Subject: bending spelter, base metal

From: [email-masked]
Date: 3 Nov 1995 23:14:34 GMT

Morning,

I have a base metal? spelter?, pot metal? French clock (statue next to a
column with clock on top) which is BENT (with a beat-up bronze finish).
 The base is bent (dropped on one
foot).  I have been wanting to unbend it but don't want to break it.  
"I HAVE BEEN TOLD" that 
heating the metal to soften it so you can bend it is near impossible.  
Depends on the alloy.  For some alloys, the temperature at which it becomes 
malleable may only be a few degrees below the temperature where the metal 
flows.  Sometimes it goes from solid to flowing at one temperature (no 
temperature where it is malleable.)

If I ever "find time" I may try to heat a chip of it under torque and see 
what I can do.  Anyone out there know more about bending (and soldering)
spelter, base metal, pot metal ...?  Pure Zinc is listed as malleable between 
212 degrees F and somewhere in the low to mid 300s.  I seem to remember that 
the alloy melts in the 400 degree range (or was that 7xx?).

Does anyone have any words of wisdom for me or places to go read ...?

Bob Taggart, [email-masked]

P.S. I've often heard the terms pot metal, base metal and spelter referring 
to the cheap zinc alloy, but, according to the dictionary, pot metal is an 
alloy of copper and lead (no zinc mentioned!).

---

From: [email-masked]
Date: 4 Nov 1995 18:21:47 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] writes:
[...]
>[...]
[...]

 "White Metal Solder Repair and Restoration" by Carl J. Peckinpaugh
in the April 1989 NAWCC Bulletin describes one method of soldering the
stuff. He uses 60/40 flux core solder or SN62; zinc chloride flux; and
a small soldering iron.

                      ...when I sit down to write
Don Holly             my intentions are always blameless however deplorable
                      the ultimate effect of the act may turn out to be.
                                           --Joseph Conrad