Author Topic: clean up of pewter nose cap  (Read 1335 times)

Offline Dowrat

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clean up of pewter nose cap
« on: April 14, 2022, 10:55:35 PM »
After reducing my pewter pour down to the wood I have a stained up mess. How do you smooth the pewter to finished look without staining the wood? How do you clean up the wood for finishing?

Thank you for any help offered. 
Darryl

Offline Dowrat

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Re: clean up of pewter nose cap
« Reply #1 on: April 14, 2022, 11:00:10 PM »



Offline Gary Tucker

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Re: clean up of pewter nose cap
« Reply #2 on: April 14, 2022, 11:49:59 PM »
I’ve always had good luck using files.  Get some 3rd or 4th cut files to file it flush with the wood. Stay away from sandpaper, it will turn your wood gray.
Gary Tucker

Offline D. Taylor Sapergia

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Re: clean up of pewter nose cap
« Reply #3 on: April 15, 2022, 01:13:07 AM »
Give the stained wood a good scrub with a white artist's eraser...that will pull out the metal that is staining the wood.
D. Taylor Sapergia
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Art is not an object.  It is the excitement inspired by the object.

Offline Daryl

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Re: clean up of pewter nose cap
« Reply #4 on: April 15, 2022, 07:07:31 AM »
Pink eraser will leave pink junk stuck in the wood.
White erasers are magic.
Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a spaniel without ears" King George V

Offline Dphariss

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Re: clean up of pewter nose cap
« Reply #5 on: April 15, 2022, 03:52:26 PM »
I have done literally hundreds of pewter tips on a reproduction brass suppository guns sometimes 10-12 at a time. And some on 1/2 stock MLs. Never had problems with discoloring the wood. Though most were walnut. I also stopped using any lead bearing material, did not want the bring the dust home to the kids. Real pewter, the food grade stuff, does not “gray” the wood like lead bearing solder. I used a LOT of Silva-Brite 100 lead free solder which is actually identical or very close to one of the old real pewter recipes and never darkens as lead bearing solder will do.  But usually the gray can be removed with something like steel wool, or I assume scotch brite.
I would file to shape, fill any holes/pits with a  hot piece of brass rod (unless really bad then melt off with a heated brass rod/soldering iron and recast), file again, sand to 220-320 then burnish. This will show any near the surface voids and erase a lot of scratches, then go on to finer grits and then 0000 steel wool. And since the wood has been heated and moisture driven out the the area adjacent to the cast the second pour is usually pretty trouble free. If the cast comes in contact with the barrel then the barrel has to be heated well at the area around the pour as it is a massive heat sink.
The lead free solder is higher melt temp than lead/tin. I would heat in a stainless steel grocery store ladle, bend the handle as needed, then stir with a piece or pine (slivers of pine were used as part of the dam along the side flat) when it scortches in a few seconds its hot enough. This also moves any dross from the pour side of the ladle.  But remember the barrel was a heat sink and the  way I poured these to prevent them “moving” under recoil  there was a lot of barrel contact.  On a ML half stock with a lot of barrel contact the metal will also cool a lot faster. I suspect that the complex SMR type shown here will need the metal well heated as well. 
He who dares not offend cannot be honest. Thomas Paine

Offline Dowrat

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Re: clean up of pewter nose cap
« Reply #6 on: April 15, 2022, 04:10:07 PM »
Thanks for the education guys. "Pewter" I used was 50% tin, 50% lead. I will try the white eraser, then burnish and finish as Dphariss suggests.

Thanks again for your replies and advice. I sure appreciate this forum for the information available from experienced builders.

Offline Hungry Horse

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Re: clean up of pewter nose cap
« Reply #7 on: April 15, 2022, 07:36:53 PM »
Why would you use anything with lead in it? The junk shops usually have a bunch of food grade modern pewter for cheap. Most of it is either damaged, or engraved as an award. Either way there’s lots of it, and the store owner is chomping on the bit to get rid of it. It is primarily tin and doesn’t tarnish.

Hungry Horse

Offline Dowrat

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Re: clean up of pewter nose cap
« Reply #8 on: April 15, 2022, 11:34:16 PM »
Good to know. Thanks.

Offline Dphariss

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Re: clean up of pewter nose cap
« Reply #9 on: April 17, 2022, 01:20:14 AM »
Good to know. Thanks.

I meant to add:
Some lead free solder is not as easy to work with as SILVABRITE 100. In turn its not as easy as 50-50. But it will hold its color very well. The one in the photo is on a rifle that has not been shot in years and its still very nice looking. You can even see the photographers reflection. I guess its near 40 years old now. Scary.
As Hungry Horse states there are often glass bottom pewter beer mugs and such in thrift/second hand stores.

He who dares not offend cannot be honest. Thomas Paine