Tin/Pewter

[DerekP Houston]

I can relate to that too.

Chris, your gonna hate me again, cause I stopped at the thrift store, and found another 5lbs of Pewter for $13.

I must just be lucky.......

Yall are tempting me to go make the rounds again and I just got a lovely box of 13lbs delivered.

[PBaholic]

I may have not got what I wanted but I found this duck at an estate sale for 6.00 said pewter and hong kong on the bottom. http://www.ebay.com/itm/TRINKET-BOX-...UAAOSwZVhWT3wL

I found a vase similar to that duck.

It had no markings, but was darker than Pewter. It scratched VERY easily with a brass key, and I could be scratched by Pewter.

I melted it, and I checked it's hardness today. Rather than the BHN 30+ I usually get with Pewter, it came back at only BHN 12.5.

This is a LEAD alloy, rather than Pewter!

[DerekP Houston]

my son is having to much fun banging all the assorted pewter tins/mugs/pitchers that showed up....I'm not allowed to melt it all down now! Shot my self in the foot with that idea.

[Chris C]

I took delivery on a beautiful coffee pot, creamer and sugar bowl today. So beautiful I was afraid I might not melt it......so took a hammer to it before I could make that mistake.

[Skooterr]

Anyone have any info on Wilcox Pewter? I searched here, and no info came up.
Ran across a sugar n creamer at a house sale today. Roughly 3" wide, 4" high tapered, cylindrical shape similar to the pic below. Wanted $5, wouldn't come off ticketed price today, maybe tomorrow. Being new to this, I just wanted to see if it was worth it. From the casting/melting standpoint, is there a rough approximation of what pewter should be worth by the ounce, or pound? I don't care about the price as much as what I would be getting for the pewter quality. We're not exactly talking about a Carnegie/Mellon/Rockefeller deal here!!!

[PBaholic]

I took delivery on a beautiful coffee pot, creamer and sugar bowl today. So beautiful I was afraid I might not melt it......so took a hammer to it before I could make that mistake.

Too funny

I had a bunch of Pewter on the table a few months back, and the wife knows I melt it. All of a sudden I noticed a couple pieces were missing from the table and up on the shelf in the living room.......

[PBaholic]

Anyone have any info on Wilcox Pewter?

Wilcox Pewter was purchased by International Silver in 1898, so if they are marked Wilcox, they are older than that. Just because they are old does not make them valuable. Pewter was the poor mans Silver, before there was Silver plating. There is a set of those on eBay right now for $20, and looks like it's been there a while.

Most Pewter made in the last 100 years does not contain lead, but older Pewter might. Typically any Pewter that was used for food did not contain lead. I recently ran across some Pewter that was darker in color, and it ended up being lead alloy. The hardness was only BHN 12.5, which put it at about 60% lead and 40% tin. If you can scratch it with your thumbnail it's lead.

Tin sells for >$10/lb, and lead <$1/lb. Modern Pewter is at least 92% tin, and usually higher than that.

You will be lucky to get 8 oz out of those 2 pieces together, so even $5 would put it at $10/lb. If they are heavier than that, it is another sign that it might be lead based, as the lead is heavier than tin.

[Skooterr]

Tin sells for <$10/lb, and lead >$1/lb. Modern Pewter is at least 92% tin, and usually higher than that.

You will be lucky to get 8 oz out of those 2 pieces together, so even $5 would put it at $10/lb. If they are heavier than that, it is another sign that it might be lead based, as the lead is heavier than tin.

Thanks, I figured they were about 3 or 4 oz. each. We usually go to 1 or 2 Estate sales on Sat. If I'm back that way today I'll stop in. I probably ran by lots of this stuff, just never really interested before. We only go to older home Estate sales, not looking for antiques, but mainly tools, hunting/fishing stuff, Pyrex and kitchen stuff from the 50s and 60s. I guess I've passed on lots of pewter stuff over the years, seen a lot of mugs, serving stuff, candle holders, etc., just wasn't looking at the time.

[PBaholic]

Thanks, I figured they were about 3 or 4 oz. each. We usually go to 1 or 2 Estate sales on Sat. If I'm back that way today I'll stop in. I probably ran by lots of this stuff, just never really interested before. We only go to older home Estate sales, not looking for antiques, but mainly tools, hunting/fishing stuff, Pyrex and kitchen stuff from the 50s and 60s. I guess I've passed on lots of pewter stuff over the years, seen a lot of mugs, serving stuff, candle holders, etc., just wasn't looking at the time.

Try Thrift Stores....

The ones in my area get Pewter in all the time. Stick to items stamped "Pewter" on their bottoms, and pay attention to their weight. I like to keep purchases under $4/lb.

[Skooterr]

Stopped back, got them, and a couple other things in a milk crate buried under a table, not sure what they where, but I took a chance on them, $7 total.
Was then going about 20 mi, for Sat Dinner, at favorite restaurant, stopped at a yard sale on the highway, after 6PM. I found a tray/plate marked pewter by Reed & Barton, $1.
The vessels in pic are marked 4, E P, A Quality, 922, doesn't scratch with fingernail, but does with a key, not as soft as scraping a car battery post, if that makes sense. All handles and bases soldered, larger one has what appears to be ceramic rings as decor, on the handles.

[PBaholic]

The vessels in pic are marked 4, E P, A Quality, 922, doesn't scratch with fingernail

EP stands for Electro Plate. It is silver plate, and is unlikely to be Pewter.

Take your items, and tink them with something like a pocket knife. If there is a ring to them, they are not Pewter. Pewter will have more of a thud.

[HangFireW8]

There is such a thing as silver plated Pewter, but it is rare. Thus usually Electro Plate is to be avoided, but if it is soft and creeks when bent, take a chance! Trace amounts of Silver in alloys makes for a good hard boolit.

[Skooterr]

Another lesson learned. Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks.
After I paid, I set my stuff aside, went for a last look around, picked out a Haynes Jeep manual for my son, and a Miller Falls hacksaw took them up to the table the lady waived me off, said they're yours, "Have a nice day.' So I may have struck out on the pewter, but it still turned out ok. The small plateds will now hold my pens, pencils, etc, and small files, drifts, etc. A step up from the red Folgers cans.

The Hacksaw.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Millers-Fall...MAAOSwyDxXhSec

[Sekatoa]

PBaholic, awesome chart! Seems to be basically what the Lee hardness tester does, but using a drill press and scale as an alternative method.


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[PBaholic]

PBaholic, awesome chart! Seems to be basically what the Lee hardness tester does, but using a drill press and scale as an alternative method.

Thanks

Some have attacked it, one person even calling it a Rube Goldberg approach, but the science behind it is sound. This is close to how Brinell himself tested metal hardness, except he used a 7/16" ball bearing.

It has it's limitations, as it is only usable into the BHN 20's as I have it stated. Otherwise the measurement gets too difficult. You can always go to a larger point, or higher pressure to make the indent larger.

Yes, this is exactly what Lee is doing, except I'm using more pressure to get more accurate results. The 200 lbs isn't all that critical, as there isn't much difference between 190 and 210 lbs on the indent. Since you are using more pressure, you get better results as you are no longer measuring at just the surface, but also the metal below the surface. Lee wants you to cut the sample in half, and test the insides.

For those who haven't seen the chart, here it is: