Anyone Tried Casting Buckles In Pewter?

[UKRay]

Has anyone ever tried casting buckles in lead-free pewter? Apparently it isn't too difficult but I'd like to hear from anyone who has actually done this and hopefully see some of the results.

Also brass, bronze and any other metal - pictures would be greatly appreciated especially of the casting process.

Ray

[mendedbowl]

Ray,

I haven't done any yet, but casting metal has interested me lately also. I have a little past experience doing blacksmith and farrier work, so I'm familiar with the "fun" of working with hot metal.

I've been viewing a lot of interesting videos on Youtube about home metal casting, foundries, and furnaces. There's one series of nice demonstration videos by a man there in the UK who makes his own working engine models. Not sure where in the UK, it would be wonderful if he is close enough for you to visit

For regular buckles I think it would be easier and cheaper to buy what's already available, but for unique, one off, or restoration work; casting it yourself would be ideal.

Are you wishing to recreate a buckle that you already have in hand, or make something totally new?

ken

[UKRay]

I'm looking to re-create historic buckles and fittings, Ken. The sort of thing that was used in medieval times on belts, pouches and other leathergoods.

Ray

[scottishshoemaker]

Check out Trylon we use them for other things. Hopefully should be able to help, I would be interested in re-enactment style buckles.

[UKRay]

Thanks, George - most useful!

Ray

[Suze]

I've always wondered just how "sturdy" some of that low melt pewter is.

I see it a lot at SCA events for sale and it just seems "fragile?" to me. Like it would bend and break easy.

Of couse I am pretty hard on my belts....

[mendedbowl]

Ray,

If you're interested in brass or bronze, or anything that requires a little more heat, maybe you can find something of use here

The gentleman in the UK who makes models, uses aluminum but you might find his set up interesting. this is his youtube page here

ken

[mendedbowl]

Just remembered this site...maybe they have something you like already made fetteredcockpewters

[dirtclod]

That's just pretty durn intresting. Thanks for posting the link.

[Suze]

did you go to the "naughty bits" section?

fun stuff

>eyebrow wiggle<

[roo4u]

anybody ever tried the metal clays....gold silver copper bronze and steel are available....i am thinking of using it to make findings for my braiding.

[Scary Leatherworks]

back yard metal casting

Check out this guy. Hours of information for the novice metal caster. lots of How-to stuff

[mendedbowl]

did you go to the "naughty bits" section?

fun stuff

>eyebrow wiggle<

Suze their naughty bits section is why i remembered the site

[amuckart]

Hi Ray,

There are two quite different topics here. Pewter is easy to cast and melts at a low temperature requiring little in the way of safety equipment.

Brass, bronze etc are very different beasts requiring serious heat and safety kit to do.

You can cast pewter in high-temperature RTV, which is the easiest way. The medieval way is to use soapstone, which carves easily and burnishes smooth. You can use plaster of paris, but whatever you use it has to be completely dry. Pewter casts at a temperature that causes water to flash into steam which can blow your mold up, spraying hot metal everywhere. If you use RTV you can sculpt a model and use it to build the mold, if you use soapstone you have to carve the negative, which takes a fair bit of practice.

The single most important bit of advice I've heard regarding pewter casting is to make sure your work surface tilts slightly away from you so that if you accidentally dump an entire crucible of metal it doesn't run off into your lap

You can melt pewter (britannia metal) on a stovetop, or in a metal ladle with an LPG torch. Safety kit wise a face shield and welding gloves are sufficient, but a good apron is also a good plan.

This may be useful: http://chestofbooks....ing-Pewter.html

I presume you have Dress Accessories and The Medieval Household?

[amuckart]

I've always wondered just how "sturdy" some of that low melt pewter is.

I see it a lot at SCA events for sale and it just seems "fragile?" to me. Like it would bend and break easy.

Of couse I am pretty hard on my belts....

It worked for medieval people I've had a pewter-buckled belt for about 8 years now, and it's just fine. Of course, it was made from decent britannia metal, not recycled thrift store tankards.

[AndyL1]

I've thought about doing some metal clay work... really only thought about it at this point as it's a whole new set of tools and workspace I'd need to set up, but the results look fantastic! I did find this great site with everything you may need, plus there are forums and YouTube vids on the topic as well:

http://www.cooltools.us/

-Andy

[Skald]

Has anyone ever tried casting buckles in lead-free pewter? Apparently it isn't too difficult but I'd like to hear from anyone who has actually done this and hopefully see some of the results.

Also brass, bronze and any other metal - pictures would be greatly appreciated especially of the casting process.

Ray

I've done quite a lot of casting in pewter, brass and silver. The casting itself isn't really rocket science, it's the mould making part that's difficult. For pewter, there are these RTV silicone compunds that you can buy, which are highly recommended. You don't need any particular equipment to get that going, piece of cake - if you just sniff up some basic tutorials to get going. You can of course also make sand castings, but that's a bit more tricky, depending on what you are about to make. Sand castings can't take "negative angles" (naturally), if you do, you'll ruin the mould as you try to remove your model. The detail level isn't really good either, and another downside is that you have to make the mould anew for each casting. The positive aspect is that you can cast almost anything in sand form, an RTV silicone mould can't take much heat, even low melting point metals like pewter will ruin it in the extent. You can probably make a good mould out of limestone too, but that's more or less an artform in itself.

Those are the realistic small scale/beginner alternatives. Then there are of course alternatives like plaster moulds, where you use the "lost wax" method (i.e. mould a wax model into the plaster, burn the wax out of it - pour in silver or whatever, and crack the mould open, and there you are). There are also these kinds of rubber compounds, that require pressure and heat (equals expensive equipment). Metals like silver will require either a centrifugal sling or vacuum cabinet (those ain't for free either), otherwise like 9 out of 10 castings will look like sh*t.

So anyway, making buckles in pewter and/or brass isn't a big problem, but making a proper mold is more of a problem. For example making the loop for the belt strap in one piece with the buckle to start with, isn't all that easy. You'll have to think "tree dimensional" right from start, otherwise you'll suddenly find out that it must be done in another way, over and over again until you get it right. Such projects are perfect to elaborate over in your bed, when you can't go to sleep.

[UKRay]

Hi Ray,

There are two quite different topics here. Pewter is easy to cast and melts at a low temperature requiring little in the way of safety equipment.

Brass, bronze etc are very different beasts requiring serious heat and safety kit to do.

Y

This may be useful: http://chestofbooks....ing-Pewter.html

I presume you have Dress Accessories and The Medieval Household?

I've got the reference books you mention, Al, and appreciate your advice more than you can know - particularly the tilted work surface. What a sensible idea...

I do a little silversmithing so have the wherewithall to melt 'hot' metal but have no practical experience of casting metal as yet. It is one of those 'projects' that I've been meaning to do for ages but never got around to. This year I'm going to give it a try.

The soapstone mould idea sounds like a good one, but the 'synthetic material' moulds look a whole lot easier!

Lots of food for thought.

Thanks.

Ray

[MikeCahill]

I've got the reference books you mention, Al, and appreciate your advice more than you can know - particularly the tilted work surface. What a sensible idea...

I do a little silversmithing so have the wherewithall to melt 'hot' metal but have no practical experience of casting metal as yet. It is one of those 'projects' that I've been meaning to do for ages but never got around to. This year I'm going to give it a try.

The soapstone mould idea sounds like a good one, but the 'synthetic material' moulds look a whole lot easier!

Lots of food for thought.

Thanks.

Ray

Hi ray, just remember, your mold must be bone dry before you pour molten metal into it, or you'll have hot metal flying in all directions, a friend makes badges out of old battered "pewter" beer tankards that he buys off car boot sales they look quite impressive

cheers

Mike

[UKRay]

Hi ray, just remember, your mold must be bone dry before you pour molten metal into it, or you'll have hot metal flying in all directions, a friend makes badges out of old battered "pewter" beer tankards that he buys off car boot sales they look quite impressive

cheers

Mike

Thanks, Mike. I'm ahead of you here as I have gathered a motley collection of old and battered pewter tankards that are destined to turn into buckles sometime very soon.

I also experienced 'flying metal' whilst pouring lead into a 'not quite dry' baking tin to make a punching block... a very impressive spatter of liquid lead almost put me off any more experimentation! LOL

Ray

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Take a look over at www.iforgeiron.com there are some smiths on that site that have a bit of casting experience.