How to tell if metal is brass

[AlanG]

Does anyone know if there is a way to see if something is brass? I have a load of old metal ballcock arms in my loft. they don't 'look' aluminium so wondered if they were brass.

[Guest]

Scratch down to surface in an a small area Alan. Brass will show through. Bronze is a darker & more gold looking.

To prove not ferrous a magnet a magnet will establish one way or the other.

Laurie

Gleaned from the net
Determining if a product is made of brass is pretty straightforward. Brass items usually are yellow, so if the metal doesn't contain a tint of white-yellow or dull-yellow, you can generally rule them out. You can also look for signs of wear and tear. Real brass will stain, and fake brass will rust.

[Tim Marlow]

Laurie has nailed this....
It’s no good though, I’ve got to ask.....
Why do you have a load of old ballcock arms in your loft Alan? Just seems a bit random!

[AlanG]

The person that we bought the house from used to have a farm. I presume they are from the animal drinkers

[Tim Marlow]

You’ll have to excuse this city bloke Alan. Makes sense.....possibly worth weighing them in as scrap then.

[AlanG]

possibly worth weighing them in as scrap then.

That was my thinking. Even if it's only a couple of quid. It'll get a pot of paint lol

[Tim Marlow]

You’ll get more than that if they’re bronze.....probably just brass though .