[Ansteorra] ISO Pewter casting Information

Gustav Minnesinger synrik at earthlink.net
Sat Oct 6 18:16:58 PDT 2007


The main questions would really be: Do they want to make them in a period manor?  How many will they be making?  How much post-casting work do they want to do?

The period methods for multi-part molds would be making a negative from soft-stone (soap-stone, soft marble, etc.) or making a positive from clay (terracotta, grey clay, etc.)  Through bone, cuttle-fish bone, and wood seem to be a logical choice as well, I have yet to see proof that it was used in period (due to the molds decaying).  All the other methods date back to the dawn of metalworking (3500BCE).

The good points is that they are Period; and due to the ‘quenching’ properties of the stone/clay, it comes out of the mold looking rather polished and still retains a little of it’s flexibility.

The down side is that carving a negative requires a bit of practice, there can be no under-cuts at all, and the number of uses before it looses resolution or is destroyed is rather low (10-30).  Stephen has said that he has gotten over a hundred tokens out of a single mold, but he is a master in Period soap-stone molds  . . . . an I am almost certain there was Voodoo involved.  Then again, it may also have something to do with my complete lack of skill in carving.

So if you are going to use period methods, be prepared to make 12-15 molds . . . and hope that none of them fracture or will not release the token.  If you have the time, enough helpers and a small event planned, going period is pretty cool for the site tokens.  But it is not for beginners or for large events . . . . or if is all being done by one person.

As for the period-like molds (modern materials, period methods). 

Carved negative molds: carved wood, carved linoleum, carved plaster of Paris (when you cannot get soap-stone), etc.; these have similar draw-backs as the period methods, but are easier to get a hold of.  You just have to be sure that it will not go up in flames at 450*F.

Molds from a positive: RTV (Wal-mart), clear silicon caulking, professional mold rubber.  These are some of the things I like when doing site-tokens.  It allows for undercuts because it is flexible.  And because it is flexible, you don’t go through as many molds due to facture or loss of resolution.  You can also make them a bit more detailed as well.  In period, a medallion would be poured into a stone mold, then it would go to a carver who would carefully carve in all the details that was missed in the mold, then to a polisher, then to a painter, ect.  Using flexible mold rubber, you can punch out about 600 site tokens a day per person with a good Dremel tool on hand.  They can be double sided, funky shapes and detailed enough to have inscribe writing on the inside of the ring.  Even prongs for stone setting.  And rings, well that is something that cannot be done (and have it look good) using period methods without a cadre of apprentices on hand.

This is from experience.  5,700 site tokens flung far and wide, hundreds of buttons and more burns than I would really like . . . . . Because it is all a one man operation.

Gustav Minnesinger
Jeweler and Singer of Night Songs


-----Original Message-----
>From: Elizabeth Blackthorne <damsle_n_distress2003 at yahoo.com>
>Sent: Oct 6, 2007 5:51 PM
>To: "Kingdom of Ansteorra - SCA  Inc." <ansteorra at lists.ansteorra.org>
>Subject: [Ansteorra] ISO Pewter casting Information
>
>Greetings,
>  I have a member in my shire looking into learning how to cast pewter site tokens, and where to get the supplies online.  He has ordered already a kit from ebay and is now trying to find a soapstone dealer.  Any help would be appreciated.
>  Thank You,
>  Elizabeth Blackthorne
>  Seneschal of Crossrode Keep
>
>       
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