Working with pewter and nickel

Jewelry Discussion
1

I teach and I have been getting inquires about pewter. I wondered
if anyone knows of a good book about working with pewter? I would
like to know about soldering, if there are any patinas that can be
used, finishing, and any other general that is
available. If anyone has specific about working with
nickel I would also appreciate about that as well.
Thank you.

Marilynn Nicholson
@Marilynn_Nicholson

2

I used Bismuth and flux to solder Pewter but you have to be
extremely careful since it takes very little torch heat to melt a
hole in it. I had great success with a heavy duty electric soldering
gun since you have much more control of the heat .

Bill from L.I.

3

I teach and I have been getting inquires about pewter. I wondered if
anyone knows of a good book about working with pewter?

http://www.astleybookfarm.com/si/006013.html is a link to Modern
Modern Pewter - Design and Techniques - Shirley Charron It is an
older book but the fundlementals are sound.

Modern Pewter Design and Techniques
By Shirley Charron

Price: $12.50

Manufacturer: Van Nostrand Reinhold
Release data: 1973

marilyn smith

4

Hey pewtersmiths,

I have a client who brought a large pewter chess piece (knight) in
for repair. Broken at the legs… Is there anyone out there who
feels comfortable repairing this piece? If so, I’ll be happy to send
it your way. If not, I’ll decline the repair. I’m just not set up for
this type of work.

Thanks,
Doug Zaruba

5

As for books, Tim McCreight’s book, Practical Casting (Brynmorgen
Press; rev. ed. 1994), has a few pages on casting pewter. There is
also a book by Burl Osburn and Gordon Wilber, Pewter-Working –
Instructions and Projects (Dover 1979; reprint of a 1938 book). The
styles may not be your thing, but I assume (not ever having done any
pewter-working) that the description of processes would be helpful.
Judy Bjorkman

6

The best all round book I have found on working with pewter is ‘The
Techniques of Pewtersmithing’ by Charles Hull & Jack Murrell,

The techniques of pewtersmithing
By Charles Hull

Price: $34.95

Manufacturer : B.T. Batsford
Release data : 1984

In the UK we have a Worshipful Company of Pewterers,
www.pewterers.org.uk They are a sort of guild and may be some help.
I do have some recipes for colouring pewter: For black patina, add
some copper filings or thin copper wire to around 10% nitric acid 90%
water. For dark gray patina, use around 10% sulphuric acid 2% nitric
and 88% water. Always add acid to water, (I’m sure you knew that)
and you can use the nitric-copper mix for etching the pewter too.

Hope this helps, Adrian

7

Tom, Might I suggest model train suppliers? I know pewter is
sometimes used to weight or balance the train cars.

aj