AY Honors/Pewter Casting/Answer Key

Pewter Casting

Skill Level

1

Year

2023

Version

23.12.2024

Approval authority

North American Division

1

Read and discuss with your instructor or group how the following verses could apply to our lives:

1a

Malachi 3:2-3

²"But who can endure the day of His coming?

And who can stand when He appears?
For He is like a refiner’s fire
And like launderers’ soap.

³ He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver;
He will purify the sons of Levi,
And purge them as gold and silver,
That they may offer to the Lord

An offering in righteousness.
— Malachi 3:2-3 (NKJV)

1b

1 Chronicles 28:18

¹⁸ and refined gold by weight for the altar of incense, and for the construction of the chariot, that is, the gold cherubim that spread their wings and overshadowed the ark of the covenant of the Lord.
— 1 Chronicles 28:18 (NKJV)

2

Write a paragraph, explain or give a presentation to your instructor or group about the history of pewter.

The websites of Fellowship Foundry Pewtersmiths and Cosi Tabellini are some good websites to read about the history of pewter.

3

Define the following in the context of pewter casting:

3a

Die

3b

Mold

A mold must be made before melting the pewter. Molds can be made from various materials including steel, MDF, silica sand or oil-based casting sands also called Delft Clay, according to [www.technologyStudent.com Technology Student].

3c

Melting

To melt pewter, one method is to set a casting (metal) ladle with pieces of pewter in it on a nonflammable surface with fire brick on either side in an "L" shape. When the flame of a torch is reflected off of the bricks, the pewter will melt to form a molten liquid. The caster can use other methods to accomplish this.

3d

Casting

Once melted, the molten pewter can be poured into the mold. To avoid injury, the mold should have been set in sand or on another type of non-flammable surface, to catch any spills. Safety gear should be worn. The mold should not be set on anything cold because spilled molten pewter splatters.

3e

Removal

Once the pewter has cooled, the mold can be taken apart and the casting removed. The casting can then be worked with hand tools to remove the waste material.

4

List at least eight safety considerations to take while casting pewter or any metal.

The following are a few safety tips that one should know when dealing with casting pewter:

• Wear eye protection, gloves, spats (covering the top of feet) or closed-toe shoes, and thick clothing protecting all exposed skin on arms and legs. NO polyester or synthetic clothing.
• The pouring area shall be clear of all objects not involved in pouring.
• Clamp or weight up molds that require it.
• Metal added to heat must be free of moisture and impurities.
• Metal added to heat during melt must be preheated.
• Skimmers and other melting tools must be preheated before use.
• Move Slowly while removing crucible (ladle) from the furnace and moving to mold.
• Do not look into exhaust during operation.
• Inspect crucibles before use.
• Inspect propane lines (if using a propane furnace).
• Use outdoors only.

5

List some types of pewter and the percentages of all components of each type.

• Britannia pewter: Typically about 92% tin, 6% antimony and 2% copper.
• Pewter with bismuth: Typically about 97-99% tin, 3-1% bismuth and silver.

6

List two ways to make a die. Make a die using one of these techniques.

• 3D-print a die
• Carve one out of wood or cuttlefish bone. Cuttlefish bone can be purchased in the pet supply section of most stores.

Dies can also be purchased.

7

List three materials molds can be made from. Use one of these materials to make a mold.

• Cuttlefish bone
• Wood
• Silicone
• Delft clay

Toothbrush or soft brush to clean die.

8

Complete the following:

8a

List the steps to casting molten metal.

1. Heat to 550-650 (or until completely liquid)
2. List the 5 steps to casting the metal into a mold
3. Make sure mold is free of debris
4. Heat pewter till it is a liquid
5. Skim any debris from the surface of the pewter
6. Carefully pour the pewter into the mold
7. Let pewter cool in the mold

Basic supply list and suggested suppliers:

Item	Supplier
Charcoal chimney	Lowes, Home Depot, etc.
Charcoal	Lowes, Walmart (or anywhere you can get it cheap)
Items to start the charcoal (lighters, lighter fluid, etc.)	Lowes, Walmart, Home Depot, etc.
Delft clay	Amazon, Etsy
Pewter (Britannia) This is the lead-free/food grade type	Amazon, Rotometal, Hallmark Metals
Charcoal chimney	Lowes, Home Depot, etc.

8b

Demonstrate these steps by casting a pewter object.

Resources