> Hi all, |> |> I'm after a brass plate, to use to reinforce a vulnerable timber joint. |> Needs to be ~50mm high, ~40mm wide, with 2-3 holes along each long |> length (although I can drill these holes if necessary). |> |> I also need a few brass right angle brackets, basically like the plate |> but bent 90 degrees along the centre line. |> |> If brass isn't available, then blacked steel would do. |> |> I've looked in all the usual places, but can't find any. Ideas? |> |> TIA |> |Go to a blacksmith.

Sensible suggestion, Blacksmiths and small engineering shops all have a scrap bin which may contain brass sheet offcuts. With the price of copper these days the may charge you.

Can't quite picture the shape you want for the plates, but

Are there any model engineering suppliers in your area? I have a local one (Gratton's, in Derby), who will happily sell small quantities of materials to callers.

"Brass" and "reinforce" don't often go together.

If it's really brass, then presumably it needs to be decorative -- so make your own. Not hard to cut, bend or drill brass.

If you're after steel, then there should be any number of them available, frequently electro-zinced or even hot-galved. Hot oil will blacken them for you.

Any way, it sounds like you need some convenient local metalstockist with an offcuts bin.

Fair point, brass plated steel might be more appropriate.

Sadly I am currently very low on tools and workshop space. I don't even have a vice :-(

I thought I'd be able to find this type of thing easily enough, but Axminster, Isaac Lord, Screwfix, Toolstation etc. don't deem to stock them.

We've just moved to a new area (near Hereford), and I barely know where the nearest petrol station is yet. I was hoping for a convenient online source, but I will do the rounds of local metal shops when I get a chance.

Yup..depends where one is?

Try yellow pages ...

Really Hereford is probably crawling with blacksmiths..its quite a 'crafty' region..

Brass is dead easy to work, and is certainly stronger than wood..you mark with a steel rule, drill with decent wood bits, and cut with hacksaws and file with metal files, and polish with fine grit, then T-cut or Brasso. Bending? well samller bits can be done with a cople of pairs of pliers possibly assisted by a blowlamp.

Model train places - good ones - often do brass sheet..many metal warehouses will do the same.

Blacksmiths are very good at bigger stuff that is decorative..but for outdoors you need galvanising with steel really. galve and powder coat is as good as it gets.

For seriously structural things a steel fabrication place has all you need..but they won't be cheap.

How far are you from Ledbury?

I've probably got (some) brass in stock and plenty of ally sheet and angle.... and a reasonable workshop for cutting and drilling.

Perhaps 10-12 miles.

That's a very kind offer Tony, and most tempting. Can I get back to you shortly? One place I called should be calling me back later today. If they can't supply, yours might be the best option.

I've just checked.... a few pieces of brass plate, maybe not quite large enough in one dimension, plenty of ally offcuts, mainly 3mm and some up to 6mm, some offcuts of 1.6mm fibreglass sheet (pcb material), and a small amount of Tufnol sheet, 1.5 and 4mm. There are also odd lengths and sizes of aluminium angle.

BTW: 10-12 miles is nothing in Herefordshire, I now do a 20 mile round trip just to get diesel. :(