Pewter FAQ (under construction more info soon)

How can I clean pewter?
Does pewter contain lead?
How can I repair pewter?

tintags

Cleaning pewter

Antiques should retain their grey patina to maintain their value they should not be cleaned with metal polish, for particularly fragile or valuable pieces seek expert advice from the antiques trade before attempting any sort of cleaning.

Never put pewter in a dish washer.

As long as the item is not damaged then warm soapy water is the safest way to clean all pewters. Dry thoroughly then buff with a soft cloth. For antiques and for anything valuable or old seek expert advice before doing anything other than washing. For bright modern pewters of no great value if the washing does not restore a good appearance metal polish with a soft cloth can be used (silver or brass). For severe corrosion and if you are confident you know what you are doing metal polish applied with ultra fine wire wool grade 0000 only (anything other than this will scratch). If necessary follow with metal polish on a soft cloth. Once restored to a good appearance use warm soapy water to keep the item looking good without the need to resort to such extreme measures again.

If you have a severely corroded item and are not confident about working on it seek the help of either an antiques restorer or pewtersmith as appropriate for the object.

Lead in Pewter

Most antique pewter contains lead most modern pewter should be lead free. The produce of Sheffield is lead free and has always been so dating back to the time when it was called Britannia metal and pewter contained lead. Until fairly recenty even lead free pewter used for food and drink applications was soldered with tin lead solders.

Repairs

Broken pins or other findings on jewelery and small items

NOTE ARE YOU SURE THE ITEM IS LEAD FREE PEWTER, A LOT OF COSTUME JEWELLERY IS MADE FROM WHITEMETALS WHICH MELT AT SIMILAR TEMPERATURES TO SOLDER - if you're not sure glue would be safest.

Brooches hairlclips etc. often become detached from their pins or clasps, this can arise from corrosion of plated findings, some manufacturers use glue to attach these. If the pin or clasp is still in good condition the simplest option for the inexperienced or under equipped would be to glue using epoxy. If you're going to attempt to solder you'll need to clean both the pewter and the pin in the areas to be joined, use a 60Sn 40Pb solder for strength and ease of melting if this is not flux cored you will need a suitable liquid flux (fairly mild stained glass stockists should be able to provide something suitable)

Hollow ware - more soon

Castings - more soon