Hello prowelder, you are right in one respect, it CAN be touchy. but not always. There are a number of different alloys of brass, some are actually readily weldable. In my experiences you have to experiment a bit in order to determine if you have one of those that is easy, or one that is hard to weld. I have generally used various alloys of silicon-bronze. Try to make sure that you have the materials as clean as possible, this can include chemical type cleaning with acetone or similar solvents and physically brush or sand the surfaces for additional cleaning, especially when you are dealing with castings. On heavier sections a bit of preheat certainly can be of some help, especially if you see any centerline bead cracking. This cracking could possibly also indicate an incompatible filler material. You will certainly receive other suggestions on how to proceed on this, so keep your ears open. Good luck and regards, aevald