How To Weld Pot Metal Like An Expert !

Anyone that keeps antiques might need to visit a metal pot welder. You can't underestimate the versatility of pot metal materials because of their strength. Like cast iron, welding pot metal is a difficult process that requires skills. Examples of pot items include some automotive parts like window crank handles. Other materials include cheap ornaments, trinkets, and household cookie cutters. However, our article focuses on pot metal welding guides from experts.

What And How To Weld Pot Metal

Pot metal is an inferior metal with alloys of quality. Usually, the mixture includes aluminum, lead, tin, and copper. Other alloys of pot metal are iron, zinc, magnesium, and cadmium. When you hear people refer to metals as white or die-cast zinc, they are using another name for pot metals. 

Since die-cast metals are combinations of alloys, experts also call them monkey metals. When automotive mechanics try to form pot metals, they melt pieces of scrap metals inside a chamber (pot). Usually, these cheap scrap metals are blends of impurities and alloys.

What Are The Qualities Of Pot Metal Alloys?

• They have low melting points and high volatility.

• They are inexpensive materials for cast products. During the old foundry processes of rapid casting, manufacturers use iron and other alloys to create cast items. However, they were mindful of the mixture's concentration because iron increased the melting points of these alloys.

• They are prone to weather effects like oxidation, corrosion, wear and tear.

• They may be durable, but show signs of bends, and crack over time.

• Their weak material strength comes from the manufacturing process of adding bubbles.

• Their surface areas don't retain paints for a long time.

Is It Easy To Weld Pot Metals?

Oh, the welding of pot metals is often a tricky process because you might not know the concentration of its alloys. When they contain high concentrations of aluminum, the welding will be very tough. The problem with pot metal welding is their mixed-metal nature. It might be dangerous to weld pot metals with high concentrations of Zinc.

Usually, Zinc discharges toxic fumes and nobody wants to fall ill. Also, the overheating could transform your metal into a useless lump of metal fluid.

TIG welding is a better alternative to fusing pot metal parts. However, white metal's soft nature is still a problem. So, apply tact when welding and be careful too.

According to our expert welders, operators need prior practice and knowledge of mixed-metals before they can weld monkey metals. For example, the melting point (limit) of Zinc is 419 Celsius. 

The chance of ruining your welding job is high if operators are not observant, and the arc's heat exceeds this limit. However, operators can control the risk of overheating when they allow the pot metal piece to cool down.

More Reading: How To Fix An Exhaust Leak Without Welding

The Process Of Welding Pot Metals Like A Pro

• Set your welding machine to a low temperature. An amperage of about 80 amps is ideal for this base metal. Before you weld, it might be necessary to clean and grind the cervices of pot metal parts. Be careful when penetrating the weld area, and remember that pot metals need strong joints.

• Select the right filler rods (electrodes). Don't forget that high-quality rods for pot metal restoration projects prevent a bad weld. A suitable rod should have between 400 to 500º F melting point.

• You can get a pot metal restoration kit from local shops. If you use TIG welding techniques, the non-corrosive flux can guide the recommended. Also, the rod and flux protect base metals from having bad welds. TIG welds for pot metal can use the Zinc aluminum brazing rods too.

• Since pot metals lack high tensile strength, heat and thermal stress could ruin your weld. After welding any section of pot metals that contain aluminum, wait for about 10 seconds and let it cool.

Benefits Of Pot Metal Materials And Welding Process

• Materials with mixed-alloys have lightweight and are portable.

• You can weld a range of items with mixed-alloys like clocks, jukeboxes, and antique statues.

• Pot metals have high volatility; they oxides faster, and requires low heat levels to weld finely.

• With pot metal welding, it's easy to transform items into molds. It's one of the best options for conserving scrap metals too.

• The process of welding pot metals can be done without complex tools. 

Final Note

It takes time to weld die-cast zinc metals. However, TIG welding machines are very effective for welding this type of alloy metal. Welding like a pro is not an easy task. Since this technique uses the electric arc to produce heat, it's better to practice before any welding project. However, we are confident that our guide can help you weld pot metals satisfactorily. Don't forget to read more of our articles on this niche.