White Metal - Tin\Lead - Where to get?

Some model shops sell 'white metal' for casting, my wife bought some a few months ago in Chester for making up a chess set kit.

Cheers Tim

Dutton Dry-Dock Traditional & Modern canal craft repairs Vintage diesel engine service

Its a while but they used to have a shop near Gt Portland Street tube on Warren Street. Probably 2yrs since I bought any "white metal" from them but they are spot for casting materials.

Steve

The web site lists two locations so it seems they are still around.

Mail Order & Showroom:

3 Pipers Court, Berkshire Drive, Thatcham, Berkshire, RG19 4ER, UK. Tel: 0845 123 2100 Fax: 0845 123 2101 e-mail: snipped-for-privacy@tiranti.co.uk

Shop also at:

27 Warren Street, London, W1T 5NB, UK. Tel: 020 7636 8565

Pete

If that's the sort of quantity that you are looking for then use:-

Thy aren't cheap but the products are good.

Mark Rand RTFM

Cheers Mark,

I don't need much to just get started.

I looked at Prince August. They are really the only seller on eBay doing this - (Now there's a market for someone!)

They seem slightly cheaper via eBay compared to their web site.

Part of the reason I came into this NG (I had tried a craft one but got no response) was because Prince August were the only ones I could find.

Anyway.. I'm moving on now - still waiting for my practice metal - probably be here tomorrow - but have made various casts and simple masters from different materials now... Some problems and failures and those darn bubbles appear everywhere - but it's fun..

Pete

You could do worde than to look online for suppliers of lead free pewter.

The health and safety fanatics have pretty much removed the real thing from the marketplace, though it can be found.

The best benefit of the pewter is that it can be cast in molds that would be destroyed at the temperatures other metals melt at. Mostly those molds can be rubbers and silicones.

Another material worth looking at is ZA-12 or ZA-25. These are zinc sand casting and die casting alloys with a percentage of aluminum. They melt at relatively low temps, and have good charachteristics, such as being good bearing materials, and machining reasonably well.

Cheers Trevor Jones