Casting with pewter question

[beefcake]

I've recently made a mold for some things I'll be casting in pewter. I have a ladel,  Gloves, heating element and was wondering do I need a mask when working with pewter? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[WitchfinderGeneral]

You don't need a mask, you won't heat it so much that it's starting to smoke. But eye protection is never wrong!

[beefcake]

Thanks. Much appreciated.
I did a test a few days ago and there was some smoke so maybe I'll turn the temp down or it may have been smoke from something else as I imagine the smoke would have to be pretty high temperature.

[WillieB]

One of the best investments I ever made was an electrical melting pot. It was/is produced by Lee Precision and is in fact meant for casting bullets. Lyman also makes a really good melting pot but I find the Lee ones more comfortable to work with. The pouring spouts really makes your work so much simpler.

Watch the colour of your pewter mix. If it starts to turn blue-ish the temperature is probably too high regardless of what the thermometer says.

Every now and then, flux your mix. Add a -very small- ball of paraffin to the hot metal. It WILL start to smoke immediately (non- toxic)  but immediately afterwards all the dross in the metal will float to the surface. Skim it with a table spoon,not your ladle.

If possible wear an (preferably leather or reinforced) apron, shooting glasses and high leather shoes. Keep all water away from your casting 'zone'. My friend Tom horribly burned his foot when  his casting ladle slipped out of the wooden handle.

Don't cast continuously. Let the moulds cool down after a few castings. Steel moulds are better at this than for example aluminium ones. The latter will start to warp after as little as ten-12 pourings. Rubber moulds will wear out even faster.

If your mould has a cut-off plate only use a wooden stick to operate it. Never anything metal such as a hammer as it will ruin your mould. This is mostly only the case with bullet moulds so I don't suppose it will matter greatly to you.

Recently poured hot metal is still soft even after solidifying! Drop your castings on a soft terry cloth or similar. A folded towel is perfect.

Hope this helps a bit?

[beefcake]

Thanks WillieB, very helpful. I might have a look at one of those melting pots. I did a test cast last night and it was quite pitted. I assume the thing I'm casting is too big (about 200g of pewter) and the pewter was solidifying as I poured so maybe I'll keep it on the heat longer rather than pouring too early (in my enthusiasm). Still, it's another fun part of the hobby I've delved into and will keep it up. Mostly just to make armatures for sculpting quicker.

Thanks again

[WillieB]

Thanks WillieB, very helpful. I might have a look at one of those melting pots. I did a test cast last night and it was quite pitted. I assume the thing I'm casting is too big (about 200g of pewter) and the pewter was solidifying as I poured so maybe I'll keep it on the heat longer rather than pouring too early (in my enthusiasm). Still, it's another fun part of the hobby I've delved into and will keep it up. Mostly just to make armatures for sculpting quicker.

Thanks again

200 grams of pewter is indeed quite hefty. In this case you may need to pre-heat the mould a bit.
I know I shouldn't say this but adding a bit more pure lead to your mixture will substantially improve almost any casting. (naughty) But you didn't hear this from me...
Below a link to the melting pots. I have the Pro 4 and very, very happy with it.

http://leeprecision.com/bullet-casting/electric-melters-or-furnaces/

A little more expensive but I have heard good things about it. I used to have an earlier model but apparently it's no longer available.

http://www.lymanproducts.com/lyman/bullet-casting/mag25furnace.php

A friend of mine uses this one, but again a lot more expensive than the Lee models and I find it a little awkward to use.

http://www.rcbs.com/Products/Bullet-Casting/Accessories/Pro-Melt-Furnace-120-VAC.aspx

[mrtn]

Thanks. Much appreciated.
I did a test a few days ago and there was some smoke so maybe I'll turn the temp down or it may have been smoke from something else as I imagine the smoke would have to be pretty high temperature.

There's a pretty high chance that the smoke was from impurities in the metal, especially if you melted down old minis or similar.
I've cast metal models in Prince August moulds since I was a kid, and I haven't burned myself (apart from a couple of ouches) or had any serious problems.
Pitting can either be a cold mould, as WillieB said, but it could also be your release agent, or whatever it's called. I'm dusting my mould with talc and that helps making tiny airways the air can escape when you pour the metal. BTW, I assume you're gravity casting and not spin-casting?

[beefcake]

Yep, gravity casting. I'm using "new" pewter, not old minis. I don't think I could ever do that even to the most ugly, easily accessible sculpts in the world if I ended up getting them for free.  The smoking stopped relatively quickly after melting the pewter so it was probably impurities.

[mrtn]

Well, it's not as if I melt down whole armies, but you do end up with quite a few unwanted bits. Like the sprues you get heads and hats on from many companies (Warlord for example), and just weird oddities you end up with. The pegasus someone had stolen the wings from, for example.

BTW, what did you make your mould from? I've often thought about making my own moulds, but never got around to it yet.

[beefcake]

Well, it's not as if I melt down whole armies, but you do end up with quite a few unwanted bits. Like the sprues you get heads and hats on from many companies (Warlord for example), and just weird oddities you end up with. The pegasus someone had stolen the wings from, for example.

Good use of those extr bits.
I guess I do use trimmings off integral bases if they are big enough.

I use this rubber

https://www.fibreglassshop.co.nz/products/mold-max-performance-silicone-rubber

Mold Max. Useful for resin etc too which is a bonus in my books.