Pot metal is a low-quality metal alloy with a low melting point, often made up of zinc, lead, copper, and tin. It is easy to smelt but unpredictable in quality and prone to deformity. It can be hazardous to human health and difficult to repair or plate. Some people use it for foundry play or experimentation. It is also known as “monkey metal” or “cast zinc.”
Pot metal is a slang term used to refer to cheap metal alloys with a low melting point. The low melting point makes this metal very easy to smelt, but the generally low quality can cause problems during smelting and later. There is no formal definition of pot metal, so it can be difficult to determine its content. Some common metals included in such alloys include zinc, lead, copper, and tin, among others.
The mixed content of metal cookware makes it highly unpredictable, which can be a problem for people who are trying to craft specific items. It has a tendency to become very soft and porous, and is prone to deformity over time. It also tends to break or bend easily, making it unsuitable for many tasks, and since some of the commonly included metals are toxic, this type of metal can also be hazardous to human health.
Quick and easy melting is the main advantage of the metal pot. No sophisticated foundry tools are required, as relatively low temperatures are required to turn it into a pourable liquid, and no specialized molds and dies are required either. Some people like to use pot for foundry play, experimenting with molds and ideas before using higher quality metals, and this metal can be useful in the production of some items.
This metal can be difficult to plate, due to its often unknown properties. Many people attempt to plate the metal to protect it or hide its origins; tends to be a dull gray color when left unplated. Items made from this type of metal are also difficult to repair, as they tend to require little soldering, soldering, or gluing – techniques typically used to fix other broken metal items.
Some people refer to the pot metal derogatorily as “monkey metal,” and it’s also sometimes referred to as “cast zinc” or “white metal,” among other names. Ingots for smelting and casting are available from many metallurgical firms, and some people make their own metal pot, by breaking down various scrap metal objects lying around the shop and melting them down into an alloy. Smelters may also sell scrap to people looking for a cheap source of metal, although such scrap sometimes contains an assortment of impurities that could prove problematic later on.
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