Good Resource for Brass for Name Plates

[Tracey Bakewell]

It's me again, still on brass topics. Everything in the horse industry is pretty heavy on the brass. So, with my new laser, I have no other supplies like my own metal shear, die punch, die's etc., I need to buy pre-cut standard pieces for things like halter plates, saddle plates, bridle plates, 1" circles. The exact things I need ASAP are:

3 different styles of 3/4" x 4 1/4" Rectangle (Scalloped, Notched, or Beveled)
3 different styles of 1/2" x 3" Rectangle (Scalloped, Notched, or Beveled)

I really want to offer these in Brass, Stainless Steel, Chrome, Silver (or whatever else you guys can recommend). The problem with brass is how it tends to green and oxodize around all the leather and horse sweat.

Any other of you guys already doing this type of work for the horsey folks? Are you making your own out of stock sheets or do you have a supplier?

I've spent the past couple of hours searching this forum and the internet and my eyes can no longer read!

Thanks in advance for all your help!

[Tracey Bakewell]

Oh, and one more thing... what is the paint on coating I would need called so my laser will work on this stuff?

[Leigh Costello]

Tracey,
I used to work in a machine shop office, and every once in awhile, we would shear brass for a customer. Maybe, if you are lucky, there is a machine shop close by that could offer some help if no other hints are offered here.

Good luck with all your horsey people. I love mine, they love my stuff, but I don't do the brass.

[Keith Outten]

Tracey,

Contact IDPlates and ask for their catalog, it is better than their web site.

Identification Plates, Inc.
Specialties: Coated Metals & Anodized Aluminum
1555 High Point Dr.
Mesquite, TX 75149
972-216-1616
www.idplates.com

I would consider annodized aluminum tags for horses as a less expensive alternative and stainless steel tags engraved with Cermark for the high end. Cermark will also work on some types of aluminum.

.

[Tracey Bakewell]

So, I finally got their catalog, and contacted these guys (idplates.com) and they're telling me this...

The only brass we sell that you can laser onto is our colored brass – black, red, green, blue – and the marbleized material. No gold color.

As for the nickel silver, we do not recommend it for lasering.

Does this seem true? Again, I'm still a newbie, so maybe I'm not quite getting what reacts with what. Can I not engrave on just about anything? Can't I just buy their brass plates that are not "laserable" and use ceremark (or something)? Their catalog is loaded with all kinds of stuff I could use, but when I go to their "laserables" section, it's VERY limited and given what she's saying, I can't even buy anything from them -- Can anyone she some light on the material itself?

[Mike Mackenzie]

Tracy,

I think what you need to look for is Leaded Brass. One of my customers use this all the time for Horse stuff it is un coated so the cermark will stick to it. Most if not all of the engraving brass has a coating on it and it is difficult if not impossible to get cermark to stick to it.

Do a google search for leaded brass and then you can contact some of the suppliers to see if they can supply the size of tags you need.

[Tracey Bakewell]

Ah, ok, I did a search on this forum too for leaded brass and found the following threads: they were both very informative on brass and ceremark...

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...t=leaded+brass
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...hlight=cermark

I will just tell the ID Plates person to sell me the Leaded Brass then, and not to worry about the "laserable" part.