[Closed] A couple more Mikansue leaflets

Is white metal still a mixture of lead and tin?

Many thanks, Albert. Over the years, I've built a few Mikansue kits, but I know very little about the company. Your pictures are the only publications from Mikansue that I've ever seen. I really thank you!

(later) I just looked up Mikansue on Hobby db, and found one of my photographs on their site! So my Mikansue Bantam roadster by Mikansue is recognized!

White metal could be many different alloys. The only reference I found was...

... Strutt and Wright (2011) again for model cars. An alloy mixture of tin and lead, but some companies use pewter. Car bodies could use a different alloy than the small parts! (Modern pewter is lead-free and is made from tin, plus copper, antimony, and bismuth).

And I have recorded them on hobbyDB for reference! Great stuff!

I have most of the old Modellers World magazines published by Mike and Sue Richardson.

Only missing some of the issues from the first three years. Each issue listed what was new in their ranges.

White Metal?

Hi Guys
My two cents on white metal. In Southern Cal the one business that sells/makes spin casting supplies is Conquest Enterprises. I think on their website you will find various types and composition of casting metals. I had 50lbs of white metal bars that has been laying around for many years. The casting guy I know who sometimes makes parts for me would not buy it since it had lead in it. May be against the law to have lead in things. To use my 50lbs of white metal a wooden spin casting machine showed up in my backyard. Composed of an old work bench, a squeegee sharpener speed control, a wooden turntable, etc and a pot to melt the metal. Works surprisingly well for someone who does not quite know what he is doing. I think the reason people used lead in white metal was that it made the metal flow better. My wife is concerned I my burn the house down, when the casting machine is fired up.
JD

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John - you are the expert! Nice setup! Lead is also used because it is ...

"highly malleable as well as easy to smelt".

I have a hard time understanding how the molten white metal remains hot enough long enough to flow out the the far edges of the mold and fill the very small parts. Seems as soon as it is poured into the center it would begin to cool and clog up the mold. How hot do you have to get it and what is your heat source? And, no I am not planning to go into this business.

John, I am really impressed! If you're not an expert, you're at least the guy with one eye in a room full of the blind. Good photographer too!

Answer Maybe?

HI
Sorry if I beat this to death, but a little background. Many many years ago when Lloyd A (after PM) had his own shop, I would go down on Sat for lunch and he would set up the spin caster and I would spin some parts. The main thing he would adjust everything and I would just pour the metal. The main thing was not to hurt or burn yourself. There were three main things he adjusted the metal temp, the clamping pressure and the RPMs of the table. Flash forward almost 40 years and that is my total knowledge/background of spin casting. To answer your questions maybe. First the molds should be preheated in an oven and in my case a paint booth with a heat lamp. Temp of mold no idea, hot to hold. Heat the metal in a melting pot the bullet guys use. Temp in my case 580/600 F degrees. Got this number from the u-tube bullet guys seems to work. Rotational speed 400/500 RPMs,this works and does not shake the table apart. Pressure is just by feel turning the knobs on the holddown bolts. If flashing happens add some shims on the mold, maybe reduce the RPMs. Probably more important than all this baloney is that someone has made a really good mold, with the proper sprues, gates, air vents, etc. This requires some talent that I do not have, just have the casting guy make the molds and spin a few parts in the backyard when he is too busy.
JD
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Temp Controller and Melting Pot
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Speed Control Box, Temp controller and $65 Melting Pot

Great stuff - thanks for the details! Half art/half science?