Smelting pewter

[Hardcast416taylor]

I just acquired about 25 more pounds of marked pewter more (don`t ask for pics - PLEASE) today. I know how I am probably going to proceed this Spring in smelting my pile down but must first ask the following. Smelting the pieces in a large dutch oven over a burner - YES or NO? Use a LEE aluminum ingot mold or a Lyman cast iron ingot mold? Smelting the pewter, what manner of fluxing to use saw dust or something else? Smelting wheel weights is one thing I`m fine with, just a little shaky in how to approach pewter. Almost have enough place settings for the `Farkle` family!Robert

[TexasGrunt]

I use my old Lee 10 lb drip-o-matic to smelt the small amounts of pewter I'm able to find. Makes it easy to drop into my Do-It slab mold.

[imashooter2]

I have melted well over 700 pounds of pewter, all of it in electric dipper furnaces. A Dutch oven would certainly work, but it would be way to big for only 25 pounds of metal and I like the easy heat control that the electric pots give me. Pewter melts at considerably lower temperature than lead alloys... about 460 degrees F. I flux with saw dust and stir with a paint stirrer stick from the home store. I find it works much better if the melt temperature is 550- 600 degrees F.

Easiest way I have found to get the items ready for the pot is a 3 pound drilling hammer and a good vise. Tear off any feet, handles or spouts by clamping in the vise and twisting. Roll plates and trays. Crush bowls and pots into crude cylinders. Feed them into the pot as they melt.

Molds are pretty subjective. A 20 pound pot only uses a few ounces to get a 2% addition. A big Dutch oven full of alloy would need much more. I find it a lot easier to put in more small ingots than part of a big one, so I pour ~2 ounce ingots with a Lyman dipper in a pair of Potter #107 molds. The small sections of a Lee ingot mold are similar size. Casting big Lyman bricks would work just fine, but the end product would be more hassle (for me) to use.

[TexasGrunt]

My pewter slabs are right at one ounce each. Perfect for alloying in my 20 lb pot.

[jsizemore]

I try to do 75-100 lbs at a time so my pewter alloy is predictable. I use a 10 quart dutch oven with the turkey cooker turned way low. I flux it just like Pb or COWW. Ladled 2-3 ounces each pour makes for a long afternoon even with a bunch of molds.

[TexasGrunt]

I try to do 75-100 lbs at a time so my pewter alloy is predictable. I use a 10 quart dutch oven with the turkey cooker turned way low. I flux it just like Pb or COWW. Ladled 2-3 ounces each pour makes for a long afternoon even with a bunch of molds.

Must be nice. I picked up four ounces yesterday.

[jsizemore]

Must be nice. I picked up four ounces yesterday.

Used to take about 3-6 months to get enough together to have a smelting session. Now it takes a year.

[Hardcast416taylor]

[QUOTE=jsizemore;3934694]I try to do 75-100 lbs at a time so my pewter alloy is predictable. I use a 10 quart dutch oven with the turkey cooker turned way low. I flux it just like Pb or COWW. Ladled 2-3 ounces each pour makes for a long afternoon even with a bunch of molds.[/QUOT

That is about my gross total of pewter at present, always looking though. You have told me your method of smelting, this is about the method I had thought to use also. Robert

[boho]

I use my lee bottom pour and a round ball mold one size for pewter and one size for 60-40 solder from the radiator shop

[tomme boy]

I have had to go to 4 different larger cities for Dr. appnts over the last year. I hit up every Goodwill and Salvation Army place in each town. Some have 2-3 stores in each. I have got close to 30 lbs. I bet about $50 in total cash out for it. Plus I found some really cool pieces the misses claimed before I could get them put away. She loves them little teddy bear figurines. I think she confiscated 6 of them already.

[lightman]

I never find pewter around here. I have to get my tin from solder. I would flux with wax and cast it into large bullets. If you cast for any of the larger calibers like the ones that you donated to my collection the size would be about right for adding to a pot. The Lee aluminum ingot mold using the 2 smaller cavities would be my second choice. Yeah, I know, it would take a while to cast 100# of pewter into 500 grain bullets!

[RU shooter]

I melted mine down in a Dutch oven also but I ingotize it in smaller bars I made a set of small angles 1/2x1/2 "x 6" and pour the pewter in those since I only need smaller amounts