SPINNING: Flat discs of pewter are clamped into a lathe against a wood or metal form called a “chuck”. A hand spinning tool is then pressed against the turning disc with a series of carefully executed sweeps and movements to turn the pewter down over the chuck to form the desired shape.
CASTING: Molten pewter is poured into a bronze mold through a channel called a “Spru” or “Gate” and allowed to cool until solid or in some cases, is poured out at the proper time to create a hollow item such as a spout. Once the metal is “chilled”, the mold is opened and the casting is removed. The cast then has the spru cut off, parting marks removed and is polished and fitted for assembly.
ASSEMBLY: As all the various pewter parts are hand-crafted, each piece is carefully filed, drilled, shaped, burnished or ground to assure a perfect fit. The parts are then soldered together with a jewelers torch, using great care not to melt the piece and to assure a flawless joint.
Once the piece has been completed, it is then carefully polished and buffed by hand with a cloth wheel to achieve the desired lustre and patina…either satin or bright finish. As with most hand-crafted work, our pewter pieces may vary slightly in shape, size, finish or capacity from one piece to the next.
