Pewter

At the weekend I went to a Pewter workshop with Ella McIntosh in Manchester at the Craft and Design Centre.  It was a revelation - I really enjoyed working with Pewter.  A lot of my silversmithing skills did still apply but there were some differences too.  Pewter melts at a much lower temperature than silver so I did end up with a few 'Pewter puddles' until I got used to how much heat I could use - however it does mean that you need a smaller torch (I think it would be more practical to use this smaller torch in my house).  Other advantages are that Pewter doesn't tarnish - and it is also a lot cheaper to buy than Silver.  We were making Pewter beakers during the workshop - here is the one that I made.....

I was pleased with how it came out - particularly because it is the largest metal-working challenge that I've taken on.