It was time to smelt pewter

[Iron Mike Golf]

What I and my lovely wife have rounded up since last October:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_169734fcd1c37346f2.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=5502)

Here's the resulting 48.5 lbs of ingots:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_169734fcd1c36e5aeb.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=5501)

[kbstenberg]

hey Mike
That is a good stack of tin (pewter)
Can I make a suggestion. Unless you are going to add those ingots when you are smelting large batch's of lead, or going to sell them. Make most of those large ingots into smaller 2 to 6 oz. coins. They are much more convenient when adding to a casting pot.
I would also suggest to weigh each ingot mark the weight on it and mark the tin quantity.
Kevin

[bumpo628]

That's some nice work.

Your ingots weigh about 1/4 lb each?

I'll guess 3.5 oz each...
That is a lot of pewter there, btw. Nice scrounging Mike!

[gbrown]

+1 with kbstenberg. I usually calculate my pewter at 92% and weigh my ingots. Then use that weight (by 92%) gives me the tin. I add that to my WW or whatever, and then check bhn after 3 weeks. Last I did was 19.5 WW and .5 pewter and it came out at 14 bhn after 3 weeks.

[Iron Mike Golf]

Ingots weigh 4.0 to 4.4 oz.

Coins are .6 to 1.2 oz.

I have another 17 lbs in 1 and 2 lbs ingots (my strategic reserve) and a 5 lb bucket of coins.

My wife is on the road each week in NE Ohio for her job and has put together a list of Thrift Shops, Goodwills and we hit flea markets anyways a lot, so keeping an eye out for pewter is not a big deal.

She keeps a small postal scale in her RAV4, too. What a keeper!

I usually add 5 oz and change when I smelt boolit alloy (I normally use 92-4-4 alloy). I normally hit the weight I need for a batch with the first handful of coins. I do make some coins even lighter (down to almost a wafer).

Jeff

[5shotbfr]

if salem or calcutta goodwill stores are on her list to stop and pewter hunt cross them off , i was just in both and struck out

[Iron Mike Golf]

No, she doesn't get down that way. She has had some good scores in Medina.

[Pitchnit]

Now I know why I cant find any. Regards Pitchnit

[Lizard333]

What are you using for a mold for the coins?

[Iron Mike Golf]

I use the same mini-muffin mold that the ingots are. I pour enough to get above the curve where the side meets the bottom.

BTW, the stacks in front are coins. THe two on the right are 30 coins in each "pyramid". Stacked up in groups of 3. The one of the left is 5 lonely coins.

[Gelandangan]

No need coins molds.
just cast pure pewter boolits from the ingots.

Use the largest mold you have.