pewter

[Scott Semmel]

I have dabbled in pouring pewter nose caps and decorating knife handles. As memory serves my sources for pewter ranged from the stuff track sells, flea market pewter, including one embarrassing attempt to melt cast aluminum, to lead free solder. In checking for pewter on line there is a wide range in alloy mixes that are available; with lead, lead free and lead free with bismuth.  What alloy do you folks recommend? I assume that pouring temps, hardness, and ease of pouring vary with different alloys. What alloys are best for what we do?

[LRB]

  I would say, whichever you like to work with best. As you said, there are many mixes for pewter. I like one that works easy, with not too high a temp, and will stay bright for a long time. The best I ever used myself was a plumbers solder that contained some nickel. It was easy to work with, harder than most, polished very well, and stayed bright for a long time.

[David Rase]

The best I ever used myself was a plumbers solder that contained some nickel. It was easy to work with, harder than most, polished very well, and stayed bright for a long time.

Wick,  Are you talking about the 50/50 bar solder?  I have about 20 bars of the stuff and have never tried or used it.
DMR

[C Wallingford]

Try Hallmark Metals MPK alloy. It is made up of pure tin, silver, copper and bismuth. It works really well and stays bright. I have used it on rifle nose caps as well as knife bolsters.  Not real cheap but I like it a lot. Hallmark Metals is listed on e-bay and located in Cranston, RI

[Nate McKenzie]

David Rase- I used 50-50 bar solder on a half stock nose cap about 10 years ago. It still looks good and kept its shine.

[Dphariss]

I have dabbled in pouring pewter nose caps and decorating knife handles. As memory serves my sources for pewter ranged from the stuff track sells, flea market pewter, including one embarrassing attempt to melt cast aluminum, to lead free solder. In checking for pewter on line there is a wide range in alloy mixes that are available; with lead, lead free and lead free with bismuth.  What alloy do you folks recommend? I assume that pouring temps, hardness, and ease of pouring vary with different alloys. What alloys are best for what we do?

50-50 is a low pour point alloy but it tends to be a different color than lead free pewter and sanding it produces a lot of lead dust. Works great but I quit using it while at Shiloh Rifle.
I use a solder called Silva-brite 100. Its either identical or very close to one of the old lead free pewter formulas.
Requires a higher pour temp than 50-50 but makes a MUCH better product. Harder, better color, non-toxic.
Probably need to pre-heat the more complex pours. Pits and holes can often be solder shut with a heated brass punch as a soldering iron.

Dan

[LRB]

  No Mr. Rase, it was not 50/50. This was a lead free solder my plumber son gave me. He gave me a small  assortment of lead free solders, and this particular one contained nickel. I pured an intricate mouthpiece on a tomahawk handle, buffed it bright like chrome, and it stayed shiney for over a year. It is also pretty hard compared to common solder. I cannot read the labels anymore, as they have rusted over, so I don't even know which it is out of the group. I will see if he can tell me what it was, and where to get it, but I would think a good plumber suppy would have it if you asked.