Posted by Art on February 02, 2001 at 14:27:58:
I have a couple of new questions for all of the amateur metallurgists out there in tuba land: First, how does the ease with which tubing can be bent and shaped depend on the zinc-to-copper ratio of the brass? Is pure copper easier or more difficult to bend?
Second: I just read an article in Science News, vol. 157 (last April) about the new Sacagawea "golden" dollars. They are made of a brass alloy that is 77 percent copper, 12 percent zinc, 7 percent manganese, and 4 percent nickel. The manganese is there to reduce the electrical conductivity to make the coins match the susan B Anthonys for the convenience of vending machines. (We don't need that.) But the Nickel is added for tarnish resistance. How about a nickel-brass alloy for tubas that would make plating and laquering unnecessary? Would that make the metal harder to work with or more brittle?
I know that the purists among us would worry about vibrational characteristics, but I'm talking about inexpensive student models for the masses. (In my opinion, bell vibration is something to be avoided, not cultivated. I don't want to get into that discussion again!)