
SKILL BUILDER: Pewter Casting
MAKING BILLET MOLDS
Once you have pewter, and a way to melt it, you’ll
need a mold. We use a process that allows us to
make many types of molds for pewter using only
our laser cutters and MDF or cardboard. Since
paper doesn’t combust below 451° Fahrenheit
(thanks Ray Bradbury) then by extension thicker
cardstock and MDF board can easily withstand
338°–446°F of molten pewter.
It is relatively easy to create the molds even
without a laser cutter, using common hand tools
like a scroll saw, scissors, and white glue. The
ornament in the very center of Figure
D
was
created in just such a handmade mold.
This process ...