After contacting many pewterers to make me some kilt pins, and receiving numerous rebukes I decided that labor day would be devoted to.....Pewter casting. I've mastered the techniques and achieved good results that will only be better when I finish my production investments for the pins and buckles and broaches. I really like the look of real BMK pewter with silver. I've tried Brittania in the past and it just doesn't quite have the shine factor of BMK. Here are some pictures of my labors of Labor Day.

Here is the quick investment I made today. Just poured the molten pewter it 10 seconds before picture.



Pour it and crack it open, Nice and hot.



Here is a shot before cleaning it up.



And with a little cleaning up. A little more cleaning and buffing and it will be up to my standards. I made about ten of them before running out of pewter in my pot and stopping to post this.



The final O'Neille kilt pin will be much different than this experimental run. Kind of a meaty Claymore with a simpler shield and still some fine detail that looks great in pewter. I'm going to make a belt buckle sometime this week. I'll post it when I get time. I'm working on a cap badge positive that should be real cool. I'm glad I don't have to be dismissed by other pewterers anymore. Now I can just make what I want. O'Neille