You'll have more luck with brass, by bending it cold. The trick is to anneal the brass, before, and during the bending. This is done by heating the brass to a dull red, and then quenching it in water. Non-ferrous alloys (those without any iron) are just the opposite of Ferrous alloys (those containing iron). Another thing to be aware of is the type of brass you have........300 series brass is the eaisiest to work with. Some of the others will give you fits, no matter how careful you are with them.