Motorola Razor Flash Files

Pewter casting involves melting pewter, which is a mixture of mostly tin and sometimes silver, antimony, lead, or any number of alloying metals that can make the tin base either harder or softer, melt at different temperatures, or add sharpness to details in the casting. Pewter melts at around 230 degrees Celsius, and is best poured at 325 degrees Celsius, depending on the alloy. Most modern pewter alloys do not have lead, and are safe for human use. If you don’t know where the metal came from though, assume it has lead in it.

Melting Metal

I melt my pewter in a cast iron ladle, heated with either a propane or MAP gas torch. Once the pewter is fluid, I cast it into the mold using a dipper, or sometimes just an old metal table spoon. The pewter will freeze almost immediately in a cold mold, but may take some time to set up fully once the mold is hot after multiple casts. Be sure that the pewter is solid before opening your mold to prevent coming in contact with molten pewter.