Pewter Casting Process

Because pewter is soft, it can easily be melted and used to create objects by following a casting process. The steps are fairly straightforward but can be dangerous. As a result, all preparations should be made ahead of time and with great care.

A mold must be made before melting the pewter. Molds can be made from various materials including steel, MDF, silica sand or oil-based casting sands, according to TechnologyStudent.com. A mold consists of two parts that can be held together with clamps or wire.

To melt pewter, one method is to set a casting (metal) ladle with pieces of pewter in it on a nonflammable surface with fire brick on either side in an "L" shape. When the flame of a torch is reflected off of the bricks, the pewter will melt to form a molten liquid.

Once melted, the molten pewter can be poured into the mold. To avoid injury, the mold should have been set in sand to catch any spills, and safety gear should be worn. The mold should not be set on anything cold because spilled molten pewter splatters.

Once the pewter has cooled, the mold can be taken apart and the casting removed. The casting can then be worked with hand tools to remove the waste material.