Any Reason To Avoid Brass For Bus Bar?

[rp]

I've been using this for 2 decades but it's square, which is annoying, and now I must order it from afar.

http://www.tubesandmore.com/products/S-W140

I got some nice un-tinned brass rod I can use. I know Fender used a brass bar for the pots in the BFs.

Any heads-ups? Tarnish? Galvanic corrosion? Hard to solder to with a normal iron? Good to go?

[Structo]

Here is a chart for metal conductivity.

As you can see it is 9th down on the list of metals.

To me it would seem like a way to introduce a ground loop.

Do you have any access to some large copper wire?

You can use a solid piece of copper 12 gauge wire as a bus.

[rp]

Here is a chart for metal conductivity.
As you can see it is 9th down on the list of metals.
To me it would seem like a way to introduce a ground loop.
Do you have any access to some large copper wire?
You can use a solid piece of copper 12 gauge wire as a bus.

Morning Tom, pretty sure I can find solid copper though from what I've seen ECs wire houses here with stranded. Thought of this option in the past but doesn't exposed copper want to turn green and get nasty? Does it matter?

While I have your ear (fingers?) and to save us a PM: I think it was an old post of yours where you mentioned that zinc plated iron needs to be washed with a mild acid (vinegar?) before painting? Was that you? I got some window bars I had made and zinc plated that I need to paint. Does that tip hold true here? They are about 5 years old, so if it's a gassing out type thing, can I skip the wash?

[Structo]

It may have been me.
I know years ago when they still made rain gutters out of galvanized steel that we would have to wipe them down with strong vinegar to etch the zinc plating for better paint adhesion.

You may have to research it because maybe something new has come along.

Possibly light sanding may do the same thing for you.

[ToneMerc]

I've been using this for 2 decades but it's square, which is annoying, and now I must order it from afar.

http://www.tubesandmore.com/products/S-W140

I got some nice un-tinned brass rod I can use. I know Fender used a brass bar for the pots in the BFs.

Any heads-ups? Tarnish? Galvanic corrosion? Hard to solder to with a normal iron? Good to go?

No worries, brass buss bars have been used forever. Just pre-tin the areas where you are making the connections and carry on.

TM

[eneru]

What do you guys think about silver plated copper wire as a ground buss?
It's the only one suitable that I have around right now and I don't want to make a new order just for a brass one.

[briane]

I often strip and use copper romex. its cheap and good, just put in a vise and pull on the end with pliers and that seems to make it pretty straight.

-b

[Cliff Schecht]

I use tinned copper buss bar. I have a reel of 16 gauge stuff that fits well on/in turrets and eyelets. It's thin enough to be able to work by hand but strong enough to stay in place once set.

Somebody mentioned the resisitivity but to be honest, the gauge of the brass wire shown is thick enough that this won't be an issue. We are working with higher voltage, lower current circuits and so that small of a resistance in the grounding buss won't make a difference.

[brewdude]

Has anyone tried the square buss wire from AES?
Is there an advantage/disadvantage to have a square cross section?

[Andy Le Blanc]

its pretty easy to find 99.99 pure cooper wire in many shapes.
just don't use something thats too big, it gets to be a bother to solder on to.
I use a standard grounding block as the star point, secured to the chassis.
The chassis becomes a shield, I avoid grounding as much of the circuit as I can to the chassis.
use those plastic jacks for inputs, avoid ground loop issues, use the bus

[rp]

Has anyone tried the square buss wire from AES?
Is there an advantage/disadvantage to have a square cross section?

yup, been using it for ptp builds for 20 years but only as it's a nice thickness, and the only tinned cooper bus I've ever found. Otherwise the square is a bit of a pain, not sure why it's square either, maybe some old radio restoration thing. If looks matter you need to true it a bit with two pliers first, and then I roll it with a wooden roller so it straight and lined-up nice - Gives you something to do if you're into the model boat aspect of building amps. You don't get the best wrap around the square bar either, good enough but I wish someone made round tinned copper bus rods. BTW if you are looking for bus bars and have a Blick art supply nearby they have nice rods about 16" in copper, brass and aluminum in various gauges. Small diameter metal tubing too if you are into skin-effect The one I went to sold them by the piece too.

Here's the AES stuff in a 5C1 clone:

[rp]

What do you guys think about silver plated copper wire as a ground buss? It's the only one suitable that I have around right now and I don't want to make a new order just for a brass one.

I once used some hifi 20awg silver plated copper bus wire for ptp hook-up. Went back in after a few years and the silver is all black. Supposedly the oxide is plenty conductive and harmless but I'm not sure how it is for resoldering to. I wasted time scraping the oxide off any connections I had to work with. No more real silver for me. Neutrik had/has? xlrs with silver plated contacts they all turn black too, not sure what to make of it, either the contact end or solder end. Neutrik must know what they're doing, however.

[Structo]

Sorry here is the chart I meant to post.

http://www.tibtech.com/conductivity.php

[eneru]

I once used some hifi 20awg silver plated copper bus wire for ptp hook-up. Went back in after a few years and the silver is all black. Supposedly the oxide is plenty conductive and harmless but I'm not sure how it is for resoldering to. I wasted time scraping the oxide off any connections I had to work with. No more real silver for me. Neutrik had/has? xlrs with silver plated contacts they all turn black too, not sure what to make of it, either the contact end or solder end. Neutrik must know what they're doing, however.

Thanks for sharing, but that's weird, I got that silver plated copper wire years ago and it's still shiny bright!

Maybe it gets black after soldering?

[rp]

I got that silver plated copper wire years ago and it's still shiny bright! Maybe it gets black after soldering?

you sure it's really silver? maybe lacquered? ime silver sure loves to tarnish.