I’m getting my house remodeled, due to a pipe break, and I’m thinking about making my cabinet hardware or some of it. I’m thinking about using brass but I’ve never worked with brass. Any idea, advice, suggestions??? Maybe I would be better to use copper? My faucets are gold colored, hood trim is brass
Help I should have thought about this 6 months ago
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It depends on if you are going to cast or fabricate. I’ve done a lot of casting work in brass and bronze, copper not so much. Copper is a royal pain to cast and you’ll be chasing defects constantly. Brass is very easy to cast but is messy, and it produces a bright gold color. Bronze casts very well if you can get the temperatures required, and the patinas are very attractive for hardware. I recommend silicon bronze (everdur c87300) or art casting brass (or cartridge brass, 70/30) as the alloys.
You can fabricate copper and brass hardware, but the stock is going to be quite expensive in the dimensions needed. Bronze can be difficult if not impossible to forge, but it’s easier to weld pieces together. All three will do well with chasing/repouse and thin-working it from sheet.
If I were in your position I would just buy the hardware. I’ve been down that road before and it’s very expensive to make drawer pulls and such with a jewelry investment casting setup. Big heavy flasks, LOTS of investment, lots of fumes.
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You might look into having the pulls cast by a casting house and just generating one blank design.
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Ive loved working w jewelers brass, super easy to detail, cut etc. I totally get making it. I make the parts on my purses i make.
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I’m always astounded how close to 14 karat gold jewelers brass looks.
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Probably will do this if I decide it’s worth it.