Re: [lace] Old bobbins ... pewter

[Brian Lemin]

Pewter can certainly be replaced in an antique bobbin.  I have only once 
experienced scorching and to this day I have no idea why it happened on that 
occasion.

It is a bit like having candle wax run on you.  Ouch it hurts, but it soon 
cools down and you do not dial your emergency number!  it is the same with 
the wood on the bobbins.  I am sure it "hurts" but it runs in the holes and 
grooves and cools down rapidly.  Yes it does mess up the patina and they 
usually need to be republished.

Can I say it is not an easy restoration, it takes time and effort, but it 
certainly can be done.

I have started using the "old fashioned" approach of suitably wrapping the 
bobbin in brown paper, and pouring the pewter into the "compartment" it 
provides.  Then I turn the excess off.  The brown paper scorches.   It is so 
much easier than making a mould, though if I am actually making a pewter 
decorated bobbin from scratch, then I make a mould as I will be able to use 
it again.





----- Original Message ----- 
From: <malva...@sympatico.ca>
To: <br...@exemail.com.au>; <lace@arachne.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 09, 2009 8:35 AM
Subject: RE: [lace] Old bobbins ... pewter


Brian - I am on holiday at the moment and have only briefly read the reply
from Jacquie - my sister - but just wanted to add to the discussion that I
bought some old pewter wrapped bobbins where the pewter had disintigrated 
and
I discussed, at length, with a current pewter worker and showed him the
bobbins and he doubted that he could produce anything to replace the 
pewter
which had disintigrated and said that he couldn't see how it was possible 
to
put pewter into the bobbins because the melting point would cause the 
bobbin
to burn:



Isn't it amazing what our ancesters could do!!!



Malvary enjoying a holiday near Abbeville, France but I haven't seen any 
lace
yet - next week at the UK lace convention I'll remedy that!  The weather 
is
lovely, too

From: br...@exemail.com.au
To: lace@arachne.com
Subject: Re: [lace] Old bobbins ... pewter
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 2009 19:04:42 -0700

Certainly David is correct about what pewter will last. The "better" the
pewter the shorter it will last if not kept correctly.

I will have to research the "catching" degradation from and poor pewter
bobbin. As it stands, I do not see how a poor pewter can infect an intact
pewter. My chemistry was never very good at the best of times! :)

I will have to think who to ask abut this.






----- Original Message -----
From: "Clay Blackwell" <clayblackw...@comcast.net>
To: "Brian Lemin" <br...@exemail.com.au>
Cc: <lace@arachne.com>
Sent: Tuesday, April 07, 2009 2:11 PM
Subject: Re: [lace] Old bobbins ... pewter


> Since writing to you about this, I remembered that the 'warning' I had 
> in
> my head came from David Springett who said that rotten pewter was 
> pewter
> which had too much tin in it, and that a bad bobbin could damage a good
> one.
> Clay
>
> Brian Lemin wrote:
>> Although pewter degradation is often talked of in "Human" terms, I am
>> pretty sure it is not catching! It is a chemical process that starts
>> when the pewter gets to certain temperature (I wrote an article about 
>> it
>> many years ago but I have forgotten the details!... old age!)
>>
>> I do remember the story that says that Napoleons army uniforms had 
>> pewter
>> buttons and when the went to Russia in the freezing conditions there, 
>> the
>> buttons disintegrated.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Clay Blackwell"
>> <clayblackw...@comcast.net>
>> To: "Brian Lemin" <br...@exemail.com.au>
>> Cc: <lace@arachne.com>
>> Sent: Monday, April 06, 2009 4:27 PM
>> Subject: Re: [lace] Old bobbins
>>
>>
>>> Brian, I've got the "warning" in my head that if we have a "rotten"
>>> pewter bobbin, we should always keep it separate from any other 
>>> pewter
>>> bobbins as they can contaminate the good pewter. Thoughts?
>>>
>>> Clay
>>>
>>> Brian Lemin wrote:
>>>> The one warning that I would make is regarding bobbins that have 
>>>> pewter
>>>> in them. They must not be kept in any place where they might get 
>>>> very
>>>> cold. If they do this will accelerate the process of pewter
>>>> degradation.
>>>>
>>>> For other bobbins, keep out of direct sunlight.
>>>> Avoid damp
>>>> Even temperature
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
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