Very interesting, you are "tinning" the surface with copper through brazing. Brazing in the forge is not a new technique, but usually a flux is used to "wet" the surface and brass is usually used. It is mostly a joining technique, I've not seen anyone do quite like this to coat the surface. I suspect that what is happening is when you reach forge welding temps most of the thin scale actually melts leaving a clean metal surface to braze the copper to. You may be able to get a similar effect at a lower temperature by giving the leaf a thin coat of flux before you bring it to temperature. This works since the flux helps remove oxides at a lower temp allowing the copper to bond. However, the copper might not flow quite as well at lower temps, sounds like fun to experiment with though. Keep up the good work, I really enjoy your videos.
Very nice job. Turned out very well there Oscar. Can't wait to see more videos soon. Keep up the great craftsmanship and hard work my friend. Forge on. Keep making. God bless.
Great effects I think besides the tinning of the copper there is copper vapour in the fire which transfers to the leaf, I am going to try the same on some roses I make ,I was going to electro plate in a bucket with a battery charger and caustic mix but this looks better, I met your mum today at the garden centre had some lovely work of yours keep up the good work 👏
Looks great! Reminds me of brazing too. Only flux-less and pure copper, not brass. I bet you can get different shades of yellow/red with different alloy's of brass or bronze. I would avoid brass alloyed with lead though - the lead will boil out at extreme temperatures, and lead leaches into water or food if they come into contact with the 'brazed' finish. Thanks for showing an awesome looking technique!
I have tried it with brass before and I found I was doing it at a too high heat as I was burning off the zinc leaving only copper! I need practice a bit more with brass maybe at a lower temperature with flux.
You can also do that with a copper or brass wire wheel. Just heat up the leaf and spin the copper/brass wire wheel against the hot leaf. What you are doing is simply welding the copper to the steel. Since copper melts at a lower temperature it is easy to get the copper to weld to the steel without the steel melting too. Watch a video on Cu Mai knife making. the bladesmiths explain it better than I can. You also may be able to use some bronzing rod and a torch to achieve the effect you want. If you want brass or "gold" color just use a brazing rod with flux and a torch.
I’ve used wheels before to add the brass colour, it leaves a much more consistent finish where’s I prefer the bit of variety (for these leaves) as you can get it mix in with the scale and running the temper colours. Anyway I’ll have a look at that video I’ll be interested to see their take on it. Thank you!
@@oscarduck1920, Ok, just trying to give you a variety of ways to get what you want. More or less pressure on the wire wheels would maybe give you the results you want.
That's a cool effect and won't wear away as quick as the brass or copper wire brush trick. Like in the other comments, I wonder if some flux and plumbers copper brazing rod would work too? I was brazing copper with silver solder recently and it looked good too. 👍 😀✊
I don’t know how well bronze would do it as obviously it’s an alloy, I tried with brass once and burnt off the zinc in the alloy leaving only the copper!
I think what really is happening is your wire wheel is transferring the copper around on the steel more than the copper melting over the steel. I have seen a metal smith do the same thing with a torch and a brush. The heat softens the copper and the wire wheel picks it up and can easily transfer it across the steel. They do the same with brass.
Very interesting, you are "tinning" the surface with copper through brazing. Brazing in the forge is not a new technique, but usually a flux is used to "wet" the surface and brass is usually used. It is mostly a joining technique, I've not seen anyone do quite like this to coat the surface. I suspect that what is happening is when you reach forge welding temps most of the thin scale actually melts leaving a clean metal surface to braze the copper to. You may be able to get a similar effect at a lower temperature by giving the leaf a thin coat of flux before you bring it to temperature. This works since the flux helps remove oxides at a lower temp allowing the copper to bond. However, the copper might not flow quite as well at lower temps, sounds like fun to experiment with though. Keep up the good work, I really enjoy your videos.
I must try it with a flux, see if the results are any different!
Very nice job. Turned out very well there Oscar. Can't wait to see more videos soon. Keep up the great craftsmanship and hard work my friend. Forge on. Keep making. God bless.
Thanks Jared!
Great effects I think besides the tinning of the copper there is copper vapour in the fire which transfers to the leaf, I am going to try the same on some roses I make ,I was going to electro plate in a bucket with a battery charger and caustic mix but this looks better, I met your mum today at the garden centre had some lovely work of yours keep up the good work 👏
Glad you could make it down to the markets a few weeks ago sorry I wasn’t there!
Looks great! Reminds me of brazing too. Only flux-less and pure copper, not brass. I bet you can get different shades of yellow/red with different alloy's of brass or bronze.
I would avoid brass alloyed with lead though - the lead will boil out at extreme temperatures, and lead leaches into water or food if they come into contact with the 'brazed' finish.
Thanks for showing an awesome looking technique!
I have tried it with brass before and I found I was doing it at a too high heat as I was burning off the zinc leaving only copper! I need practice a bit more with brass maybe at a lower temperature with flux.
You can also do that with a copper or brass wire wheel. Just heat up the leaf and spin the copper/brass wire wheel against the hot leaf.
What you are doing is simply welding the copper to the steel. Since copper melts at a lower temperature it is easy to get the copper to weld to the steel without the steel melting too. Watch a video on Cu Mai knife making. the bladesmiths explain it better than I can.
You also may be able to use some bronzing rod and a torch to achieve the effect you want.
If you want brass or "gold" color just use a brazing rod with flux and a torch.
I’ve used wheels before to add the brass colour, it leaves a much more consistent finish where’s I prefer the bit of variety (for these leaves) as you can get it mix in with the scale and running the temper colours. Anyway I’ll have a look at that video I’ll be interested to see their take on it. Thank you!
@@oscarduck1920, Ok, just trying to give you a variety of ways to get what you want. More or less pressure on the wire wheels would maybe give you the results you want.
@@Enigma-Sapiens I’ll have to experiment some more, thank you for the ideas!
Very interesting!!👍
Thanks!
Great vid Oscar
Thanks!
That's a cool effect and won't wear away as quick as the brass or copper wire brush trick. Like in the other comments, I wonder if some flux and plumbers copper brazing rod would work too? I was brazing copper with silver solder recently and it looked good too. 👍 😀✊
Yes! I imagine some flux would help it!
Neat trick Oscar nice finish on the leaf, I’ll try that one cheers Colin
Have a go Colin!
I wonder if a bit of copper wire would be easier to cut up than the sheet.
👍👍👍🍻
I am wondering if you could plate like that with bronze? Another great video. A real treat to find that uploaded after church. Thanks mate!
I don’t know how well bronze would do it as obviously it’s an alloy, I tried with brass once and burnt off the zinc in the alloy leaving only the copper!
I’d think if you melted some borax on there it would work better and maybe not have to get so hot, just guessing though. Cool idea you have there.
Yes a bit of flux would help it along!
I saw this done once at a show,he used a rasp on the copper bar he had, i tried it but never got it to work,any way well done Oscar stay safe
Interesting someone else has done it I knew someone would have! Have another go roy I’m sure you’ll get it to work eventually!
I think what really is happening is your wire wheel is transferring the copper around on the steel more than the copper melting over the steel. I have seen a metal smith do the same thing with a torch and a brush. The heat softens the copper and the wire wheel picks it up and can easily transfer it across the steel. They do the same with brass.
Could you use strips of brasing rod?
I’ve not tried it with brazing rod, I think they may have a little zinc in it so won’t work as well as pure copper.
Where do you get the leaf blanks?
Just cut them out with an angle grinder or you can get them laser cut!
Oscar, that is a terrific technique I wonder what effect you might get with tin? Cheers
I’m not sure! Maybe a future video in the works??
Hmmmm wonder if this would work in a gas forge? Anyone tried it?