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

[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.

[$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.