Pewter Civil War Chess Sets

[Rolandranch]

I got a couple of orders for these sets and thought I'd post some photos before I ship them off. These are cast from an alloy that I created of tin, bismuth, and lead. I made the chess boards from a granite tile. You can see these are Civil War themed by looking at the different chess characters. I use a special process to give them the antiqued look and bring the detail out.


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C&C welcome. Thanks for looking!

 

[Magicbob]

Very nice

 

[Jim15]

That's awesome work.

 

[TellicoTurning]

I am impressed... love chess sets and have even turned on myself... impressive work.

 

[Edgar]

Fantastic!

 

[keithbyrd]

Outstanding work - great detail and finish! Superb!!

 

[PapaTim]

Excellent work. What kind of paint did you use for the darker squares?

 

[Rolandranch]

Thank you. It's actually not paint. I put contact paper over the tile, cut it, peeled off the squares, and sandblasted it. The darker squares are untouched and the lighter squares are sandblasted.

 

[jttheclockman]

What company did you use for the molds?? There are several that have different Civil War and other themed molds. How did the molds hold up after all the pouring??? They are known to break down somewhat and lose features quickly.

Came out real nice. May I ask what you are charging for these??? You are in competition with factory made chess sets similar in style and depending on the materials used they are not that expensive. I have a set of plans for a scrollsawn set that many years ago I was suppose to make but never got around to it. Very time and labor intensive.

 

[KenV]

One caution - Lead

Use of lead in a product for sale entails more than casual risks because of health risks, especially with children. Depending on where the set is going, it may be prohibited from sale.

Tin, (pewter) may be a better metal for the allow than lead.

 

[Rolandranch]

One caution - Lead

Use of lead in a product for sale entails more than casual risks because of health risks, especially with children. Depending on where the set is going, it may be prohibited from sale.

Tin, (pewter) may be a better metal for the allow than lead.

Yes, I understand this. I think I will try actual pewter for my next set. However, I do seal all the pieces with several coats of acrylic sealer so you aren't actually touching the lead.

 

[KenV]

One caution - Lead

Use of lead in a product for sale entails more than casual risks because of health risks, especially with children. Depending on where the set is going, it may be prohibited from sale.

Tin, (pewter) may be a better metal for the allow than lead.

Yes, I understand this. I think I will try actual pewter for my next set. However, I do seal all the pieces with several coats of acrylic sealer so you aren't actually touching the lead.

Suggest you talk with your parents about risks of liability, and wording of notices to go with the sets. One ugly ambulance chaser could cause a retirement changing situation for them.

 

[Rolandranch]

What company did you use for the molds?? There are several that have different Civil War and other themed molds. How did the molds hold up after all the pouring??? They are known to break down somewhat and lose features quickly.

Came out real nice. May I ask what you are charging for these??? You are in competition with factory made chess sets similar in style and depending on the materials used they are not that expensive. I have a set of plans for a scrollsawn set that many years ago I was suppose to make but never got around to it. Very time and labor intensive.

Thank you. I get my molds from a foreign company called "Prince August". I have used some of their molds for over 50 castings and they are still as good as new. The molds are silicone so you have to be careful not to overheat your metal when you pour. I sell these sets for $300. Cost is relatively inexpensive but there is a lot of labor involved.

 

[jttheclockman]

Thanks. Yes the use of lead can present problems and is something you may want to look into.

 

[Rolandranch]

Oops, duplicate post.

 

[Rolandranch]

Thanks. Yes the use of lead can present problems and is something you may want to look into.

Yes, I agree. I have been doing research in the past few weeks and decided that I will be trying a different alloy for my next set that is mostly tin and no lead. The only downside is that tin is very expensive. I am not very big into the metal casting. I don't sell many sets and don't even have them listed online yet. I would rather make pens because there is a better profit there but keep the chess set because it draws a lot of attention to my booth at shows and adds another dimension to my booth.

 

[Rolandranch]

Thank you all for the kind words. They are appreciated!

 

[skiprat]

You are a VERY talented young man Seth !! I enjoy looking at all the stuff you post. :wink:
One thing for the picky chess player.....Bottom right's white:wink:

 

[Rolandranch]

Thank you very much.

One thing for the picky chess player.....Bottom right's white:wink:

Haha! I knew SOMEBODY would notice.