How to ID pewter?

[epj]

Have 100#+ of stick on WW that I need to find some cheap source of tin to alloy with. Since pewter contains both antimony and tin, it seems it might be a good source if I can find some scrap pewter. Short of the piece being marked "pewter", how do you ID the stuff? There is a lot of pewter look alike metal out there and I suspecy at least some of it contains zinc. The wife brought a couple of pieces home from the thrift store that looked like pewter, but both turned out to be an aluminum alloy.

[qajaq59]

I have never found any real pewter and I look quite often. You could get some non lead solder and that would help you with the tin until you do find some. I have found a lot of the solder at garage sales and that saves me money. Or if you come across the solder bars that the body shops used to use before Bondo was popular, that is also rich in tin.

[kawalekm]

Check the internet to see if there are any flea markets or swap meets in your area.

I scout around local flea markets and find pewter all the time. Generally though, most people have the sense that pewter has "antique" value and some people just won't sell it dirt cheap.

On the other hand, people that have something that obviously defective, such as broken glass-bottomed pewter beer mugs will usually try getting rid of them extra cheap. I bought a set of beer mugs that way, four 20 oz mugs with broken bottums for 1$. That worked out to be tin for 20 cents a lb!

Another flea market find are used rolls of solder. I can usually pick them up for a dollar. You have to check the composition. Sometimes it's plain 50/50 solder. Sometimes though it might be 95/5 plumbing solder!


Good luck.

[captaint]

I go to thrift stores. Goodwill, etc. Real pewter is stamped on the bottom. English pewter, Henry Ford Museum pewter. Nothing by Wilton or anything that is thick and looks like cast aluminum. Real pewter is thin and bendable, other than some thick parts like handles, etc. It IS ALL stamped on the bottom, pewter. Now, go get it!! enjoy Mike

[epj]

That's what I've been finding at the thrift store, Wilton. I read on their website that it's an aluminum alloy. Might have a bit of tin, but might not too. I'll keep an eye out for stuff marked "pewter". So far, I haven't found any. The beer mugs sound like a real find. That's exactly the sort of thing I'm looking for.

[Taylor]

normally it will say pewter on the "thing" somewhere.

[epj]

Been looking at flea-bay. I bid on some beat up pewter mugs with broken bottoms. Lost out at the last moment. May be all just as well, since I really didn't know what I would be getting. A lot of that Wilton stuff is called pewter by the sellers, but it isn't even close. It looks like I can probably buy linotype for around a buck and a half to two bucks a pound including shipping. That may be the most reasonable way to go. With linotype, I'd know what I was adding to the pure lead and i would get the antimony as well as the tin.

[lwknight]

I did the fee-bay thing and did get some good pewter at the right price.
However beware that you actually get the seller to display the stamp and get them to give an accurate weight description. Those heavy looking 9"bowls actually weigh like 12 ounces. Only worth maybe $10.00 shipping included.
A lot of sellers honestly think something is pewter and its not.

You can buy real tin in pure bars from rotometals currently $13.99 per pound.
Calculate your tin benefit from the pewter and consider the shipping to see if its really cost effective.

Another caveat emptor: I have seen linotype alloyed ingots in fee bay.
They are NOT linotype
Be sure to examine the description carefully. And personally , I will not buy from those who do not respond to my email questions in a friendly and prompt manner.

[epj]

I bought some lino a year or so ago on eBay. It was still in letters, ready to print something. Looks the same as the lino I used to buy from the local printing co. years ago.

[lwknight]

The joker selling linotype alloyed ingots just means that he put some unknown linotype in his lead mix.