Pot metal is a slang term which is used to refer to cheap metal alloys with a low melting point. The low melting point makes pot metal very easy to cast, but the generally low quality can cause problems during casting and at a later date. Because there is no formal definition of pot metal, it can be hard to determine its contents. Some common metals included in pot metal alloys include: zinc, lead, copper, tin, magnesium, aluminum, iron, tin, and cadmium, among others.

The mixed contents of pot metal make it highly unpredictable, which can be a problem for people who are trying to create specific items. It has a tendency to become very soft and porous, and over time, it is subject to deformity. Pot metal also tends to break or bend easily, making it unsuitable for many tasks, and because some of the metals commonly included are toxic, pot metal can also be hazardous to human health.

Rapid and easy casting is the primary advantage to pot metal. No sophisticated foundry tools are needed, as comparatively low temperatures are needed to turn pot metal into a castable liquid, and specialized casts and molds aren't necessary either. Some people like to use pot metal to play around in the foundry, experimenting with molds and ideas before using metals of higher quality, and pot metal can be useful in the production of some items.

This metal can be difficult to plate, because of its often unknown properties. Many people attempt to plate pot metal to protect it or to conceal its origins; it tends to be a dull gray color when left unplated. Pot metal objects are also difficult to repair, as they tend to take poorly to welding, soldering, or gluing, techniques which are used to repair other broken metal objects.

Some people refer to pot metal disparagingly as “monkey metal,” and it is also sometimes referred to as “die-cast zinc” or “white metal,” among other things. Ingots of pot metal for melding and casting are available from many metallurgical companies, and some people make their own pot metal, breaking down various scrap metal objects around the shop and melting them down into a pot metal alloy. Foundries may also sell scrap to people looking for a cheap source of pot metal, although such scrap sometimes contains an assortment of impurities which may prove problematic later.