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View Full Version : Down and dirty pewter casting.



hunter63
03-06-2010, 09:35 PM
Been trying to figure out how to come up with a knob for the end of the bayonet I have been playing with.

Leather grip is old bit still looks kinda cool, so after racking my brain, (getting harder every day), it hit me.
Why not cast one out of pewter!

So I started doing research on mold making, casting methods, and they have every thing in the world for D&D figures, Civil War figures, but almost nothing for free lance mold making with out buying a whole kit, starting at about $70 bucks.
Well I only need to make one, so I didn't feel like buying all the stuff just for one part.

I E-mailed an old mountain man I know (some how that statement doesn't sound right?,) that had related to me the he had made several parts for his guns by casting pewter.

He tells me that he drills some holes in the wood, for it to grab, for what ever part he wants to add.
Wraps a paper index card around it tight, tie or tape, and pours the pewter right in, let cool and harden, then finish off with files and sand paper.

So as I already have a melt pot, and other metal pouring stuff, I thought lets try it.
Actually the pot didn't work for the finial pour, knife too tall, so used the ladel.
Still can't believe the paper didn't really burn.
So anyway if youneed to make something different for the knife parts, this really worked out well!


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y139/hunter63/ADSCF0063.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y139/hunter63/ADSCF0065.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y139/hunter63/ADSCF0066.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y139/hunter63/ADSCF0067.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y139/hunter63/ADSCF0068.jpg

crashdive123
03-06-2010, 09:49 PM
You've outdone yourself. That came out great! Good thing that ole mountain man has email.

hunter63
03-06-2010, 10:01 PM
You've outdone yourself. That came out great! Good thing that ole mountain man has email.

Yeah, I know, some how that really didn't sound right, but I bet if they would have had the interweb back then Jeremiah Johnson probably wouldn't have use it anyway.
Anyway pot is set up a cleaned out so may be tomorrow pour some more .357's.
If you made a wood mold or even a plaster of Paris mold for hilts or whatever, should work just fine.

gryffynklm
03-06-2010, 10:09 PM
Turned out real nice. Good work.

randyt
03-06-2010, 10:16 PM
very nice, i dig it. i've poured a few nose caps and bolsters. i use pure block tin and use the same process you use.

here's a pict of a trap spring knife i recently made with a tin bolster


http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh227/randytlee/100_0687.jpg

crashdive123
03-06-2010, 10:25 PM
Excellent work Randyt.

Rick
03-06-2010, 10:31 PM
Man, you guys did some outstanding work. Very nice.

randyt
03-06-2010, 10:50 PM
thanks for the nice comments. i really like a poured bolster pommel etc. i modified the knife by cutting off the ring, it just didn't seem handy and trimming the knife back a bit at the choil.

one small tip for making sure the metal isn't to hot is to take a sliver of cedar or pine and stick it in the molten metal for a few seconds if the sliver comes back out with a slight tan to it's ready to pour. when pouring against wood a fella needs to be careful not to get his metal to hot, it can leave a slight char mark up next to the wood.

hunter63
03-06-2010, 10:51 PM
Randyt, LOL I guess all great minds work alike!

Here I was racking my brain and having a eureka moment, and all the while, there you were pouring away.
Nice work, I like it.

your_comforting_company
03-07-2010, 12:18 AM
Thats some nice work guys. have either of you heard of "sand mold casting (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source=hp&q=sand+mold+casting&aq=0&aqi=g10&aql=&oq=sand+mold&fp=86f43777e436a6c1)"?
I've melted lead fishing weights into little things before but never tried any pewter. that's pretty neat!

hunter63
03-07-2010, 12:47 AM
Thats some nice work guys. have either of you heard of "sand mold casting (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source=hp&q=sand+mold+casting&aq=0&aqi=g10&aql=&oq=sand+mold&fp=86f43777e436a6c1)"?
I've melted lead fishing weights into little things before but never tried any pewter. that's pretty neat!

ycc, yes, I have, SIL was a manger in a foundry, and as this is used mostly for higher temp stuff, bronze, aluminum, iron etc.
If he still worked there, I could have 100's of pieces of made out of most any metal I could think of
Thanks for the tip.

I actually posted a thread on homemade smelter for aluminum on the making stuff section, but there is a lot to it.

I looking at one piece on an old knife that hasn't been used for anything for a long time and didn't want to invest the time or money on a one shot deal.

When I started thinking about pewter, and doing some googling on that, I found that high temp silicone is used for a molding media, but that still leaves a pattern to be made.
This is mostly for toy soldiers and D & D stuff.
Again lots of bucks for my one shot deal.

I did find that the site I had found with casting supplies, listed the same Lee 10# melt pot as mine, (bullet and round ball making).

That when I contacted a friend, that I know make parts for his home built guns, and he suggested that I try this.

randyt
03-07-2010, 08:28 AM
that's the nice thing about this type of casting it don't take much to do it. if pewter was scarce lead ree plumbers solder could probably be used. and it really fits for buckskinner gear. i like it because i like having one of a kind gear, if ya can buy it at a store it's not for me lol.

i did read a article in backwoodsman about casting objects in cuttlefish bone. don't know how well it works or even what a cuttlefish is, don't believe we have em here in the great lakes.

rebel
03-07-2010, 08:38 AM
Very Nice Hunter63 and RandyT!!!

hunter63
03-07-2010, 12:31 PM
that's the nice thing about this type of casting it don't take much to do it. if pewter was scarce lead ree plumbers solder could probably be used. and it really fits for buckskinner gear. i like it because i like having one of a kind gear, if ya can buy it at a store it's not for me lol.

i did read a article in backwoodsman about casting objects in cuttlefish bone. don't know how well it works or even what a cuttlefish is, don't believe we have em here in the great lakes.

I agree, most of my buck-skinner gear is home made as well, some not by me, but made by good friends, and given as gifts, or traded for.
I can look at my gear and relate the stories and people behind most everything.
Thats what makes the whole experience fun and important.
You become your gear, or maybe it's the other way around......

Cuttlefish bone is what you put in a bird cage, for them to keep their beak worked down, and is available at pet stores. (DW had birds, tastes like chicken)

This is the first time I heard of this but does make perfect sense.
It is soft, easily marked with finger nail, most likely easy to shape a mold.
After my experience with a piece of paper, probably work slick.
Good tip.

canid
03-13-2010, 09:21 AM
well done, and thanks for sharing.

now i'm thinking pewter casting might be a good solution for me in making bolsters for some knives.
i'll give it a try if i get a chance.

hunter63
03-13-2010, 11:55 AM
Thanks, boys.........
This was kinda a fun project, I feel I added to skill set, knowlage, such that it is.
Touched base with an old friend and gave me a reason to fire up the melt pot.

As the melt pot was still set up, had to clean out, added wheel weight lead, poured 480+ .357 bullets.

Need to get out to the range.

woodsman86
03-24-2010, 04:56 PM
Very cool Hunter! That looks like it has always been there. I will be adding pewter to my hobby to-do list.