Whirling-runner
See SKIM-GATE.
White Alloys are all such alloys as tutenag, packfong, British-plate, German-silver, etc., which are usually compounded with the view of imitating the more costly metal--silver. They differ in quality and price, according to their composition. Nickel is the whitening as well as the hardening metal used in these alloys, and the amount entering into their composition varies according to quality. The lower grades of nickel alloys contain about nickel 4, copper 20, zinc 16, while the better qualities may have nickel 6, copper 20, zinc 8. Such alloys are suitable for plated ware, mathematical instruments, parts of musical instruments, saddlery, etc. The white copper of the Chinese, which bears a close resemblance to some German-silver, contains nickel 31.6, copper 40.4, zinc 25.4, iron 2.6. It may be surmised that the iron sometimes found in these white alloys has been accidentally introduced with the nickel, but when the quantity is small it is not prejudicial. Frick's silver is an imitation composed of nickel 17.48, copper 53.39, zinc 13.
When tin is used for hardening and whitening alloys, we obtain inferior white alloys, as Britannia metal, pewter, solders, etc. The best pewter is mostly composed of tin with a small percentage of copper, yet if not more than one sixth of lead be added the alloy will be white, hard, and sonorous, but without gloss. A little antimony adds both to the whiteness and the hardness of the tin alloys.
For a description of the principal white alloys now in use, see MOCK SILVER; SPECULUM METAL; GERMAN-SILVER; GERMAN WHITE COPPER; PACKFONG; IMITATION SILVER; WHITE ARGENTAN; TUTENAG; PARISIAN WHITE METAL; QUEEN'S METAL; SPANISH TUTANIA; GERMAN TUTANIA; PEWTER; BRITANNIA METAL; PEWTERER'S TEMPER; SOLDERS; BABBITT-METAL; TYPE-METAL; SHOT; POT-METAL; FUSIBLE ALLOYS.