Can't Find Thin Brass Strips

[mikiek]

I recently bought one of those assorted brass strip packages - K&S. There was one 3/32x1/64 which I have mostly used up. I would like to get more but can not find it. There are a few .01x" thickness strips available but the narrowest is 1/4" wide - much wider then I want.

 

I'm still pretty new to the metal working side of this hobby so I don't know all the options. Is it reasonable to think that I can find sheets with the thickness I want and then cut strips that narrow? I don't really want to grind down 1/4" strips to 3/32". I also would like to avoid buying another assortment package - there is a lot of pieces in there I will never use.

 

Any other choices?

[GLakie]

Here's one source!  Link: http://www.specialshapes.com/

[mrjimmy]

 

Hi, Mike........

 

Try Ace Hardware. Our local Ace has quite a variety. If they don't carry what you are looking for, maybe they can order it.

 

Jim

[leclaire]

Mike,

 

I second Jim's recommendation for trying Ace Hardware. I had a need for the same thing you are looking for and my hobby store told me to try Ace. Sure enough they had just the item in stock.

 

Bob

[PriceMachine&Design]

you could try looking for machinist/mechanics brass shim stock also, goes down to a couple thousands in thickness. I bought a jewelers roll press years ago which has been handy for reducing stock thickness although you have to do a lot of annealing between passes with brass and copper.

[Canute]

Check out a model train store. The brand you are looking for is Detail Associates. They make strip (.015x.018 thru .015x.060, 5 sizes) and round stock (.006 > 1/16, 13 diameters).

[donrobinson]

Lee Valley Tools, http://www.leevalley.com/en/home.aspx

Edited January 17, 2016 by donrobinson

[captainbob]

Go to Specialshapes.com like George said.  That is where S&K gets there brass and then they repackage. 

 

Bob  

[mikiek]

Thanks everyone - SpecialShapes has what I am looking for. I hope they don't mind a small order. What I need is under $10.

[mikiek]

Just an FYI - SpecialShapes does have a $25 minimum order, but I was able to order some other brass pieces that "I really needed"

[src]

Another source is Albion Alloys, they have some very nice slip fit tube as well as strips in brass and aluminum.

http://www.albionhobbies.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/AA-Precision-Metals-2014-4pp.pdf

Sam

[Yorky1]

Hello! An old thread I know, but I just registered here and this is exactly what I need to know too.

I checked the sites advised in this thread but I found Special Shapes has gone - its web domain is for sale - and the other suggestions either do not have these sizes or some of the links just do not open for me here in Canada.

A web search shows me that most places sell only 1/4" strip at the smallest, same for my local hobby store, yet I need both 3mm wide and 2mm wide at about 0.39mm thick. That's what the AL kit (Bluenose II) had originally and I was able to use the spare lengths of those pieces up to now, but now I have run out.

 

These seem to be about the same as the 3/32x1/64 that the original poster needed.

I did find these two sizes at a hobby site, by K & S but they say "out of stock" for both sizes. Strangely, I could not find these sizes on K &S's web site.

 

So where can I get these small sizes today?

Thanks.

[flying_dutchman2]

Check the following sites. It is where I get narrow brass strips. I go to K&S Metal site and check the SKU number of what i need. Than you can either do a Google search with that number and manufacturer. Example: "Flat Bars Brass 2Pcs 1/64 x 3/32, sku 815021"

Or go to the below sites and compare prices. 

 

hobbylinc.com

onlinemetals.com

zoro.com

micromark.com

 

Marcus 

[mtaylor]

Brass has become somewhat hard to find due to the virus and world situation.  Worse case is that you may have to buy stock larger than what you need/want and then cut it down to size.

[Roger Pellett]

Byrnes or similar miniature table saws can be used to rip narrow brass strips.  A problem when ripping thin material occurs when the brass sheet slides under the rip fence.  This can be solved by gluing the brass material to a piece  of craft plywood.  I use Ambroid cement for this.  After sawing, the brass is easily peeled from the plywood.

 

Roger

[Yorky1]

Thanks for your help chaps!  I'll try these ideas and let you know.

[Yorky1]

Right, hobbylinc.com:  has both sizes listed but out of stock; I asked to be emailed when in stock.

 

onlinemetals.com:  only goes down to 1/4" wide and I have no way of cutting strip cleanly. All I can do is to bend a piece of strip back and forth until it breaks there, to get the right length for a part.

zoro.com:  no results on their search for brass flat bar or brass strip (or flat stock).

micromark.com:  they call it flat stock, but all too wide (most of their stock is to thick as well).

 

A sku search for K & S 1/64 x 3/32 gave a business called Gwartzman's.com which has it but their shipping makes it about $20 for a couple of dollars of material. Ouch.  Mind you the scarcity of this stuff (as mtaylor pointed out) suggests that I should just go ahead and order this. No sign of the 1/8" wide being in stock anywhere but at least the 3/32 will be a reasonable close-to-scale size for most bands I want to make.

 

The table saw looks really nice but I can't justify the cost right now.

Thanks again to all of you.

[Yorky1]

Well, I ended up getting K&S brass strip and rods from Great Hobbies.com.

I got 1/64 x 3/32 strips ( a bit thicker than I thought- I wanted similar strip to the AL Bluenose II kit, but it works- just harder to wrap around into bands etc.)

Also got .025" x 1/4 and .032 x 1/4- I made several parts from this, including some parts for the fore boom goose-neck joint.

Also got brass rod - .032" (0.81mm)  and  1mm.

So all those are in stock at Great Hobbies right now.

      I now have finished my refit/upgrade of the AL Bluenose II kit. Made all the extra eye-bolts required and mast bands, jumbo boom articulated joint, fore boom joint and mast mounting bands, boom buffers and many rings. Now this kit is more like a real ship and feels satisfying. Ready for sails!

 

 

 

 

 

[flying_dutchman2]

I purchase most of my K&S strips of brass and copper which are wider than 1/2" or get the 4" wide sheets. They are always in stock somewhere and reasonably priced. 

 

When I just need one or two thin and narrow strip of brass I dont use the tablesaw. Instead I cut it with a #2 Xacto blade. This is what I do.

 

I get a sheet which has the thickness I need for the project. 

Then I measure the width I need and do that several times just to make sure. I use a pencil and draw a line so I know the width. 

I clamp a metal ruler where the edge of the ruler is on the pencil line.

(I clamp everything to the edge of the table). 

I insert a new #2 Xacto blade in the holder, and press on the blade and slowly cut the metal from left to right and right to left. 

This process is slow going but it works and the thin strip does not curl. 

 

Marcus

[Yorky1]

Hi Marcus,

 

Thanks, your experience of this method is the best proof 🙂. If it works for you then this is a good idea for me to try next time.

Cheers.