www.GilbertPewter.com

Made By Hand in Ottawa, Canada Since 1986 mjg@gilbertpewter.com

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The Craft: How I Make a Pewter Figurine The Model I begin by sculpting an original design, usually in an epoxy putty (a kind of plastic clay). I'll often work from photos of friends or relatives, when making a Park Bench Figure for example. The Mould When I've finished the original artwork, I make a rubber mould of the design. The rubber mould is re-usable; I'll be able to use it to cast a number of each design. Casting Pewter has a low melting point (compared to most other metals): I cast the molten pewter in the rubber mould using a home-made centrifuge, which spins around, forcing the pewter into the mould. The centrifuge helps to capture the fine detail of the original artwork. Fettling & Finishing Each cast piece is then 'fettled'; that is, it is trimmed and cleaned, to remove any 'flash' or rough edges left over from the casting process. Finally, each piece is then given an antique finish and polished. This work is done, from beginning to end, in my home workshop. Back to the top of this page Copyright © Michael J. Gilbert. All rights reserved.