Josh
Well-Known Member
Pewter is basically 98% tin, 1% copper, and 1% other stuff. This can vary by manufacturer but it can be used as pure tin. If you find it cheap and stack it deep you could resell for about $10 a lb
Yard Sales for Casting Stuff
- Thread starter yodogsandman
- Start date
yodogsandman
Well-Known Member
I plan to melt it down when I have a drawer full, just for my own use. Pewter contains 90%+ tin (Sn) and is great to add to your COWW"s to increase the tin content. COWW's are supposed to have about 1/2% or 0.5% Sn, as is. I add in say 4 oz to increase a Lee 20 lb (only 18 lb) pot full of COWW's to 2%. I'm starting to like 1% better, though. Pewter also has a small percentage of copper (Cu) in it and I suspect that it's making my alloy too hard.
Rendered pewter, sold in about 2 oz thin ingot pieces, runs about $10/lb plus shipping. If the pewter is just melted into about 1 lb hunks, $8/lb plus shipping. You can just snap off or chisel the thin ingot pieces to the weight you need to use.
Rendered pewter, sold in about 2 oz thin ingot pieces, runs about $10/lb plus shipping. If the pewter is just melted into about 1 lb hunks, $8/lb plus shipping. You can just snap off or chisel the thin ingot pieces to the weight you need to use.
yodogsandman
Well-Known Member
A much better weekend for yard sales! I must have gone to 20 of them around the area. I ended up with at least 6 lbs 5 oz of hallmarked pewter. At one yard sale alone, mosly. When I asked the price of the pewter items, the woman said $10 for the whole table. Not all pieces were pewter, some were silver or plated silver. A hall marked 5 1/2" tall, candle stick holder weighed 13.3 oz, an 8 1/4" tall, covered syrup pitcher weighed 22.6 oz and a 16 1/2" platter weighed 54 oz. At one other sale, got a Jagermeifter deer head shot glass for 25 cents that I melted the head off the SS cup and that head weighed 1.6 oz.
I need to research the plated silver items. They sure melt just like pewter! Some tea kettles have copper soldered to the bottoms and a covered stein sure looks like pewter but, no hallmark, the bottom had been replaced by soldering a piece of copper to it also.
I need to research the plated silver items. They sure melt just like pewter! Some tea kettles have copper soldered to the bottoms and a covered stein sure looks like pewter but, no hallmark, the bottom had been replaced by soldering a piece of copper to it also.
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yodogsandman
Well-Known Member
The candle holder was soldered together on the inside of the wide rectangular base. The inside base is what was hallmarked pewter. We'll see when I melt it down if it's pewter or not. The base is thick sided but, not filled.
yodogsandman
Well-Known Member
I think I got "buck fever" and forgot all about the warnings about Indian pewter while at a yard sale today. So, for $5, bought 3 tall, tall candle sticks that were made in India and just marked Pewter on a paper price stamp. I thought I had about 4 to 5 lbs of pewter. When I got home, they didn't dent when bashed together and made a ringing sound instead of the thud. I'm still new to this and just get too excited!
Did find a couple unmarked, glass bottom tankards that bent easily and "cryed". When bent, real pewter will make a crackling noise that some call "crying" due to the high tin content. Weight was 9.8 oz each for a nickle a piece, ten cents total. Deducting for the weight of the glass and caulking they should together produce about 14 oz of pewter.
Did find a couple unmarked, glass bottom tankards that bent easily and "cryed". When bent, real pewter will make a crackling noise that some call "crying" due to the high tin content. Weight was 9.8 oz each for a nickle a piece, ten cents total. Deducting for the weight of the glass and caulking they should together produce about 14 oz of pewter.
yodogsandman
Well-Known Member
I' outta control, now...went to a flea market in town. Got hall marked 10.6 oz tankard and a 16.6 oz glass bottom tankard for $1. Then a hall marked tall presentation mug that weighed 10.9 oz for $1. So, total pewter should be about 2 lbs for $3.
Another yard sale added 7 figurines that weighed 16.6 oz for $3. The larger figurines were hall marked.
Another yard sale added 7 figurines that weighed 16.6 oz for $3. The larger figurines were hall marked.
yodogsandman
Well-Known Member
Just a German pewter vase today at the yard sales, 1.34 lb for $1.
Stopped at a roadside flea market along the way and added 2.60 lbs of various items for $7.
My file drawer is almost full, meaning that I either have to smash the pieces smaller or melt it down, soon.
Stopped at a roadside flea market along the way and added 2.60 lbs of various items for $7.
My file drawer is almost full, meaning that I either have to smash the pieces smaller or melt it down, soon.
35 shooter
Well-Known Member
I've got to get out to a few sales and give this a try. Never know what else you might find too.
L1A1Rocker
Active Member
I found an old double boiler at a yard sale. Use it for making lube.
yodogsandman
Well-Known Member
Perfect weather for yard sales today! Todays pewter take at the area yard sales was a large pitcher (1.59 lbs) Large bowl (1.40 lbs) 2 glass bottom tankards (1.72 lbs) and a shallow large bowl (1.30 lbs) for 6.01 lbs total for $18. I also got two large covered pitchers (1.79 + 1.93 lbs) that I'm not quite sure of for $3.
At the same flea market as last week, got a large pitcher (1.53 lbs) candy dish (.33 lb) medium bowl (1.34 lbs) and a heart shaped inlay (.17 lb) for 3.37 lbs that cost $5.25. I'm going to keep going back each weekend till this flea market dries up!
I've filled the drawer and stacking them up on top of the file cabinet now!
At the same flea market as last week, got a large pitcher (1.53 lbs) candy dish (.33 lb) medium bowl (1.34 lbs) and a heart shaped inlay (.17 lb) for 3.37 lbs that cost $5.25. I'm going to keep going back each weekend till this flea market dries up!
I've filled the drawer and stacking them up on top of the file cabinet now!
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yodogsandman
Well-Known Member
Forgot to add this last weekend but, also found a #5 Uncle Mikes belt holster for $1 (just bought a 1911 the night before!) an O.D. tactical leg rig, no holster ($.50) a web, tree hanger for hanging multiple items of hunting gear ($.50) and 3 rolls of calculator paper (for the chrony) for $.50.
yodogsandman
Well-Known Member
Todays yard sale finds were good, real nice weather! At one, all hallmarked. a 12" platter (1.28 lb) lg pitcher (1.47 lb) and a small bowl (.25 lb) for $5 total. Another yard sale produced a hallmarked 13" round tray (1.35 lb) and non hallmarked mini platter (.35 lb) 4" bowl (.19 lb) small pitcher (.59 lb) and smaller pitcher/creamer (.30 lb) for $3 for all. So, for $8, got 4.35 lbs hallmarked pewter and 1.34 lbs of non hallmarked.
The flea market had just one hallmarked, large covered pitcher that weighed 1.34 lbs that I got for $1.
The flea market had just one hallmarked, large covered pitcher that weighed 1.34 lbs that I got for $1.
yodogsandman
Well-Known Member
Things just dried up! Just two Salangor pewter candlestick holders and a little cow figurine today, for a total of .26 lbs that cost me 50 cents together at that same flea market. Bet I put 40 miles on the truck going around to yard sales with no pewter there at all. Might be time to spread out!
yodogsandman
Well-Known Member
I was offered a 400 lb hunk of unknown lead last week but, turned it down. I just can't handle that weight anymore. I think the guy wanted money to give me a hernia!
35 shooter
Well-Known Member
Yodog i think it may be that your just all pewtered out. Lol sorry, could'nt resist!!
yodogsandman
Well-Known Member
Hoarding feeds my obsession! I'll seek treatment after I've got a couple lifetimes worth. I came close to running out of tin about last Christmas time. Never again!