Casting bronze

[Nick martin]

Quick question folks,

Anyone got any ideas for a source of tin?

I’ve got a small job to do for a pal, and it needs to be produced in bronze.

I’ve loads of copper but where on earth do you get tin from?

Thanks,

Nick

[Dennis]

Theb web is surprisingly uninformative on specialist needs, but I did find these inexpensive bronze ingots: https://www.artisanfoundry.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=33&products_id=318

[china]

I used this mob a couple of years ago http://copperbullion.co.uk/product/1-kilo-ingot-999-pure-tin/
Could not find a supplier in AUS

[ps_bond]

http://www.carnmetals.co.uk do tin.
http://www.hewitt-impex.co.uk/product/casting-grains-alloys seem to do bronze grain.
Exmoor casting supplies used to do grain, but it seems unavailable on their site. http://www.exmoorcastingsupplies.co.uk

[joyerico]

You can buy casting grain online

http://leinajoya.es/bronce-granalla-1kg

Bronze is difficult to cast and work with. Too hard.

[handmadeblanks]

Quick question folks,

Anyone got any ideas for a source of tin?

I’ve got a small job to do for a pal, and it needs to be produced in bronze.

I’ve loads of copper but where on earth do you get tin from?

Thanks,

Nick

Unless I am mistaken, your best source for bronze would be pre 1992 UK Pennies and they only cost pennies.

http://www.royalmint.com/discover/uk-coins/coin-design-and-specifications/one-penny-coin

[ps_bond]

Unless I am mistaken, your best source for bronze would be pre 1992 UK Pennies and they only cost pennies.

http://www.royalmint.com/discover/uk-coins/coin-design-and-specifications/one-penny-coin

Certainly one route. Is there more bronze in them than the face value now?

One other thought - lead free plumbing solder is either tin/antimony or tin/silver.

[handmadeblanks]

@ps_bond: If I've done my maths right: According to the specifications on the Royal Mint Website: 1 penny weighs 3.56g and is comprised of 97% copper. So if you wanted 1kg of copper you would need approx. 290 pre 1992 pennies. On eBay, a 1kg bullion bar of copper costs about £21 or 2100 pennies.

It is for this reason I believe it would actually be illegal to melt down pennies for another purpose... which is a valuable lesson on inflation and how Governments destroy the value of our money. They need to make laws to stop people from doing what should be common sense!

@Nick: I think the best thing to do would be to look under your sofa cushions. You might get lucky and find some bronze that nobody knows about and probably won't miss when it's gone.

A tip: Bronze isn't attracted by a magnet. That's how I sort my coins. Which I don't melt down BTW! I just like to keep something with an intrinsic value that's higher than its face value.

[ps_bond]

The maths looks sound. The only thing I'd quibble (for want of a better word) is the composition - Royal Mint lists its "bronze" as 97% Cu, 2.5% Zn & 0.5% Sn, which is extremely low in tin for any self-respecting bronze.

FWIW, I've made coin mokume with bronze (OK, should have used inverted commas again) 2p pieces & cupronickel 10p coins. Worked adequately for a demo, but I don't really follow why people use coins for mokume gane when sheet metals are readily available - far more trouble than they're worth due to the surface.

[Nick martin]

There’s a whole host of useful options to contemplate here then so many thanks everyone.

I only need a small amount of bronze to complete a small restoration job I’ve got on, so I’ll experiment a little with the coins perhaps to begin with.

Cheers,

Nick

[NickD]

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/291891229/pure-tin-ingot-999-cast-and-stamped-nice?ref=related-3

Any use Nick?

[Nick martin]

So.. I went with the pre 1992 coin route. Worked out nicely!

http://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u663/Louiseandnixon/projects/IMG_20171119_175416_595_zpsd0gvvkac.jpg (http://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Louiseandnixon/media/projects/IMG_20171119_175416_595_zpsd0gvvkac.jpg.html)

[Dennis]

Amazing Nick. Three questions:
Is that a Delft clay or lost wax casting?
Is the pin fixed or cast separately?
What would you call it? Dennis.

[Nick martin]

Morning Dennis,

Thankyou and in answer to your questions, it was only the pin that I created and added.

It's a centuries old Medieval ring brooch. The terminals originally had paste stones in them but as you can see, they've been lost to history.

My customer collects these medieval brooches so wanted the pin replaced. Originally it'll have been made from iron or bronze.

The pin was cast in self clay, and it rotates as it would have originally done. The main body of the brooch is also bronze.

Here's a couple of pics to best describe the process. Once I'd cast the pin then I filed and refined it so that it would fit into the recess on the brooch ( look closely far right hand side )

Cheers,

Nick

http://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u663/Louiseandnixon/projects/3U6A8610_zpsy1udfmeq.jpg (http://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Louiseandnixon/media/projects/3U6A8610_zpsy1udfmeq.jpg.html)

http://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u663/Louiseandnixon/projects/3U6A8618_zpsqm6wyh9m.jpg (http://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Louiseandnixon/media/projects/3U6A8618_zpsqm6wyh9m.jpg.html)

[josef1]

Top Job Looks great

[Dennis]

Great restoration and I see now why you didn't need much bronze. Dennis

[Nick martin]

Top Job Looks great

Cheers mate. Was only a little fiddly job but nice to have a dabble with a bit of bronze. The customers happy, so theres now going to be lots of repeat business coming my way.

I enjoy restoring old artefacts, straightening coins, etc just as much as making new jewellery to be honest.

Cheers,

Nick

[Nick martin]

Further to me waffling on about bronze then, has anyone any experience of soldering it?

If so then what kind of solder and flux is used?

Nick

[Dennis]

You can get dedicated solders for base metals on Ebay. They will be an approximate match, but better than silver in appearance.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Brass-Bronze-and-Copper-Solder-wires-/221814900050
If usingborax as flux, a good pinch of Tenacicity No5 will be an extra safeguard againt oxidation. Dennis.