Are All Cast-Iron Toys
Alike?
by Bob Brooke
 Unlike
older toys, the lack of difference, baring signs of wear, between older
and newer cast-iron toys is minimal. Even knowledgeable dealers often
can’t tell the difference between new ones and old ones. And it’s even
more of a problem for those buying cast-iron toys online.
Cast iron was the 19th century equivalent of today's modern plastics—the
raw ingredients were cheap, it could be made in almost any shape, and
identical pieces could be mass-produced in molds. Unfortunately, those
reasons are why so many toys get reproduced in cast iron. Although
manufacturers produce new cast iron toys in the same way as originals,
there are certain differences between originals and reproductions.
 Foundries
make most cast-iron toys using a method called sand casting which begins
with a full-sized, three-dimensional model or master pattern which the
foundry worker pushes into the sand to make an impression. Some foundry
workers place the master pattern in a wooden box, or casting frame, then
pack fine sand, called casting sand, around the pattern. Each mold
requires two frames—one frame for the top half of the mold and another
for the bottom. Most makers use brass or bronze masters for toy molds
for better detail and longer life.
The worker locks the casting frame
halves together, then pours molten iron into the mold. The iron runs
into the hollow impression and forms a copy of the master pattern. After
cooling, he separates the frames and removes the cast piece for
finishing. Most foundries use sand molds only once since the impression
deteriorates when the worker pours iron into it. However, some can be
used several times. The number of times a mold can be used depends on
the skill of the worker, the complexity of the master pattern, and the
level of quality acceptable in the finished casting.
Two other basic sand-casting terms—runner and gate—can help determine
when the casting occurred by the marks they leave. A runner is a channel
running through the mold which feeds molten metal into the individual
castings. The gate is the point where the runner castings branch off
into the casting.
The casting sand also allows for several important differences between
new and old cast iron toys. Casting sand used in original molds was
generally finer than the casting sand used today. This means that old
cast iron almost always has a smoother surface than new castings made
with coarser sand. The surface of old cast iron both looks smooth and
feels smooth to the touch—something that’s impossible to tell when
purchasing cast-iron toys online. New cast iron usually has small
prickly bumps that rise above the surface and holes or pits that go
below the surface. The rough texture is the most obvious on unpainted
surfaces, such as the inside or underside of toys.
 A
second major difference caused by the casting sand is the amount of
detail in new and old toys. The finer the sand, the tighter it could be
packed around the master pattern, which transferred more and smaller
details to the mold. Old castings almost always have sharper lines and
more detail while newer ones are less sharp, blurred, and lack the fine
details found in old pieces cast with finer sand.
Makers of reproductions, on the other hand, use actual antique toys as
master patterns or copies of original toys or copies of copies. Cast
iron shrinks 3/32 to 1/8 of an inch per foot between mold and casting.
This means each time a maker copies a piece a certain amount of
distortion occurs which results in loss of detail. Even if the foundry
worker takes apart an older piece and uses it as a pattern, the
reproduction will be smaller than the original due to normal shrinkage.
Another difference between old and new cast iron toys is the amount of
hand finishing. Almost all old pieces had at least some hand finishing,
while most reproductions have none. Evidence of this occurs in matching
halves of original cast iron toys which makers fitted together by hand
filing or at least had the edges tumbled smooth in a machine: This extra
attention to fit produced a tight seam in original cast iron toys.
 On
the other hand, the seams in new cast iron are often loose, with
1/8-inch gaps or more. Worker’s perform what little finishing they do on
reproductions with modern high-speed production tools, which leave
obvious grinding marks. Whenever these marks appear, especially if
they’re bright and shiny with no patina, it pretty much guarantees the
piece is a reproduction.
The way decorators painted old and new toys is another indication of
age. They used fairly heavy oil-based enamel paint on older ones and
much thinner paint, usually a water-based acrylic, on newer ones. Also,
they usually dipped the older cast-iron toys, rather than used a brush
to apply the paint. Today, decorators use air-powered spray guns to
speed production.
 The
use of thicker paint and the heavier coatings of paint produced by
dipping produces a distinctive wear pattern in original painted cast
iron toys. Dipping also leaves paint on surfaces that are hard to reach
with a spray gun, such as inside surfaces, hidden angles, and along the
edges where seams meet. Toy banks, for example, usually show paint on
both inner and outer edges of the coin slot. Likewise, old paint around
a coin slot should show the typical ragged paint chips which would occur
with normal wear.
New, thin paint on reproductions doesn’t chip even if deliberately
gouged. Most chips in old paint also show different layers of rusty
brown or black which appear in the order the decorator applied them.
Even unpainted, old cast iron appears a different color than new cast
iron. Old iron usually looks dark brown or even black, while new cast
iron is typically gray or a dirty silver color.
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