White Pewter?

[swheeler]

Got about 30 pounds of some kind of medallions and various art forms cast from what I was told was" white pewter". Tested one of the med, got a BHN of 25, melted down 20 pounds and cast a few of the 185 lee .312, out of my usual 17bhn alloy they weigh 186 grs, the ones cast from this weigh 131 grs, nicely filled out from the get-go, and shiny. I'm thinking it is mostly tin- hopeing anyway, anybody got some ideas? Converting art to boolits!

[Herb in Pa]

Pewter platePewter is a metal alloy, traditionally between 85 and 96 percent tin, and the rest copper and/or lead. There were three grades of pewter: Fine, for eatingware, with 96 percent tin, and 4 percent copper; Trifle, also for eating and drinking utensils but duller in appearance, with essentially 92 percent tin, 4 percent copper, and up to 4 percent lead; and Lay or Ley metal, not for eating or drinking utensils, which could contain up to 15 percent lead. Modern pewter mixes the tin with copper, antimony and/or bismuth, as opposed to lead.

Physically, pewter is a bright, shiny metal that is very similar in appearance to silver. Like silver, pewter will also oxidize to a dull gray over time if left untreated. Pewter is a very malleable alloy, being soft enough to carve with hand tools, and it also takes good impressions from punches or presses. Some types of pewter pieces, such as candlesticks, would be turned on a metal lathe. Pewter has a low melting point, and duplication by casting will give excellent results.

Use of pewter was common from the Middle Ages up until the various developments in glass-making during the 18th and 19th centuries. Mass production of glass products has seen glass universally replace pewter in day-to-day life. Pewter artifacts continue to be produced, mainly as decorative or specialty items.

Unlidded mugs and lidded tankards are certainly the most commonly-known pewter artifacts from the 19th century, although the metal is also used for porringers, plates, cutlery and jewelry

[swheeler]

Herb; looks like it will come in handy to sweeten up ww or lead. I also was gifted over 400 lbs of sheet lead, came from one of the dams here. I have about three friends that keep an ear to the ground for "scrap lead" and I end up with everything from radio-active isotope containers to linotype, usually for an 18 pack or one half weight for smelting it down into ingots. Sometimes it just pays to be a nice guy! Scooter

[swheeler]

A few hours ago I unplugged the pot full of melted pewter, I just walked out there and looked at it, it didn't shrink back like lead or the other alloys I use, left a smooth surface just barely concave on top.