i have this chunk of brass, an i need to shape it into something, is this possible? i just wanna shape it?

Question

to be specific its a brass tattoo machine frame, the machine is too heavy for me an i wanna shape it some to make it lighter. is this any way possible? something to grind the edges or any help would be great

Answer 1

Brass is a very soft metal and pretty easy to manipulate.

You can wack it with a hammer, bend it by hand (if you're strong enough) and twist it that way. As to cutting off or shaping it this is easy enough to do. Almost any hardware store sells metal cutting blades that you can attach to the end of a standard drill chuck. Or you can cut the brass frame using a hacksaw (they're pretty cheap to buy) and a metal-cutting hacksaw blade (this requires a little more sweat on your part than a drill). But a hand-held battery operated drill (called a screw gun) is easy to handle and will do the job for you quickly.

They sell metal grinding tools (actually just a type of drill) that are designed for just what you are wanting to do. Most hardware stores sell them or, if you're not wanting to spend alot of money, you can pick these up at pawnshops and sometimes yard sales. These grinders work just like a normal drill with the grinding wheel attachment. Either one will do the same job.

As to smoothing out the rough edges most hardware stores sell sandpaper that is designed for soft metal. Just make sure the sandpaper you buy is for metal and not wood.

Torches will help soften the metal to bend and shape easier (and also cut) but it's not likely you have any hanging around or know how to use them. And torches can be dangerous to work with for beginners. Most sculptures who work in metal use them though. I've used both arch and propane torches to do what you want to do.