Recycling old material for pewter casting.

A warm welcome to my new followers. Don't hesitate to give comment. That's the only way to learn about your reactions.

When I was reading the story of Elizabeth's gorgeous garage findings, I wondered about our garage. What will I find there ?? To be honest....I already know. Material to use for recycling.

Since my son moved out to live his own life we started to look around and realized that our house needed some inspection. The seams of the house were in a poor condition. My husband started to remove  all the seams.

 
Before winter starts all the seams should be in the house again. Meanwhile my hobby space has to wait.

I'm a bit restless at the moment. So I need to create something. I remembered I loved tin/pewter casting. I can do this without hobby space. I only need material to work with. I made a mold in plaster.

Now I had to find some tin. My husband told me to look in the garage there should be tin for solder.

He also told me to use the gas burner. I asked him if he was sure that this would work. I remembered to melt the tin in a little saucepan. But okay....I give it a try.

That didn't work out. I scared the tin. It became all small spheres.

Preparing dinner I used a can of tomato paste. That could become my saucepan !!

So I talked with my husband about the can. He went into the garage. A few hours later he came back with a safe burner to melt tin or silver.

He found a handle for the can. With rivets he placed the handle on the can.

He made a paper mold to produce a safe support for the saucepan. The support is made out of one piece of aluminium.

It fits perfect together.

He placed it on the denatured alcohol burner from a raclette.

I know you can buy a set for pewter casting but this works two ways. It's a steady thing and it cleans out the garage a little. 

Instead of bringing new stuff in he used old stuff from the garage.

Now I'll try to make a pair of scissors.

Have a nice weekend and I wish my pair of scissors can be shown soon.

Dorien

Wooden reel of thread, Victorian pincushion, sewing machine oiler.

First a warm welcome to my new follower.

My sewing machine needs items you use while you sew.

So I asked a friend. Her mother died a few years ago and she collected a lot of her things.

She had an old wooden reel of thread and all kind of things. So she came over with her treasures.

I made a scan of those items so I can make them whenever I like.

I started with the reel of thread.

The weather changed. The sun was shining so I decided to work outside in the garden.

My first time of turning wood.

I took the old hand drill and put it in the vice.  I put a 0.3 cm diameter log in the hand drill. Then I took a file and hold it against the wood. Turned the wheel of the hand drill and voila.

I'm turning the wood.

Now I saw the spool off.

I had to sand the top and the bottom of the spool. That needs some more practicing. I have to make it a little thinner.

All the tools I used to make a spool.

The spool needs a small hole to put it on the sewing machine. My new hand drill was very useful for this drilling job.

The original reel of thread and my little ones.

The next item I call ijzergaren in Dutch. I don't know the English word for it. A very free translation is iron thread. 

I did scan the card and in Word I reduced it.

The big and small one. 

My friend also had a sewing machine oiler. I made one from the tin of a tealight and a needle.

I cut of the top and bottom of the needle.

These tools I used for the oiler.

Painted it with Humbrol Enamel MET 171 mixed with 133.

The original and my little one.

When I was a little child I loved butterflies. Especially the ones that were framed. I can hear you think what the ...

Butterflies and sewing items???

I want to make a Victorian pincushion.

So where can I find needles with the correct size.  I need an entomology store. So after googling I found a store in Belgium and ordered those needles.

The tools I used for the cushion.

The butterfly needles.... ;-)

Just glue the two beads on the the bead with pin. Cut down the pin. Make a ball of cotton wool.

Put some silk over the cotton wool and paint it with watercolor paint. And ready.

I also scanned a button card.

Material used, just a plastic binder of a bread bag. With the special pliers you can cut the buttons.

When you have the shape of the button, add 2 holes in it with a needle, and voila.

Wishing you all a nice weekend.