and he replies - Sorry Larry but you are all wet. The contamination began 30 years before the Korean War and is well documented as IRON not lead as you state. Lead was not used in the casting process as the temperature is too high. Zamak is composed of zinc, aluminum, magnesium & copper. You may be correct that some lead may find its way in a cheap Zamak casting, but for the most part, iron free castings was essential to the War effort which continued long after.
And for your further information, copper was more available than steel during the Korean War era and many diesel locomotives were clad in thin steel and plywood because of the shortage. My father was a junk dealer during that period and 'tin' as scrapped cars were known brought a higher price than copper. We did this subject a couple years ago and while the original Zamak is a metal compound it is subject to several contaminates that produce little to dramatic effects, the most prevalent is iron and the effects are swelling and eventual crumbling. Lead would have little more effect than making the casting soft. If you're indicating that Bowser's loco castings had this problem, I do not know of a single instance where a Bowser locomotive had a migration problem and I have several in as good a shape as when they were cast. Raleigh in nippy Maine See my videos at http://www.emporiumpictures.com/ email me for new releases: Emporium Pictures <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> At 04:53 PM 12/19/2006, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: >The cause of Zamak turning to dust is "LEAD" not Iron or steel. Zamak >requires a little copper. During the Korean war copper was not >available. So they went to the junk yards and got the old car >radiators and tossed them into the mix. Problem! Old radiators had >solider on them = lead and bingo zamak dust after a while. Bowser >trims his die cast parts in his own shop. He also casts lead. The >scrape dealers would not buy his Zamak scrap because of the lead in >his shop. They were afraid lead may have got mixed into it. >Thank you >Larry Jackman >Boca Raton FLsolider >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > >On Dec 19, 2006, at 4:34 PM, Rollain Mercier wrote: > >>and he notes - >> >>Zamak (aka 'diecast') was first used in the automobile trade back in >>the 20s to replace cast brass and bronze fittings such as door >>handles and hood decorations. Contamination wasn't a problem as cars >>(as a rule) didn't last 20 years anyway. Most Zamak items made before >>WWII production were subject to iron contamination from the casting >>ladles and steel molds and Lionel and Gilbert used the same process >>for their die cast line with pretty much the same idea in mind. - >>Little Leroy would destroy the toy a generation before it crumbled. >> >>The process was refined by General Motors during the War for defense >>contracts and all but eliminated the problem. But who knows what the >>Koreans used when these gearboxes were made and better yet are the >>newer units made in China for SHS & AM any better? Nothing can be >>done to stop the crumbling except replacing the castings. >> >>The ideal solution would be lost wax brass castings. Probably a lot >>cheaper than a diecast version, tooling and low volume taken into >>consideration. My opinion, of course. Maybe Don Thompson could >>address the problem. >> >>Raleigh in breezy Maine >>See my videos at http://www.emporiumpictures.com/ >>email me for new releases: Emporium Pictures <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> At 03:20 PM 12/19/2006, Bob Werre wrote: >> >>>Friends, >>>I don't know how many of you folks have some of the original Alco >>>Models models of Alcos--(trying saying that 3 times!), but as several >>>have found out, there is trouble in River City. When those units >>>arrived we were in Heaven, finally a brass diesel that wasn't a crude >>>kit! However, one of our local members, Bill Green who had two >>>different styles painted for the ATSF noticed problems several years >>>ago. He noticed the truck/gearbox castings were starting to distort >>>eventually jamming the whole mechanism. etc. >> >>>Bob Werre >> >> >> >> >>Yahoo! Groups Links >> >> >> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
