Pewter or Something else???

[longusmc]

72788

I found this mug at a thrift shop today but passed on it as I wasn't sure if it was pewter or not. There was a hallmark on the bottom but it was worn down and I couldn't make out what it said.

[dbosman]

Squeeze the top. Pewter will flex or bend. Aluminum or pot metal won't.

[jsizemore]

Not pewter. That's an aluminum alloy. Probably Wilton or Pewterx ware.

[hickfu]

Not pewter. That's an aluminum alloy. Probably Wilton or Pewterx ware.

Yup, it is an aluminum based metal... I see it all the time at thrift stores and they list it as pewter. Always look at the bottom and if you see a hallmark of WRP, put it back and look elsewhere.

Doc

[longusmc]

Thanks! The hallmark is the first thing I look for but this one is so worn that I couldn't make out what it said.

[imashooter2]

Real pewter mugs look like these. Thin bodies, no casting seam, handles are soldered on, not cast in:

http://home.comcast.net/~imashooter2/pictures/mug600.jpghttp://home.comcast.net/~imashooter2/pictures/muga-600.jpghttp://home.comcast.net/~imashooter2/pictures/jeffcup-600.jpghttp://home.comcast.net/~imashooter2/pictures/can-mugs.jpg

[383]

72788

I found this mug at a thrift shop today but passed on it as I wasn't sure if it was pewter or not. There was a hallmark on the bottom but it was worn down and I couldn't make out what it said.

I picked up something similar at a yard sale because I thought it was Pewter.:(

[Iron Mike Golf]

1. Pewter vessels (mugs, urns, pots, etc) aren't cast. When pewter is cast (plates, for example), it isn't done in sand. When you see the pebble texture from the sand mold, it's likely aluminum.

2. Pewter can be polished up to look nearly like silver. Polished aluminum is "whiter" than silver, which is "whiter" than polished pewter. Pewter is not often highly polished, at least the stuff I have seen in my travels. It has a burnished look from being formed by turning and using wooden shaping tools.

3. With experience (and not a whole lot is needed), you'll be able to identify on sight and then use other things to confirm. In the beginning, stick to looking for "pewter" stamped in the bottom. On German pieces, you may see "95% Zinn" (Zinn is German for tin).

4. Oxidized pewter is a deep gray, not black like tarnished silver or silver plate. It can also have sort of a "waxy" feel to it that doesn't scrape off with your fingernail.

5. Aluminum and pewter can both be treated with chemicals that blacken the metal. With pewter you see this most often in figurines. Sometimes on commemorative plates.

6. If pewter has been poorly stored, you might see patches of corrosion (from other metals being in contact with moisture present) or white scale deposit (usually as spots)

7. As said before, small parts of pewter are joined by soldering. Steel is joined by spot welding. Aluminum is joined by riveting. Pewter is relatively weak (compared to aluminum and steel). I often roll platters and plates into a tube by hand before smelting. Can't do that to steel or aluminum.

[BBQJOE]

I often roll platters and plates into a tube by hand before smelting. Can't do that to steel or aluminum.
Doesn't that tend to piss the owner off at garage sales? ;-)

[Iron Mike Golf]

Doesn't that tend to piss the owner off at garage sales? ;-)

Heh. I usually wait until I get home. But once our cart was getting full and I did roll it up right after purchasing. I had already told the seller I was going to use it in bullet casting. She thought it was interesting. That piece was pretty beat up already. She got wide eyed as I spindled the platter. She didn't know you could do that to pewter.

[kevindtimm]

3. With experience (and not a whole lot is needed), you'll be able to identify on sight and then use other things to confirm. In the beginning, stick to looking for "pewter" stamped in the bottom. On German pieces, you may see "95% Zinn" (Zinn is German for tin).



I skipped a bunch of this yesterday at a flea market outside of Houston as I (wrongly) assumed it was zinc :(
However, I did pick up quite a bit of 'Peltro' (Italian for pewter), maybe 5-10lbs for $15 and another 1 lb. candlestick for $.50 :)

[sd61]

Greetings all,
Been lurking fo a while on this great site, this is my first post...I'm new to realoading and cast and been on the lookout for some cheap Tin. Walked into a Goodwill store and found some pewter (or so I think, please let me know what you think) photo frames. They are fairly heavy given the size, bend and can be nicked easily. Put a torch on one of them and it melts right away...all indications are, that this is pewter. They seem to be fairly modern design and the only marking is "ESC", no clue what it means, perhaps a manufacturer stamp. Bought 4 of them for $6 and they weigh abot 2 1/2 lb. What kind of Tin % should I expect? They have some kind of clear varnish on them, should I remove it before melting? Thanks in advance for your advice....
I don't mean to highjack your thread "longusmc", but figured if there's already a thread on the subject I'll just tag along and don't open a new one, hope this is OK...
sd61
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s527/sd61/Pewter/IMG-20130708-00133_zps94ae5d1c.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/sd61/media/Pewter/IMG-20130708-00133_zps94ae5d1c.jpg.html)
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s527/sd61/Pewter/IMG-20130708-00134_zpsf146e1f1.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/sd61/media/Pewter/IMG-20130708-00134_zpsf146e1f1.jpg.html)
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s527/sd61/Pewter/IMG-20130708-00135_zps4a17183b.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/sd61/media/Pewter/IMG-20130708-00135_zps4a17183b.jpg.html)

[imashooter2]

Any pewter made in the last 25 years would be at least 85% tin. I would alloy a small piece of one of them into a small amount of lead to confirm the properties before I took a chance in a larger melt. The varnish or coating, whatever it is, will burn right off.