Those of you that use pewter

[The Bowler Hatted Turner]

This question is aimed mainly at those of you who use pewter.
When you turn a finial in pewter do you ever find that it ends up too heavy?
 If so what do you do?
Just turn part of it in metal and the rest in wood, "tip" it in wood  or spray wood to look like metal?
Regards
John BHT

[Paul Hannaby]

Hi John,
Have you thought about drilling the finial to reduce the weight? It will still weigh more than wood but isn't it about looks rather than weight!

[bodrighywood]

I assume you mean heavy as in weight not in looking too heavy? I cast the pewter in a drilled hole in a scrap piece of oak as a mould then drill the centre out of it while still in the mould. Do it just a part of the way so that the base is hollow but has enough thickness to be able to be turned to size. Short finials I leave solid as the weight doesn't seem to be a problem as Paul seems to suggest.

Pete

[The Bowler Hatted Turner]

Doh!
          why didn't I think of that? I've been wracking my(obviously) pea sized brain trying to think how to hollow cast it all.
Thanks guys.
Regards
John BHT