Working with bronze for a guard

Heikki

KNIFE MAKER
I picked up a 1/4" thick piece of "bearing bronze" that I'd like to use for a guard and spacer on a knife project. I haven't worked with bronze yet, and am assuming there are different kinds out there. Will this kind work? I plan on filing and sanding it to shape. Didn't know if it can be cold worked at all or annealed like copper maybe. Seems to cut pretty easily. Any tips before I start on it?
 
There are different types of bearing bronzes. All of them are on the tough side. They all look beautiful when finished! Not as yellow as brass and they oxidize to a nice orange-ish /gold look.

They are on the tougher side to machine...but file and sand pretty good. I haven't tried to anneal what i use...or tried to cold work.


buffs beautifully. Slow to sand but nice. I found keeping the paper wet with WD-40 helped a lot.

Avoid Aluminum Bronze...lol. Super tough to the point of miserable...

hope this helps some...
 
There are different types of bearing bronzes. All of them are on the tough side. They all look beautiful when finished! Not as yellow as brass and they oxidize to a nice orange-ish /gold look.

They are on the tougher side to machine...but file and sand pretty good. I haven't tried to anneal what i use...or tried to cold work.


buffs beautifully. Slow to sand but nice. I found keeping the paper wet with WD-40 helped a lot.

Avoid Aluminum Bronze...lol. Super tough to the point of miserable...

hope this helps some...
Thanks Ted. That does help. At least I know I didn't pick up something I can't use.
 
Back
Top