Hi all:

I'm a newcomer and would like some advice about tools and methods for working with brass rod and sheets to create scale models from four feet down to six inches. My first model will be a simple boat of about 10" length build with a 1/8" brass rod skeletal frame. I would like the finished boat to be highly polished and would really like to avoid silver joints. Does that mean brazing is my only option? Does anyone have experience with "yellow" solder? If I go the brazing route, will a mini or jeweler's torch do the job? How localized will the brazing spot be? Can I braze a part within an inch of a previously brazed part? What about silver solder, can that be applied without a big sliver spot on the joint? Is silver solder applied with a soldering iron exclusively, or can it also be applied with a torch? I really don't want to file away all the excess solder on every joint. Some of my models will have a large number of seams. Some will have intricate detail in brass, such as a ship's wheel down to about 1/4". I'm thinking that I might have to employ several different methods of joining the brass. All tips and recommendations are welcomed and appreciated.

This is a commissioned sculpture. The client wanted a abstract sculpture of a swimmer so this is what my wife and I came up with. This was my first abstract piece and I am not sure if I like it or not. The client was very happy with it, so I guess that is all that matters. Let me know what you guys think and don't hold back because I can take constructive criticism, that's how we learn.