A most unusual metal

[Martin KyteParticipant @martinkyte99762]

As I said, Zinc.

Martin

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

I read the first page and was going to say 'surely it's just zinc'… but I won't bother now.

Neil

[Martin KyteParticipant @martinkyte99762]

"Could I just say it's zinc?".

. . . . . . "No sorry there isn't time"

(on loan from Monty Python)

[Ian PParticipant @ianp]

I never thought in might be plain Zinc. Not that I know much about Zinc other than its used in galvanising but I thought it was very soft whereas this is hard and brittle (it is a cast part though).

Oddly in some previous replies Zinc is not perceived as being easily solderable.

Again odd is the fact that it is plated, as its is easily soldered and never ever going to be seen, why bother to plate it.

Ian P

[Martin KyteParticipant @martinkyte99762]

Have a look at this data sheet

**LINK**

It's plated to look nice and shiny. Zinc is used for sacrificial anodes on canal craft and is similar to aluminium regarding softness, gets quite malleable if heated to 200 deg C and solders easily as you discovered.

regards Martin

[Ian PParticipant @ianp]

Posted by Martin Kyte on 18/09/2017 16:19:24:

Have a look at this data sheet

**LINK**

It's plated to look nice and shiny. Zinc is used for sacrificial anodes on canal craft and is similar to aluminium regarding softness, gets quite malleable if heated to 200 deg C and solders easily as you discovered.

regards Martin

Well I never!

I've been involved with electronics for too long and yet never been aware that straight Zinc was used for mechanical parts like these. This one is obviously Zinc so wood and trees come to mind.

Thanks

IanP

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

We used to have a zinc can opener, much bulkier than a pressed steel one.

I think it's in one of my scrap boxes… hmm I may have a use for it…

[vintagengineerParticipant @vintagengineer]

This might be the same crap that SU carburettors are made of. I tried TIG welding one and got large quantities of blue smoke, a sign of zinc.

Vintage car ali castings are full of zinc due to it being cheaper than ali and you can add it to molten ali to bulk it out

Posted by Phil Whitley on 17/09/2017 13:00:43:

Probably Zamac, or some such zinc/aluminium alloy used for die casting, commonly known as "monkey metal", because of its fondness for falling to pieces after a couple of years, or when stressed beyond its very limited limits! Its great advantage is that it is ridiculously CHEAP!

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Martin Kyte on 18/09/2017 16:19:24:

Have a look at this data sheet

**LINK**

.

Martin,

I bow to your wisdom, but I remain absolutely astonished that die-cast Zinc [whether pure, or an alloy] can provide sufficient structural integrity for the shell in question:

[quote] The casting is what I would call finely detailed, its mostly about 0.30mm thick yet where the two edges of the clamshell meet there is a male/female stepped joint. [/quote]

MichaelG.

.

P.S. … This is the best statement I can find on the matter of wall-thickness:

Wall Thickness

Zinc alloys have excellent casting properties, which means that thin walled cross-sections are possible. Zinc diecastings are often cast to a thickness of 1mm, with thinner sections possible depending on the flow of material to that area. Thin walled casting has a superior strength to weight ratio, thus strong and light zinc diecastings can be designed using the minimum of metal. This also improves the production rate and lowers cost.

**LINK** http://www.pmsdiecasting.co.uk/technical/for-designers/

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

but I remain absolutely astonished that die-cast Zinc [whether pure, or an alloy] can provide sufficient structural integrity for the shell in question:

Gosh this is going on and on. When corgi and dinky and matchbox cars started being made out of plastic all the muck metal had to be used for something

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Fair comment, Bazyle

… But 0.3mm wall thickness is very impressive.

MichaelG.

[Martin KyteParticipant @martinkyte99762]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 18/09/2017 17:15:52:

We used to have a zinc can opener, much bulkier than a pressed steel one.

I think it's in one of my scrap boxes… hmm I may have a use for it…

I've got a tin can opener !

The other interesting thing about zinc is it screams when you bend it cold.

regards Martin

[Russell EberhardtParticipant @russelleberhardt48058]

Posted by Martin Kyte on 19/09/2017 09:13:59:

The other interesting thing about zinc is it screams when you bend it cold.

So do I

Russell

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