where to get brass rods

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Originally Posted by Paul_Guraedy

Lynn, have you soldered any brass rods of a little larger size? I am wanting to go up to about .40 to use on a life size owl. I have never soldered brass, any tips?

Paul, it may be to big for what you want, but I did the legs initially on my Great Blue Heron out of 1/4 inch copper tubing, and "Apoxie" over that....worked fine. .40 is almost half an inch, so maybe 3/8 if not 1/2 copper? just a thoughtBouncing S

[Paul_Guraedy]

Hi Ho, actually, 3/8ths is what I have on hand for the owl. Just went with the .40 in rounding off. Copper may be the way I should be going. Had not thought of that. How did you join it? Isn't copper hard to solder? Did you use tubing for the feet or did you switch to something solid?

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

No -copper pipe is very easy to solder, you just heat the pipe and most times, like on a fitting, the solder will just race around the pipe! for the feet, I took a hack saw and cut the end of the pipe twice (lengthwise about 2 inches), giving me 4 flaps which I bent out....3 for the front toes, and one for the back toe...that gave me something to anchor to my base, I then coated the legs and feet with "apoxie" Actually, thinking about it, I don't believe I had to solder anything on the heron? you can buy a set of tubing benders at any dollar store very cheap, that way you can bend the tubing without putting a crimp in it. (you know I have been sitting here trying to remember the word crimp....kept saying "crink" , that doesn't sound right LOL...geez a mind is a terrible thing to lose!)Smile Oops forgot....for the body, I just drilled holes the angle and size for my tubing and inserted into the body and glued with polyurathane glue.

[jamesfa]

Helen-go to the following online catalog under Bird carving supplies.

http://www.chippingaway.com

they carry square, round tubing brass shim stock.

Frank