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BRASS 101
Yellow brass: the gold-yellow workhorse.
Of all the brasses a seller is likely to hold, yellow brass is the most common one: the gold-yellow fittings, valves, and hardware from plumbing, machinery, and tear-outs. Here's what it is, where it hides, and what counts as the clean stuff.
THE ALLOY
Copper plus zinc, in the gold zone
Brass is copper mixed with zinc. Yellow brass is the zinc-heavy end of the family — roughly two-thirds copper and one-third zinc, the same neighborhood as alloys stamped C360 (free-cutting brass) and C330 (low-leaded brass tube). The more zinc in the mix, the yellower the metal.
That's also the difference between yellow and red brass: yellow brass trades some copper for zinc, which pushes the color toward gold and keeps it easy to machine and cast. Buyers sort the two apart, so knowing which one you're holding matters.
THE LOOK
Bright gold-yellow — and what tarnish does to it
Fresh yellow brass is unmistakable: bright, warm, gold-yellow, like a dull gold coin. Leave it in a damp basement or an outdoor pile and it dulls to brown, and long exposure can grow a green crust — that's tarnish and corrosion sitting on top of the metal, not the metal itself.
The fast check is a file scratch: a couple of strokes of a file on a hidden edge cuts through the tarnish and shows the true gold color underneath. If the scratch shines gold-yellow, it's brass all the way through; if you break through to gray, you're looking at plating over steel.
THE SOURCES
Where sellers find yellow brass
Plumbing is the mother lode: valves, elbows, tees, unions, nipples, hose bibs, and faucet bodies from remodels and tear-outs. Past that, look to machine shops (turned fittings and C360 bar ends), door hardware and locks, and old lamp and fixture bodies.
One thing to watch: die-cast zinc — sometimes called pot metal — shows up in the same bins as brass hardware and looks gold-ish from a distance. It's lighter, duller, and breaks with a grainy fracture. Real brass is dense and rings when you tap it. How to tell brass from bronze walks through the field tests.
THE TEST
What counts as clean yellow brass
Clean yellow brass is solid brass, free of attachments: steel handles pulled, plastic and rubber seats dug out, iron pipe nipples removed, and not mixed with red brass or bronze. Turnings and chips with cutting oil still on them are a separate item — tell us what you've got and we'll sort it out.
Keep your brass sorted by type as you pull it and you protect what the load brings. How brass and bronze get graded lays out the four levers in plain language.
RELATED
Keep reading the brass & bronze dictionary.
Brass & Bronze Dictionary — the full hub of alloy-by-alloy guides. Red Brass — the copper-heavy cousin. Brass & Bronze Alloy Numbers — what C360, C260, and the rest mean. Brass Plumbing Fittings — where sellers find brass.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Yellow brass questions, answered.
Is yellow brass the same as red brass?
No. Yellow brass holds more zinc, which makes it gold-yellow; red brass holds more copper (roughly four-fifths), which makes it redder. They are bought separately, so keep them in separate piles.
How can I tell yellow brass from bronze?
Color first: brass is gold-yellow, bronze is reddish-brown. A magnet check backs it up — neither one sticks, so if your piece grabs a magnet it's steel or plated. Full walkthrough: https://ironcrestindustrialsurplus.com/brass-vs-bronze
What does tarnished yellow brass look like?
Dull brown, sometimes with a green crust. Hit a hidden edge with a file: if the scratch shines gold-yellow, the metal underneath is still brass.
Do you buy yellow brass turnings and chips?
Yes — machine-shop turnings are a real item. Chips soaked in cutting oil are handled separately from clean solids, so tell us what you've got: 312-880-8174.
Who buys yellow brass in Chicago?
We do — Ironcrest buys yellow brass across Chicago with same-day pickup and paid within 24–48 hours: https://ironcrestindustrialsurplus.com/sell-copper
Text a photo of your brass or bronze to Sonny at 312-880-8174 — or call 312-880-8174 for today's number.
TODAY'S NUMBER
Call for today's number.
Prices move with the market daily. Text a photo of your brass or bronze and get today's number — quoted against the market, honored at pickup. Same-day pickup in Chicago — and I'll travel nationwide for the right load.
HOW SELLING WORKS
Three steps to an offer.
Material review
We review what the material is, its condition and quantity, and whether it fits a direct purchase.
Receive an offer
For qualifying material, we discuss a direct purchase offer and the next steps.