Brass pots?

Brass pot

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I found this kid that lives up in Maine that makes brass bonsai pot. My question is brads pots ok? I no experience with them not to mention they are heavy.

Let me know the pros and cons.

Thanks
 

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0soyoung

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Are you sure they are brass and not bronze?

Bronze resists ocean salt spray whereas brass gets pitted. I think durability would be similar with bonsai because of fertilizer salts. So, check with the kid or try it out before you buy more than one. Certainly, if you wire your tree into the pot with copper wire, there won't be any intermetallic reaction worries.

IIRC @Stickroot makes metal pots, if you're into that (as opposed to ceramic ones).
 

M. Frary

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All I know about brass is that monkeys made of brass have cold genitalia.
And some witches have bras made front brass.
 

rockm

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If you're planning on keeping this pot outside, or watering your tree in it inside--I'd think about it very hard.

http://homepages.uc.edu/~maynarjb/Frontpage sites/603/GeochemWater/Brass_corrosion.html

Metal pots ain't the greatest for any kind of plant, regardless of the metal. Metal under constant exposure to water corrodes, period.

High fired ceramic does not. It is basically reconstituted stone...impervious to water.
 
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True thata why. Come to you guys first and YES it is solid brass. The pot pictures above is about 4' wide and 6' long and approximately 5 pounds.

What I initially wanted was to give this kid my own dimensions for my lade pot " like it' not heavy enough" lol bUT truthfully I think it would be sick but like you said all metals corrode and if you think about it same so clay I would imagine ove years time.

So I'm going with a nay?
The kid is semi new to bonsai I think and lives in the sticks deep in Maine dk maybe I'll send him on ova to this page.
 

Tidal Bonsai

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I found this kid that lives up in Maine that makes brass bonsai pot. My question is brads pots ok? I no experience with them not to mention they are heavy.

Let me know the pros and cons.

Thanks

That might be cool in an office, or as a decorative piece...but I wouldn't put a tree in it!
 

sparklemotion

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Brass is usually an alloy of copper and zinc (bronze is usually copper and tin).

It is my understanding that copper is not great for plant roots. This kalanchoe thyrsiflora (paddle plant) has been growing in a copper pot that I made for about a year.

IMG_20171127_203810.jpg

It's not the healthiest paddle plant that I have, and maybe that's because of the copper, but it is also in shitty soil and lives in a north facing window sill.

I like working with copper, and have plans to make more copper pots in the future, but my plans include figuring out how to seal the copper so that it won't leach into the soil or roots.
 

sorce

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but it is also in shitty soil and lives in a north facing window sill

60006905.jpg

Walmart sells (or used to) a Spectracide Prune seal, and gutter seal.
Gutters can be copper.
Copper can be pots.....

I used it to seal a box and my Terra cotta fountain.

If you use tape, it can leave nice clean lines.

But the nozzle gums up fast, so have a lot ready to be sprayed, or be prepared to remove the nozzle and soak it.

Sorce
 

Anthony

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You can of course use gold.

Folding the metal and it can be kept thin.
Hmm interesting idea, with a sanded finish.
Might be fun.
Good Day
Anthony

* Of course a coat on the inside of the Bronze
would also work.
But I would prefer a finish that is other than shiny.
 

Potawatomi13

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Are not some antique oriental pots Cast Iron or other metal? Seems copper gets nice "patina" others perhaps as well. Even if some corrosion would still last many years;).
 

Nwaite

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F
 
Last edited:

Nwaite

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@sorce
Thanks for the like on that one....
I do try hard to wright intelligent and meaningful post, it's nice to see some really do appreciate it...

I would think you would be fine planting something you will repot ones a year so it can get fresh soil and what not, but I wouldn't put something in there that will be potted in it for years at a time.

Or find a tree that injoys living in soil that has what ever that pot will be be putting in to the soil.
 

jeanluc83

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I would try it if the price is right. If you are concerned with roots being in contact with that much copper paint the inside of the pot. It will provide a barrier between the pot and the roots. Grow a test tree in it for a couple of years to see how it does.

Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin. For our purposes they are about the same. Brass will corrode more readily than bronze. The pots shown will corrode but they will be sound for longer than any of us are going to be around. The corrosion will part of the character. A clear coat could be applied but it would need to be refreshed every couple of years.

It looks like the guy who is making these is using ceramic pots as patterns for sand casting brass pots. Look up sand casting and you will see how it's done. In college I did some sand casting in aluminum. It was really interesting.

The castings actually look to be pretty good quality. There doesn't appear to be any voids or pits from the casting process. The walls could be about half the thickness though. This is what makes me think he is using regular ceramic pots as patterns.

So like I said, if you like them and the price is right go for it.
 
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