Both brass and bronze are copper alloys. Yes, they can be welded together.
I myself would use the good old oxyacetilene torch with a brass rod. While performing the weld, I wouldn't forget to dip frequently the rod tip into a deoxydizing agent (borax, for example).
But I admit I'm an old man and I'm somewhat stuck to old methods (that have worked perfectly for decades, by the way)
Giovanni S. Crisi
Sao Paulo - Brazil
To add a little more (my knowledge doesn't shine a candle to Mr. Crisi's) be very particular of what grade of brass you are working with as some do not take kindly to the heat of welding. A particular example I am familiar with is a local waterfall fountain that was commissioned for a Junior College here in Lufkin. The brass sheet was cut and fitted and ready for weldout when it was discovered it was "cartridge brass" not sure of what the grade number would be. Basically cartridge brass gets brittle with heat, it was a mess trying to weld the stuff or braze it, tig and oxy acet were both used neither produced great results and cracking was hard to control outside of the haz.
Thankyou for your kind words. It's been very kind from your part. However, I doubt that I deserve them.
Giovanni S. Crisi
Brass isn't the best material for welding. It can be done, but you need to be very careful with the heat on the brass side, as it can cause the zinc to bubble out.
For that reason, bronze and not brass filler must be used, as the filler must reach the liquid state, while the brass base can be at the lower liquidus temperature and still be welded. So, brass used as filler would make a spongy mess.
Hard soldering processes can be used too. Silphos would make a good option (or one of the silver bearing solder alloys like it). It has a relatively low melting point, and could make a nice brazed joint.
Either way, you will need flux (silphos is used without flux on pure copper, but needs flux for this).
Bob,
I guess you're under 40. If you were over 70, like me, you would have seen hundreds of oxyacetilene welds made on and with brass, performed by experienced welders, of course.
As a matter of fact, here at the welding workshop of the Engineering School of Mackenzie Presbyterian University in Sao Paulo, where students put into practice what they've learned in theory, brass is welded with oxyacetilene using brass rods. Of course, they're students, not qualified welders, and the weld comes out as being a mess. But keep it under your hat; if Mackenzie U.'s authorities happen to know what I've said, I'd be inmediately fired.
Giovanni S. Crisi
I would suggest brazing with TIG or Oxyfuel. You could use a silicon bronze filler like tradename Everdure. I worked up a process for joining copper to stainless using that filler wire and normally copper and stainless can not be joined without cracking issues.
Simple and short: Yes, they can be welded together.
It would help if we knew what kind of project this was. But, several good suggestions have been made. As noted by another poster, I also have welded brass with GTAW and a bronze rod of various grades depending upon the base and use.
Good luck.
Have a Great Day, Brent
Topic Welding Industry / Technical Discussions / Can Brass be welded to silican bronze? VERY U=IMportante
