print this page
AAA

Publications

Loading

Brass, The Good Stuff

Copper Applications in Metallurgy of Copper & Copper Alloys

June 2000

By Anon

Copper-alloy pulleysCopper-alloy pulleys were recently recovered from the wreck of King Henry VIII's flagship, the Mary Rose, which sank off Portsmouth, England in 1545.

Thinking about putting in a new bathroom?
Debating whether or not to use solid brass fixtures?

Consider this: These copper-alloy pulleys were recently recovered from the wreck of King Henry VIII's flagship, the Mary Rose, which sank off Portsmouth, England in 1545. We don't know the precise metal used to cast the pulleys, but it is likely an alloy of copper and tin, perhaps also containing some zinc and/or lead.

If the surface deposit of concreted mud were removed, they would still be in perfectly usable condition, with very little if any corrosion damage. So, if you're planning to keep your new bathroom for, oh, 450 years or so, use solid brass. It'll last.