i was thinking 'water jet' too, but i think your welding process is potentially just as nice with a lower bar of entry (assuming you have a tig sitting next to

i was thinking 'water jet' too, but i think your welding process is potentially just as nice with a lower bar of entry (assuming you have a tig sitting next to you). you'd have to find a really friendly water jet shop to set up such a small run. if you had a mill, even a little one, you could take aluminum flat and cut channels so that the flats interlock. at that point you could just put down some tacks or even use fasteners. if we want to lower it further, i think your brazing suggestion is good to. brass is easier to braze with a small hand held propane torch than steel i think. also more local hardware stores carry products like stay-brite and appropriate fluxes for copper alloys. is there way to use half thickness so the top tab grabs on two edges and the bottom guys on two others?