Pewter parts?

[Danz409]

ok. im going about my normal business finding more ways to fabricate things. i figured ill give casting a try. i gathered 3 bags of aluminum cans and melted them and got some raw aluminum out of them. was a easy and simple task. if you ignore the fact i runend 2 cast pots from being to hot with the forge... i got 3x ~12 inch long 1 inch wide bars (used a peace of PVC pipe and soil to make the forms) and re-melted the aluminum took out as much inpureatys as possible. to be honest I'm not to pleased with how smooth the bars where. they're extremely pitted and rough. so i try sand... i get the same results.. I'm told there is a special "mix" of sand that one needs to do successful castings. i did some searching on the all mighty you tube and seem to find more pewter casting then aluminum... so i was wondering... pewter looks better. it has a more silver-ish look. and melts at a lower timp. but how well would it do making saber parts out of it? has anybody messed with pewter and know if its easier to work with then aluminum. i know this isn't going to salve the pitting problem. but would be nice to find something that melts and pours easier so i won't be melting though crucibles like butter

[Raith]

I'm not a metalurgist, so i can't give you a solid answer, but i do know that pewter has a high lead content, and may not be suitable for sabers, but don't quote me on that...

[Maurnick]

It might actually be softer than aluminum.

[Danz409]

oh well. pewter may not work in that case... ill try to find out what the special "green sand" stuff is and try to buy / make some and give aluminum casting a go again

besides even though pewter may be cheaper then aluminum, aluminum is more abundant and easier to find... the stock i have now costs nothing because it was from what most would toss out as trash ^^. ill post a report on how the progress goes

[Shadar Al'Niende]

it is FAR more malleable than aluminum, most things that use pewter, i believe, alloy with something like stainless steel or some such to add strength.

Then again, im not a metallurgist either :rolleyes:

[Eco]

oh well. pewter may not work in that case... ill try to find out what the special "green sand" stuff is and try to buy / make some and give aluminum casting a go again

I highly doubt it's the same stuff, but trains often drop a green sand as they enter a city region. Check the tracks and cross reference, maybe?

[Jedi-Loreen]

Maybe it's just stuff from the chemical toilets on commuter trains. :p

[$tarkiller]

Think o it like this. If it melts at a lower temperature than alumminum, than it is most likely more delicate, and malleable than alluminum. Im sureTim has tried many many many different possbilities.

[mihunai]

As long as you dont mix the aluminium with iron-oxide, i guess it couldnt hurt if you try different solutions... i would be cool to cast your own parts though...

Good luck with this.

mTm

(P.S. Aluminium and iron-oxide makes Thermite. google it. It's brutal, dangerous and sparking awesome!)

[Kastor]

Actually I plan on doing this to cast a sleeve for my own saber. First off I'll tell you that it's a lot easier to look for information when you take it from an 'Art' perspective. Tons of artistes cast statues in all kinds of metals and with fairly little industry.

Like every one else said pewter while very easy to cast is one of the softest metals around, even griping to hard could cause the body to warp and you can get toxic particals on your hands you would need to wash every time you used your saber. I think your going to need more pure aluminum for this venture, its possible that your having a hard time because the aluminum from the cans have to many contaminates, also make sure your forge is clean of course. Look for around for some Art suppliers and books or even see if you can take a casting class near you.

Also sand casting is usually the way it's done with these kind of metals it can be hard to produce accurate reproductions. Try Plaster or Gypsum it's really tougher than it looks and can give the kind of detail you want from your Master positive and make 2 part molds that can be used over again. It can also with stand the heat of molten Aluminum.

It sounds like a lot of work but be vigilant and your rewards are endless possibilities.

[Goltar Bias]

There is actually lead free pewter that is safer and more widely used then the leaded pewter of the past which killed a lot of people. I have done some casting with it. It is very easy to cast, can be done with a stainless ladle a propane torch, and in the right thickness would be a good show saber but not a dueling one, would also be very heavy. Also if you dropped it it would most likely dent badly. it might not work for the main body of a saber but would make great accent parts.
As for the aluminum casting there is a sand and resin mix you have to use and you have to preheat the mold to remove moisture which is what was causing your pitting. you would need a kiln cause you have to heat it to close to 800 to 1000 degrees, and pour the metal while the mold is hot. You are right it is a lot of work but can be worth it. for suppliers of the resin and sand look up metal working suppliers like Rio Grand.

[Darth_DevilGuy]

I've done alot of work with puter in miniatures for games like 40k, it's not suitable for sabers that will be used, for show pieces it's fine, but like other's have said it's very soft, you can cut it with a steel blade even.

[DragonStar]

http://www.metalcastingzone.com/metal-casting-forum/casting-sand

PS. Don't use Pewter.

PSS. If you want an alloy, go for Zamak. Try this:

http://www.gizmology.net/stovetop.htm

[Shiblon Vars]

FYI, this is my first post.

Going along with the theme set in this thread, I am looking at casting aluminum around an MHS part to create a single piece, custom hilt. The video below is what inspired me to explore this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tH-PaNugz9w&index=5&list=PLbDYIZ0o1HPIymwDTE7falNuZ84o_n4Nj

I am thinking that if I get a 9"-10" extension from TCSS then I could use foam to create the additional features and then cast them into place. Any thoughts? I don't think the solid metal will be in contact with the liquid aluminum for long enough to cause any serious deformations, plus the part would be filled and encompassed by sand to help hold the shape. The end goal for my current project is to produce a hilt similar to the attached image. I appreciate comments and input. Thanks.

11653

[Silver Serpent]

That's an interesting idea. I don't know enough about casting aluminum to tell you if it's a *good* idea or not. I would personally try to cast it with resin instead of molten aluminum, but that's me.

[MikeC13]

From a steel blade smiths prospective, I'll echo a couple thoughts.

Aluminum from cans is totally unacceptable. Too many other impurities in it to cast (and it is roll-formed to begin with) you will have much better luck learning to cast with old wheel weights. Ask at your local tire shop.

Pewter is definitely softer and more malleable than aluminum, but easier to cast due to a much lower melting temp. I've even seen smiths tape heavy paper around a wood haft forming a crude "mold" and pour molten pewter directly into it, without noticeably burning either the wood or paper to create both bolsters and pommels around steel blades. But its inherent softness makes it a less-than-desirable material for structural parts. For decorative additions (or greeblies as I've seen you guys call them) it's ok, and it's color is an interesting contrast against other metals.

In the custom radio controlled off-road world I've seen resin casting used quite a bit to create custom parts you'd normally have trouble finding. The shape of the blade holder you want would most likely be strong enough to use cast from resin (Unless you duel really hard that is) another possibly with resin is grinding your recycled can billets and adding the filings to the resin for extra strength and heft...

[Cire Yeldarb]

Going along with the theme set in this thread, I am looking at casting aluminum around an MHS part to create a single piece, custom hilt. The video below is what inspired me to explore this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tH-PaNugz9w&index=5&list=PLbDYIZ0o1HPIymwDTE7falNuZ84o_n4Nj
I am thinking that if I get a 9"-10" extension from TCSS then I could use foam to create the additional features and then cast them into place. Any thoughts? I don't think the solid metal will be in contact with the liquid aluminum for long enough to cause any serious deformations, plus the part would be filled and encompassed by sand to help hold the shape. The end goal for my current project is to produce a hilt similar to the attached image. I appreciate comments and input. Thanks.
11653

I've actually seen the same video and was toying with the idea of trying something similar to what you're describing (but like a year or two from now when I have more time to build the setup).

To my knowledge it has not been attempted by anyone here yet, so if you do try this out, post a video or pictures of your results so we can see how it turns out! :D