Pewter riddle

[ilcop22]

What looks like pewter, says it's pewter, and acts like pewter, but doesn't melt like pewter?

I picked up a few pewter plates today at the local GoodWill for about 12 smackers. I took them home, smashed them into manageable bits and proceeded to melt. That didn't quite work out as expected. They would melt, but only into to a thick paste-like mixture... And only after cranking my pot to the highest level and letting it set for a good twenty minutes. I tried mixing it into molten lead, fluxing it, etc. etc. Im beginning to wonder what this "pewter" is actually made of. IIRC, pewter is 90%+ tin, and tin melts at around 450*F, which well below the temperature of my pot. I'm stumped.

It's not aluminum, because my pot just doesn't get hot enough for that. Here's to hoping someone can help solve my riddle of the mysterious "pewter".

A couple of clues - Two of the plates were made by Saxton and are marked as Saxton Pewter. Another of the plates is made by Wilton Columbia, which may be Armetale (but still puzzling as to why it would melt...)

[Matt3357]

i bought a couple of candle holders that I thought were pewter one time. Took forever to melt and would do nothing but float on my melt. The best I could figure was they were zinc or something. They were super hard and made a ting sound when dropped on concrete. Dunno what it was but sounds just like your experience except mine looked like lead when melted, super liquidy.

Matt

[lwknight]

All Wilton is armatale which is not pewter.
Don't know about the other.

BTW. you did not get burned buying Wilton if you got it cheap.
That stuff is expensive high quality ware.

[ilcop22]

All Wilton is armatale which is not pewter.
Don't know about the other.

BTW. you did not get burned buying Wilton if you got it cheap.
That stuff is expensive high quality ware.

Good to know, thanks. Regarding the plate, I now have a high quality pile of not-pewter! What I got goes for $5 off eBay, though.

[imashooter2]

Sexton (not Saxton) is the same as Wilton. Real pewter is thin and bends easily. If it looks cast, it probably isn't pewter.

[Defcon-One]

"Armetale metal is a unique, non-toxic aluminum-based alloy, making it ideal for cooking and entertaining."

Your pot gets hotter than you think!