Re: what is "pot metal" ?
Pot metal is a slang term that covers many alloys of aluminum, zinc, copper and a few others in various combinations. It's also referred to as Die Cast metal. Most anything can be made of a die cast alloy--Even your lawn mower engine and nearly all carburetors. It's hard to just look at it and differentiate it from an aluminum alloy except in most cases, it's heavier because of the zinc.
A scratch and daub test will usually tell you if it's die cast alloy. A drop of battery acid (sulfuric) will foam if it has zinc. If it has zinc, it's most likely a die cast alloy or "pot metal".
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