Need brass hardware?

ClareBroommaker's picture

We have a couple of brass bells on brass mounts that we want to put up on our front and back porches. Do I need to find brass hardware for that? Part of the screw. pin, nail, or hook might go into mortar and part might go into brick, if that makes any difference.

Blueberry's picture

I would use brass screws and plastic shields to make a nice install. One could use tap cons but they are blue or silver in color not my first choice. You will need a carbide tip bit to drill the holes same bit will work for both mortar or brick good luck.

ClareBroommaker's picture

By plastic shields, do you mean those little conical caps or little expanding gizmos that you pop into the drilled hole before you put in the screw?

I had to look up tapcons. I've seen them, but didn't know what they are called.

I think we probably still have a drill bit that will work. This will be the third time this summer my husband has drilled into the brick or mortar. Once to re-hang our mailbox and once to hang a funny ceramic face I wanted to greet our visitors.

David Trammel's picture

The advantage of brass is it will not rust. Steel screws eventually rust and rusty steel expands in concrete and will loosen. If you can't get brass to size, pick stainless steel. Don't go to a big box store but to a local hardware store, they should have a better selection and their sales people usually are old guys with plenty of experience.

ClareBroommaker's picture

One of the pieces is already "rusted". It has some verdigris (copper oxidation), but it is only on a decorative portion. With the screws or whatever hardware we use, I do not want it to get weak. I was thinking mixing metals would speed up electrolytic corrosion. On the other hand I though maybe the mortar might also speed up corrosion even of the brass.

Our wonderful independent neighborhood hardware store that would sell a single screw or nut or whatever and that had old parts for old houses closed a few years ago. :-( But we found a small a chain store operated by an old man who keeps stashes of bits and pieces for old houses like ours. Then he charges us something like 11 cents for a cure to our leaky faucet which was new sometime around when I was born! I'll just take the bells there and see if he can help us with some brass bits. In one spot I have threads that need to be matched; that will be the most difficult part.

Hope I can get my mate to photograph the bells once we get them up. They are loud enough to wake the dead, or to call the workers in from the "north 40". Mate doesn't hear so well, so he needs it!

Blueberry's picture

Using stainless with brass is not a problem. If you shine up the bell you can get a rattle can of clear enamel to cover and protect for many years. To polish the brass start with 0000 steel wool and some kind of oil, not veggie ( DO NOT USE A PLASTIC SCRUB PAD) then finish with Mothers Mag.