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Die Cast Rot?

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BMCTED
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Die Cast Rot?

Post by BMCTED » Thu Dec 08, 2022 3:51 pm

The BAD part of die cast is the "zamac rot" problem ... and it is HEART BREAKING. This rot can happen on almost ANY die cast, regardless of brand size or cost ... even very collectable and expensive Lionel trains get eaten up by it ... just do a search on the internet. There is NO predicting which will get it, there is NO preventing it and there is NO cure. I've lost a couple pieces to it.

A number of 1/18th scale manufacturers are switching to another product that will not rot. The cars aren't as detailed, for example the hoods, doors and trunk do not open, but they don't rot.

Has anybody else seen it?
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markiver54
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Re: Die Cast Rot?

Post by markiver54 » Thu Dec 08, 2022 4:35 pm

Hmm...never heard of that. I have owned a few die cast cars/trucks for decades and they still look like new. I guess I'm missing something here.
Not doubting you at all, just a bit shocked that " zamac rot " happens and I've never heard of it.
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Mags
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Re: Die Cast Rot?

Post by Mags » Thu Dec 08, 2022 5:45 pm

markiver54 wrote:
Thu Dec 08, 2022 4:35 pm
Hmm...never heard of that. I have owned a few die cast cars/trucks for decades and they still look like new. I guess I'm missing something here.
Not doubting you at all, just a bit shocked that " zamac rot " happens and I've never heard of it.
another name, white corrosion on pot metal.
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markiver54
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Re: Die Cast Rot?

Post by markiver54 » Thu Dec 08, 2022 5:52 pm

Mags wrote:
Thu Dec 08, 2022 5:45 pm
markiver54 wrote:
Thu Dec 08, 2022 4:35 pm
Hmm...never heard of that. I have owned a few die cast cars/trucks for decades and they still look like new. I guess I'm missing something here.
Not doubting you at all, just a bit shocked that " zamac rot " happens and I've never heard of it.
another name, white corrosion on pot metal.
Aaah...ok.
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BMCTED
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Re: Die Cast Rot?

Post by BMCTED » Thu Dec 08, 2022 6:22 pm

FROM WIKIPEDIA: Zinc pest (from German Zinkpest), also known as zinc rot and zamak rot, is a destructive, intercrystalline corrosion process of zinc alloys containing lead impurities. While impurities of the alloy are the primary cause of the problem, environmental conditions such as high humidity (greater than 65%) may accelerate the process.

There's a lot of names for it, and from what I've seen almost anything made from poorly crafted zinc alloys can be affected.

Just a quick search on duckduckgo I came up with these. Warning, to sensitive diecast collectors the pictures can be upsetting:

http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topi ... ning-here/


https://www.yesterdaysairlines.com/zinc-rot.html

It's even eating away at our money:


https://www.cointalk.com/threads/zinc-rot.365744/


https://forums.yesterdaystractors.com/v ... ?p=9860099


http://www.gscaletrainforum.com/index.p ... -zinc-rot/
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Re: Die Cast Rot?

Post by BMCTED » Thu Dec 08, 2022 7:01 pm

So while I was eating my dinner, I realized that there was a connection between zinc rot and Henry Rifles.

Historically, the receivers and side covers of ALL AR-7 Survival Rifles from 1959 up to and including the first Henry AR-7's built Brooklyn and Bayonne. Sometime after Henry moved to Rice Lake, they started using zinc alloys to cast these parts.

FWIW, this is one of the reasons that the AR-7 Survival rifle no longer floats. Zinc is heavier than Aluminum. When they started building the AR-7 at Rice Lake, the rifle gained almost a pound.

Since you don't know it's there until it appears, I wonder if/when we may start seeing zinc rot in Henry Survival rifles?
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Mags
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Re: Die Cast Rot?

Post by Mags » Thu Dec 08, 2022 10:31 pm

BMCTED wrote:
Thu Dec 08, 2022 7:01 pm
...
Since you don't know it's there until it appears, I wonder if/when we may start seeing zinc rot in Henry Survival rifles?
Hopefully never. The rot was caused by zinc impurities in the early days of the alloy. Supposedly 99.99% pure zinc is now used in the alloy creation.
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Re: Die Cast Rot?

Post by bandit1250 » Wed Jul 05, 2023 8:19 am

Die cast rot is not an uncommon thing that happens to our collectibles. I have seen it happen to a friend's die cast cars. One day at a friend's home he gave my wife a few 1/24 cars and while she was holding one in her hand it just crumbled into small pieces. A few other ones were starting to show blisters in the finish so the rot was starting on them also. It is sickening to see it happen to cars in your collection. A few in my collection were showing paint rash and I sanded them with a 3000 grit pad cut from a disk. Then it is about a 2 hour job to polish them back to their high gloss finish. Just buying a little more time for them to look really good in the display case. The Ertl brand also seems to have cracking paint issues on cars with white paint. It is strange that it is mostly found on the two tone painted ones. My '55 and '56 Chevy cars have the cracking in the white finish like real cars that had lacquer paint going bad especially if some one had sprayed lacquer over air dried enamel. I work on my paint rash cars when it is raining and can't work outside so I feel like I accomplished something that looks a whole lot better when done. If they get too bad they will become a parts donor car or get a black semi gloss paint job like some street rods running the streets around here.
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