pewter casting

[Mark Harris]

Aceia (Robin Gammon) asks about my pewter casting:
>I am intersted in learning how to cast, would you be interested in
>teaching??

Yes I will. I taught a class at Candlemas two years ago that seemed
to be fairly popular. I know that at least some folks who took my
class took what they had learned and produced site tokens for their
own events.

This casting uses a period technique of carving the mold in a soft
stone such as soapstone. In period, this was the technique used for
what we would call costume jewelry today. They made pilgrim badges,
holy water vials, belt ends, buckles, belt decorations and many other
functional and decorative items.

I am still doing rather simple one and two piece molds but I am willing
to teach others what I have learned. I have produced the site tokens
for a Candlemas and a Baronial Championship as well as the pilgrim
badges that I was selling at last spring's Whitsun Fair. I am producing
the site and feast tokens for the event this weekend.

At this year's Baronial Championship, they wanted action Arts & Sciences
displays rather than the usual static ones. So I am planning on doing
some pewter casting in persona over a charcoal fire. I would be happy to
answer questions there and perhaps let people carve a simple mold and
try it if time permits and I can find the time to prepare the materials.

Most of what I learned to get started came from a series of articles on
the Rialto. I have placed these messages in one of my files:
casting-msg       (45K)  1/ 3/96    Casting metals.

This file is available in the CRAFTS section of my SCA Rialto Files or 
from me by email in Word or text format. The Web site is:
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/rialto/rialto.html

Stefan li Rous
Barony of Bryn Gwlad
markh at risc.sps.mot.com