Can You Solder Brass To Copper? (The Answer Might Surprise You!)

Soldering brass to copper is not a difficult task at all. You just need basic skills in soldering to accomplish this type of work. You can indeed make mistakes as a beginner. But you will be perfect in this process after a certain period.

In this article, I will inform you on can you solder brass to copper? Besides, you will be able to know what tools and parts you need to perform your soldering.

You will also get to know how you can apply the necessary tools while soldering and what action will be effective for your project.

So let’s start our journey.

Soldering Brass: What do you need to know?

Does soldering work on brass?

If I want to answer this question in a sentence, then I must say yes, you can. It is even possible to solder copper and brass together.

Here we will explain how you can join brass and copper metals together. Besides, you will get a clear idea of using the particular metal based on your project.

Let’s explore something new.

How do you solder brass?

Soldering brass is a regular task for a solder worker. It can be done without facing any problems, even for someone new in this field.

First of all, you have to clean the surface which you need to join. Brass gets hot very slowly. So you must work with patience.

After cleaning, heat the brass metal until the flux starts emitting smoke. Now, set the solder on the brass and apply it.

What are the primary uses of soldering brass?

Brass is a very ordinary metal. But this metal has a great variety. A user can solder brass for multiple purposes.

Pipes and fittings are the most common things in this process. It is simple to join and easy to use. Rather, for this reason, brass-made pipes and fittings are considered one of the most common types of brass solder.

The use of brass isn’t so little in the jewelry. Brass is used in jewelry known as cartridge brass. So brass solder is highly used in jewelry.

Besides these uses, brass solder is also comfortable for decoration, automotive, and tubes.

Soldering Copper: What do you need to know?

Can you solder copper?

Copper solder is not a very difficult task. A novice worker can even do this task without facing vital problems.

To do solder copper, you just need a neat and clean surface. Cut your copper metals in a perfect size. And never forget to make the metal clean before starting soldering.

Turn on your soldering iron and heat up. After heating up, apply solder to your copper metals. It is done. Now just let it be cool.

Never forget to remove the remaining flux from the work surface. It will help you to avoid unexpected situations.

What are the primary uses of soldering copper?

Copper is another regular metal that is used for a wide variety of purposes. Copper pipe is a common metal. Hence, soldering copper pipes is the most effortless task. 

You can’t neglect the importance of copper wire. It is a metal that is highly used in electrical works. And for your electrical work, you need to solder copper wires.

Besides, the copper metals include copper plate, tube, bar. These things are useful for different tools in our daily uses. So a user needs to solder these metals once in a while.

What are the key differences between soldering copper and brass?

Though these two metals are most common in our regular uses, there are some noticeable differences between them while doing solder.

Firstly, copper and brass require different temperatures for soldering. We know that to solder perfectly, heat is a detectable matter. Brass solder requires more heat to do soldering perfectly. On the contrary, copper solder requires less heat than brass.

Secondly, copper is a metal that is considered a base metal or pure metal. On the other hand, brass is an alloy metal. Brass mainly consists of zinc and copper. So using flux and heat must be dissimilar while soldering these metals.

Thirdly, the melting point of copper and brass is contrasting. So while soldering with copper and brass, you must keep in mind this fact.

However, copper and brass are two distinct metals. They are different from each other. So keep in mind what your project is. And what metal is suitable for your project.

Can you solder brass and copper together?

We already mentioned above that brass is alloy metal. This metal is usually constructed from copper and zinc. So brass is competent with copper. There are many plumbing fittings made of copper and brass which can be joined together.

There are some vital tools and parts you need to complete any project. The tools include Flux, solder, spanner, blow torch, and personal safety equipment.

• To use these two metals in collusion, the following steps will be helpful for you. Prepare your metals.
• Make them clean.
• Now, apply flux to the metals you desired to solder.
• Heat the fitting for a particular time.
• Set the solder to your metals and start soldering.
• The solder will melt instantly and go along the metal being soldered.

Which metal is better for soldering: copper or brass?

We mentioned that copper is pure metal. When your project requires a pure metal, copper is suitable for you.

For example, you need to work with an electrical circuit. In this position, which one is better for you, copper or brass? The copper wire will be the best choice for electrical work. Because most of the electrical wire comes up from base copper.

On the other hand, brass is a metal compound with two or three metals. So if your project requires an alloy metal, then brass is suitable to use. In jewelry, brass-made metals are highly used.

So it should be clear to you now that soldering with brass or copper depends on your projects and needs.

Related: Practicing soldering: Step by step process

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Verdict

Soldering is an art and you are an artist. In this task, you must concentrate. At the same time, the matter of metal choice can’t be ignored. You have to select the perfect metal that is suitable for your project.

I hope that you now have a clear concept on how to join copper to brass. Make sure that you regularly work with appropriate metal and keep yourself safe when you’re handling it.

Good luck!