When it comes to casting applications, do you know which is better, white bronze or pewter? The most popular choice today and in the past has been pewter, but the use of white bronze has increased in recent years. Here at Belmont Metals, we have both white bronze and pewter that’s perfect for all your art casting needs.

White Bronze

White bronze is known for its hardness, durability and color that is similar to white gold. It’s ideal for large awards and large decorative items, like belt buckles, larger statues, awards and items that need sharp, crisp edges and fine details. White bronze can also be ground and polished to create a smooth and refined finish. However, white bronze tends to be more expensive to purchase and requires additional steps during the casting process because it cannot be directly poured into the rubber mold. Instead, wax must be poured into the rubber mold and dipped in a ceramic slurry. The wax is then melted out of the mold, and the white bronze is poured into the resulting ceramic shell. The added steps in the casting process can increase the time to create the white bronze art casting and the cost. The good news is that white bronze is harder and more durable than pewter art castings.

Benefits of White Bronze

• Hard metal, extremely durable
• Can be ground and polished to create the ideal finish
• Create for designs that need hard, sharp edges and precise shapes
• Great choice for large items or items that must be cast in separate pieces and assembled

Drawbacks of White Bronze

• Melts at 2,200 degrees
• Cannot be poured directly into a rubber mold
• More expensive to create bronze art casts

Pewter

Pewter is one of the oldest casting metals. It was first used in the 11th century to cast large and small cauldrons and for religious items. Today, it can be used to craft jewelry and create large and small decorative items and statuettes. It’s finished color ranges from dull gray to silver, depending on the mixed alloys. Pewter tends to be a softer metal than white bronze. Therefore, it’s not typically recommended for intricate designs or designs that feature sharp edges or precise shapes. However, it is more affordable and faster to use pewter for art casting applications.

Benefits of Pewter

• Melts at 500 degrees
• Can be poured directly into the rubber mold
• Affordable way to create art casts
• Great for items that can be cast as a single piece

Drawbacks of Pewter

• Softer metal, not as durable as bronze
• Not good for designs that require fine, crisp edges and precise designs
• Not the ideal choice for large pieces or items that need to be molded as separate pieces and assembled

Getting White Bronze and Pewter from Belmont Metals

We offer white bronze and pewter alloys that are perfect for art casting applications. Our white bronze comes in polished cubes, unpolished shot, cut bars, ingots and slabs. It offers a unique white color that is similar to white gold, which means it’s great for casting medallions, statues and statuettes as well as belt buckles, pendants and larger lapel pins. Pewter is a white or silver-colored to gray metal that is perfect for casting small statuettes and figurines. It’s also used in crafting costume and fashion jewelry. We offer lead-free pewter in ingots and down shot.

To learn more about our metals for art casting applications, give us a call at 718-342-4900 or visit our online store.