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by **Sky Chief** on Mon Feb 04, 2013 3:44 pm

I have now worked with aluminum enough to feel comfortable with straightening it, but not so much with brass. If a brass part has a slight bend in it, do the same priciples apply such as heating the part and then bending it? I am thinking about trying to bend the edge of a brass CH hanger that has gotten flattened on one side back into shape. The edge is flattened in and pressing up against the insert the wire runs through. I was able to get the insert out and now am pondering applying heat to the damaged area, inserting a pipe slightly smaller than the opening and then trying to hammer it back into a round shape. Is there much risk of the brass cracking? My plan is the strip the paint off the hanger and leave it bare brass.

by **vaughn** on Mon Feb 04, 2013 4:11 pm

I have the same hanger a member sold me, thanks Fred. I don't know about heating and straitening it but after you polish it be sure to apply a coat of clear polyuithan on it immediately. This keeps it looking polished. If you don't the brass will start to tarnish and quite rapidly

I polished some brass rods and thought It would stay shiny. In a week I could see it start to turn and had to polish them again. I think the grease on your fingers may have something to do with it as well so wear gloves.

by **Magnetboy** on Sat Feb 16, 2013 10:11 pm

Brass can be reshaped by heating it. Aluminum melts at 1221 degrees F. Brass melts at 1652-1724 degrees F depending on its composition. You won't need to heat the brass to those melting temps to shape it, but you can apply heat to it to make shaping it easier. You shouldn't hurt the hanger by heating it and reshaping the lip. Just go slowly and heat it only as much as you need to get the job done.

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Straightening brass

Straightening brass

Re: Straightening brass

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