Lead pewter vs. Lead free pewter. Your experience requested.

[Horseman1]

Hi,

First thread on the forum, so pardon my ignorance. I'm learning and cant wait to start casting my own, but I'm not there yet. Been reloading for quite a while, but not an old seasoned pro.

I've been collecting range scrap from my little range for a while and have purchased some pewter from some of the local junk stores in town. I've been making ingots from them and have collected a total of 34 lbs of range scrap (so far) and about 9 lbs of pewter. I know, pretty small time, but lead is like hen's teeth around here. Pewter is much easier to find at the moment.

I figure making ingots is a good way to begin and I have the stuff available to begin doing that piece and it is really fun. I had no idea.... :)

Anyway, besides my range scrap, I hope to find a decent source of lead some day. In the meantime, I have been collecting pewter and making ingots. All the pewter I have (s)melted down so far has been kitchenware, suitable for food. The other day I found a picture frame with a stupid looking cat on the front that appeared and claimed to be pewter. His tail bent like butter, but his head broke off :). So, in the little pot it went (by itself). Well, it melts at about the right temperature (I have no thermometer capable of measuring at these temperatures, but it seemed about right) and the resulting ingot looks much smoother and better than any other pewter ingot I have made so far. I suspect it is lead pewter instead of lead free like I have seen so far. However, this is just a guess... What do you think?

This piece cleaned up nice, poured an ingot that was much smoother and filled out better with no evidence of air bubbles. I did get some amount of the usual rough part that was exposed with an open pour. The typical tin yellowish color was evident. You think this pewter has some lead in it? My feeling is that it is different than the other pewter alloys I have melted and made ingots out of. Being a picture frame, you suppose it could be lead/pewter? I think so.

BTW, I flux with sawdust once and then give it a little wax from some old candles. Nothing funny and used the procedures I have seen on this forum. I've had great luck so far and this is no exception to that rule, it just seemed "different".

Thanks tons

[RogerDat]

Just a thought on the scarcity of lead you are experiencing. The swapping and selling section of the forum will often have WW ingots for around $1 a lb. which is a pretty decent price. Pewter on the other hand is a good deal more expensive, I think currently around $10 a lb. on the forum. You might be able to do some trading of pewter for lead, or pewter and cash for lead.

Your going to want a thermometer. Molten metal temp and/or mold temp can influence ingot appearance a lot. Not to mention cast boolits. This one from Tel-True is decent, right temp range and a lot less than the name brand ones such as Lyman. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0055777EU/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_3?pf_rd_p=1944687742&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B001TQ8Y6Q&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1NCX6NFX4Y562J2H2RZZ

Smoother and no air bubbles could mean different alloy or just different temperature.

BTW - 9# of pewter is a pretty decent start on building up a stash in my book. Try calling the scrap yards to see if any around you will sell lead to the public. Good hunting.

[imashooter2]

It is unlikely that any pewter made in the last 30 - 40 years has any more than trace lead in it. And even if it is old leaded pewter there is no more than 15%. Use it as pure tin and stop worrying. :)

[Horseman1]

Thanks for the feedback. Good info on the lead pewter time frames. This couldn't have been very old. As I recall it was made in Taiwan. Not worried, just trying to understand when something acts differently when I didn't expect it and learn stuff along the way. Maybe I just did a better job with the cleanup and the temperature this last time? It really is a much nicer ingot. Every once in a while a mushroom will find a blind pig. Thanks for the information on the lead and the thermometer link, too. Now, to go find some more lead. Will pick up a thermometer when the budget lines up and her majesty is in an especially good mood.

[Horseman1]

Hi,

You guys were right. I went and remelted the ingot and didn't get it as hot as before. Now it looks just as crappy as the other ones :). Thanks, I know what I'm doing wrong now!

Regards

[bangerjim]

There is a ton of cheap garbage made in India and China today that could be anything in a Pb/Sn mix. Those frames are probably chaap inports and could be made of anything castable.

If they appear to have Sn in them, use it!

banger