Zamak 12
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The most common zamak alloy is zamak 3. Besides that, zamak 2, zamak 5 and zamak 7 are also commercially used.[2] These alloys are most commonly die cast.[2] Zamak alloys (particularly #3 and #5) are frequently used in the spin casting industry.
A large problem with early zinc die casting materials was zinc pest, owing to impurities in the alloys.[3] Zamak avoided this by the use of 99.99% pure zinc metal, produced by New Jersey Zinc's use of a refluxer as part of the refining process.
In the early 1930s, Morris Ashby in Britain had licensed the New Jersey zamak alloy. The 99.99%-purity refluxer zinc was not available in Britain and so they acquired the right to manufacture the alloy using a locally available electrolytically refined zinc of 99.95% purity. This was given the name Mazak, partly to distinguish it from zamak and partly from the initials of Morris Ashby. In 1933, National Smelting licensed the refluxer patent with the intent of using it to produce 99.99% zinc in their plant at Avonmouth.[5] It is colloquially known among UK car restoration hobbyists as monkey metal.
Zamak 2 has the same composition as zamak 3 with the addition of 3% copper in order to increase strength by 20%, which also increases the price. Zamak 2 has the greatest strength out of all the zamak alloys. Over time it retains its strength and hardness better than the other alloys; however, it becomes more brittle, shrinks, and is less elastic.[17]
Zamak 2 is also known as Kirksite when gravity cast for use as a die.[2][18] It was originally designed for low volume sheet metal dies.[19][20] It later gained popularity for making short run injection molding dies.[19] It is also less commonly used for non-sparking tools and mandrels for metal spinning.
The KS alloy was developed for spin casting decorative parts. It has the same composition as zamak 2, except with more magnesium in order to produce finer grains and reduce the orange peel effect.[25]
Zamak 3 is the de facto standard for the zamak series of zinc alloys; all other zinc alloys are compared to this. Zamak 3 has the base composition for the zamak alloys (96% zinc, 4% aluminum). It has excellent castability and long term dimensional stability. More than 70% of all North American zinc die castings are made from zamak 3.[2]
Zamak 4 was developed for the Asian markets to reduce the effects of die soldering while maintaining the ductility of zamak 3. This was achieved by using half the amount of copper from the zamak 5 composition.[27]
Zamak 5 has the same composition as zamak 3 with the addition of 1% copper in order to increase strength (by approximately 10%[17]), hardness and corrosive resistance, but reduces ductility.[30] It also has less dimensional accuracy.[30] Zamak 5 is more commonly used in Europe.[2]
Zamak 7 has less magnesium than zamak 3 to increase fluidity and ductility, which is especially useful when casting thin wall components. In order to reduce inter-granular corrosion a small amount of nickel is added and impurities are more strictly controlled.[2]
Common uses for zamak alloys include appliances, bathroom fixtures, die cast toys and automotive industry.[32][33][34] Zamak alloys are also used in the manufacture of some firearms such as those from Hi-Point Firearms.[35][36] In World War 2, zamak alloy buttplates were one of three variations common on Canadian and American-made .303 Lee Enfield rifles, particularly during mid-war production.[37]
I plan to swap out the stock bridge on my SG Faded T with a TonePros. However, after communicating with customer service I learned that I'll have two options after NAMM 2018: ZAMAK (a zinc alloy and their current standard) or aluminum.
I'm not foolish enough to ask "which would sound better" because that would be entirely subjective. But I wonder if anyone here has experience with different bridge materials who could say something about qualitative differences in tone between heavier and lighter bridge metals. Also, does heavier lead to more sustain, or is the issue more complicated?
Zamak is about the cheapest and nastiest metalic alloy in the world. It's very light, but that's because it full of air bubbles. It's incredibly brittle and generally not useful for load bearing components. I would never fit a zamak bridge, or indeed a bridge made by anyon who had previously marketed a zamak bridge. It is the metaphoric pig iron of today.
I think you need to say why you're changing the bridge for anyone to form any idea as to what would suit you best. I'd be aiming for nickel plated brass. All that said, I'd be surprised if you could hear a difference (until the zamak bridge collapses. You'll hear that.)
The basic tone of the stock aluminum hardware is okay with me, so maybe I'll go with TonePros' new aluminum bridge. GuitarFetish offers brass locking bridges and tailpieces as an alternative. Faber offers a third alternative.
It's good to try things. But keep in mind that the stew that is this thing called "sustain" is made up of about 50 ingredients, and the mechanics of the bridge are probably negligible compared to everything else.
Zamak is a high grade form of Zinc. Tone pros rocks because of the the little set screw that locks it to the bridge post. Great tone improvement. The string spread is a bit wider from E to E on the tone pros. Gibson specs are a 2 inch spread. measure your guitar E to E spread. make sure before you buy. A Stainless Steel bridge will give you the greatest tone enhancing improvement. A stainless steel Nashville bridge from"Philadelphia Luthier Supply".com has a 2 inch E to E string spread. An ABR-1 Stainless Steel bridge from "Calliham Guitars.com" you'll have to notch the bridge saddles. a set of nut files or take it to a shop will get it done. both bridges ROCK. Keep your OEM tail piece. you might have to adjust your amp settings down a tad with the all the Clear Presence of tone enhancements from the stainless steel. the OEM Zinc Gibson Bridges are there to sell the guitar. It gives you basic middle of the rode tone and if that's what you like COOL. up grade or customize your sound with a different bridge of you choice. brass aluminum stainless steel and titanium are all upgraded bridge material from the OEM ZINC
Get a lighter tail piece. an aluminum Gotoh TOM tail piece is one of the lightest. Light tail piece = less sustain. A Heavy stainless steel tail piece = more sustain. the Gibson OEM tail piece fall in the middle.
I put the Pinnacle Machined Steel Nashville on both of my SG Standards. Notching and spacing were perfect. I don't know about increased sustain but I'd say they ring out a bit stronger than the ZAMAK. I wish I had tried the Bell Brass version on one of them to see if there is any difference. I love the fact that the saddles are adjusted by an allen wrench versus a phillips or flat head. I know I definitely will never have bridge collapse with the machined billet of steel construction.
Sold by the Ingot.
Each ingot weighs approximately 4lbs (3.9lbs-4.1lbs) and measures 1" x 2" x 8.5" with tapered sides. Zamak 3 is the de facto standard for the zamak series of zinc alloys; all other zinc alloys are compared to this alloy. Zamak 3 has the base composition for the zamak alloys (96% zinc, 4% aluminum). It has excellent castability and long term dimensional stability. It is the most common zinc die casting alloy in North America. Usually it's the first choice when considering an alloy for zinc die casting due to its excellent combination of mechanical and physical properties, and superb casting and finishing ability. More than 70% of all North American zinc die castings are made from Zamak 3.
Zamak 3 is a mixture of alloys with a base metal of zinc & alloy elements of aluminum, magnesium & copper. This alloy is excellent for those who need a combination of strength, ductility, plating & finishing characteristics.
Thanks to this liquid for die-cast and zamak bluing you can get a blackish and aged appearance for any brass part. It is ideal as a finish for many parts of your models and projects. The jar of liquid for die-cast and zamak bluing, made by Artesania Latina, contains 125 ml of product. It will help you to ensure that the result after applying it to your creations, both models and other crafts, is the wanted. Bring it into your model building workshop to treat the die-cast and zamak parts of your scale models.
The die-cast and zamak bluing liquid is a new formula that, when applied to brass, causes its surface oxidation, offering a blackish and aged appearance, a very interesting aesthetic for many parts in whatever your modeling or crafts project may be. It is presented in a jar with a quantity of 125 ml of product.
Our finishing products are the most used by the expert modeler, since they are the most suitable for their application. Our liquid for die-cast and zamak bluing is a must at your modeling and crafts workshop!
The liquid for die-cast and zamak bluing is used to achieve the best finish in pieces of this material belonging to models and other DIY projects. It can be used for any painting process of Artesania Latina wooden modeling kits: boats, airplanes or other types of vehicles.
Regarding the uses of this liquid for die-cast and zamak bluing, perform the following steps for its application. For a uniform and satisfactory finish of the parts to be treated, they must be completely clean and free of grease and dirt. Once the pieces are clean and dry, apply the die-cast and zamak bluing liquid by immersion or spraying, leaving the product to act for several minutes and rinsing later to remove any residue. Depending on the desired degree of oxidation, the concentration of the product can vary - it can be reduced with water - and the application time. We recommend doing tests to know and master the final finish.
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