poured forend caps

[smylee grouch]

OK so I just poured the forend cap on a halfstock and got a real good pour-untill I ran out of pewter(didnt melt enough). I have done this before so should have known better. In the past I removed the poured cap and redid the whole thing, not a real problem except for the extra work. I am wondering if any one has a method of pouring over the not quite full cap mould with out a seam showing when finnished or do I have to go ahead and do what I did in the past, total reconstruction of the mold and repour.   Thanks in advance for any advice.   Smylee

[cmac]

I've done a few and had some small voids where I  drilled a few holes where I could, and then melted in more pewter with a soldering iron or just re-formed and pored. These came out pretty good. If you take your time with the soldering iron you can melt the old in with the new  or new into the old

[Dave B]

I second the soldering iron trick. It has gotten good results when one small portion of a poured cap had a porosity on one of my mountain rifles.

[Dphariss]

OK so I just poured the forend cap on a halfstock and got a real good pour-untill I ran out of pewter(didnt melt enough). I have done this before so should have known better. In the past I removed the poured cap and redid the whole thing, not a real problem except for the extra work. I am wondering if any one has a method of pouring over the not quite full cap mould with out a seam showing when finnished or do I have to go ahead and do what I did in the past, total reconstruction of the mold and repour.   Thanks in advance for any advice.   Smylee

If its no a full pour melt if off and start over.
You can fill voids with a hot punch or soldering iron just melting the metal at the void and filling with more metal.
It will puddle nicely and cure the problem. If its at a border with the wood there is more difficulty add metal to make the area high then carefull pean the meta over to the wood. Its usually better to repour in this case.
The good news is the second pour usually is perfect since the wood has been heated once and fewer bubbles result.

I use Silv-brite 100 solder. Its near identical to one of the old lead free pewter formulas.
I see some others recommended the the soldering iron fix as well as I typed.  I used a copper or brass punch heated with a propane torch. Tip 1/4  to 3/8 diameter is best.
Dan

[smylee grouch]

Thanks Dan,Dave and cmac, I will try that soldering iron and see how it goes, other wise off she comes and start over. Thanks again     Smylee

[Ken G]

A soldering iron is also the easiest way I have found to melt out a bad pour and start over. 

[BJH]

Being paranoid I allways melted plenty of pewter. The odd time I had fill out problems, I used a soldering iron and filler to square them away. I use modern lead free plumbing solder for "pewter". Sure it's a bit spendy, but readily available and consistant. I probably tend to over heat the alloy a bit before pouring. I get some surface discoloration in the ladle before I start the pour.

[Dphariss]

Being paranoid I allways melted plenty of pewter. The odd time I had fill out problems, I used a soldering iron and filler to square them away. I use modern lead free plumbing solder for "pewter". Sure it's a bit spendy, but readily available and consistant. I probably tend to over heat the alloy a bit before pouring. I get some surface discoloration in the ladle before I start the pour.

The Silva-brite 100 must be hotter than 50-50 solder to pour well, I also put more heat in the barrel so its not such a good heat sink.

Dan