White metal
White metal is a generic name for a miscellaneous range of silver-coloured alloys ... but in the context of modelmaking it usually refers to lead/tin alloys with an especially low melting point.
White metal casting
The low melting point of "white metals" made them especially interesting to small "cottage industry" model kit manufacturers, as the hardware investment required to start making parts out of white metal is hugely less that the capital outlay required to purchase and run an industrial metal diecasting or plastic injection moulding plant. While the cost-per-unit for plastic injection moulding based on the cost of the plastic is trivial, a mould might cost ten to fifteen thousand pounds. With white metal the material cost is much higher, but the moulds can be made of cheaper vulcanised rubber.
This means that while white metal casting is not exactly a home hobbyist technology, some small specialist model kit manufacturers embraced it as a way of starting a small business with minimal financial outlay.
