help: mend leaking tankard

Subject: RE: help: mend leaking tankard
From: Neighmond
Date: 21 Jan 03 - 09:47 PM

Use good modern glazing that is used in glazing (puttying) old-style wooden windows. Use Linseed oil to make it soft and roll it into a snake. wrap it into the class and pewter frame on the outside of the bottom. Push it in with a piece of pegwood sharpened to a point. Scrape off the excess. Let dry four days and four nights. Wash in the sink by hand and NOT the dishwasher and renew it once every few years if you have to. Thus said my boss who is a jeweler with fifty years' experience behind him.

FWIW

Chaz

Subject: RE: help: mend leaking tankard
From: Mr Happy
Date: 21 Jan 03 - 08:23 PM

i think they're horrible to drink out of- nasty metallic taste.

only ever see people using them at ff's.

i always have me own bar with me on the pram, a 1/2 pt glass with handle. does 4 beeer & scottish whine too.

Subject: RE: help: mend leaking tankard
From: breezy
Date: 21 Jan 03 - 07:30 PM

I bought a few at a village fair,very very cheap, -were they nicked I wonder now- so buy another one and retire the present, move on.You'll soon adjust with time.
I dont know if counselling is available but I'm sure something can be arranged.
Poor sod.
Sad sod.
Sod it.
I've got three or four,possibly 5.

Subject: RE: help: mend leaking tankard
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 21 Jan 03 - 03:42 PM

When I owned a wooden boat, 1930 vintage. The traditional means of finishing off the seams after hammering in caulking cotton. [Bitch of a job] The way to end up with a smooth finish before painting, or varnishing, was to use linseed oil putty, mixed with white lead to stop it drying up and shrinking. Think it might contaminate the beer though.
Giok

Subject: RE: help: mend leaking tankard
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 21 Jan 03 - 02:45 PM

The reasons for having your own pewter or metal tankard are manifold.

1) It stops other people drinking your beer by "mistake".
2) If it has a lid it stops people dropping fag ends or wasps in.
3) A metal tankard can be carried around without the risk of it breaking and stabbing you in the vitals.
4) If you have a proper British Standard tankard you know you are getting a pint, especially if you don't drink frothy beer.
5) You have the option of slowly poisoning those you don't like
6) You can get a 4 pint tankard, ever seen a 4 pint glass beer mug?

LTS

Subject: RE: help: mend leaking tankard
From: Hollowfox
Date: 21 Jan 03 - 02:03 PM

Just a thought, but if you're only drinking cold beverages, why not seal it by melting a bit of beeswax and using that around the edge inside?

Subject: RE: help: mend leaking tankard
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 21 Jan 03 - 06:14 AM

There was a scary case a couple of years ago about some poor woman who had a fancy tankard on the shelf at the pub the way people do. It turned out it was poisoning her with lead, and tey outcome was very nasty indeed.

I'd as soon drink out of a boot myself. And how can you ever be sure you are getting full measure?

Subject: RE: help: mend leaking tankard
From: Schantieman
Date: 21 Jan 03 - 05:42 AM

Now there's a song waiting to be written!

S

Subject: RE: help: mend leaking tankard
From: Ian
Date: 21 Jan 03 - 04:53 AM

Schantieman Is that the HMS Araldite that stuck to Plymouth sound.

Subject: RE: help: mend leaking tankard
From: IanC
Date: 21 Jan 03 - 04:27 AM

Cyanoacrylate is fine and works well for a long period ... I know this empirically.

Antimony in small quantities becomes part of the structure of the alloy and does not poison the user as it is not really available. (Lead in large quantities is and does.)

;-}

Subject: RE: help: mend leaking tankard
From: Gurney
Date: 21 Jan 03 - 04:16 AM

I'm told the original sealant was putty turned to a paste with boiled linseed oil, rubbed into the gap, and the gap rubbed closed to force out the surplus.
Cyanoacrylate adhesives/superglue may not be poisonous, they are used for medical proceedures. Frinstnce, in China they are injected instead of a cut-and-tie vasectomy. Uhhhh.

Subject: RE: help: mend leaking tankard
From: DonMeixner
Date: 20 Jan 03 - 06:42 PM

American Pewterers where making leaded pewter in the this country into the late 1700's. Thats what was available. And I agree that the best pewter of the age was nearly all tin and copper.   Still antimony that has been added won't help them brain cells either.

What is the issue here fix it or don't, and buy new. If its old and valuable, buy new. If it's really old and heavy with lead, its valuable, buy new. If its new and it leaks, it isn't very valuable. Buy new.

If its old, don't wreak it by polishing it.

Don

Subject: RE: help: mend leaking tankard
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 20 Jan 03 - 02:36 PM

Lead's poisonous, antimony likewise, and some superglues are cyanoacrylates, and are also poisonous. Buy a new tankard, Nauticalia do nice repro one with a Kings Shilling in the bottom.
Giok

Subject: RE: help: mend leaking tankard
From: GUEST,Ed
Date: 20 Jan 03 - 02:31 PM

Thread drift, but could someone tell me the attraction of your own tankard?

It's something that I've never really understood.

Subject: RE: help: mend leaking tankard
From: Schantieman
Date: 20 Jan 03 - 02:28 PM

Araldite?

Subject: RE: help: mend leaking tankard
From: Gareth
Date: 20 Jan 03 - 02:21 PM

Down to your local Chandlers (Yachty Shop) Try Captain Tolleys creeping crack cure. And wash well.

Gareth

Subject: RE: help: mend leaking tankard
From: Allan C.
Date: 20 Jan 03 - 02:02 PM

One solution that I thought was obvious was to drink the contents quickly, before the leak becomes a factor at all! Problem solved!

Subject: RE: help: mend leaking tankard
From: gnomad
Date: 20 Jan 03 - 01:52 PM

I made a successful repair to the glass/pewter joint of a tankard using a silicon(e?) sealant sold by auto dealers for dealing with leaky windscreen seals.

I do like a pewter pot and would add my voice to the many saying wash gently, never polish or you lose all the character.

Subject: RE: help: mend leaking tankard
From: Schantieman
Date: 20 Jan 03 - 01:20 PM

...but is perhaps not as characterful?

Anyway, I thought antimony was even more poisonous than lead?

Steve

Subject: RE: help: mend leaking tankard
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 20 Jan 03 - 01:20 PM

Old steins should not be repaired- ruins their value as well.
For a while it was a custom here (may still be) to give glass-bottomed, silver-plated mugs to he winning team in amateur curling matches. These have gone to the Sally Ann, who have trouble disposing of them.
My old pewter measures are never used. The patina should not be removed.
A new glass mug is safer (and may be cleaned occasionally unless you like that old taproom floor taste).

Subject: RE: help: mend leaking tankard
From: Micca
Date: 20 Jan 03 - 01:19 PM

OoooOps, pressed too soon, I have seen a very long lived repair done with Silicone Acquarium sealent injected in using a small syringe into the gap, after carefully removing as much of the existing sealant as possible, and then drying the tankard in an oven that has been heated and then turned off so that it is warm, then leave the tankard in it for an hour or too, the silicone will stick to clean glass well.

Subject: RE: help: mend leaking tankard
From: Micca
Date: 20 Jan 03 - 01:15 PM

IanC and Dave, as a a seasoned cider drinker, even from "modern" pewter Cider tastes tainted, I just dont like Antimony Citrate (or Malate) anymore than Lead Citrate(or Malate)which are the 2 most likely candidates for the acid attacking the metals!!
My Famous tankard, The "Holy Grail" is stainless steel!!!! which doesnt dent, bend out of shape, is handy for twatting the odd obnoxious drunk with, and has a nice shine, and imparts NO taste to the contents.

Subject: RE: help: mend leaking tankard
From: GUEST,alex
Date: 20 Jan 03 - 12:41 PM

Catters come good agin. Ta lots
Alex

Subject: RE: help: mend leaking tankard
From: IanC
Date: 20 Jan 03 - 10:44 AM

cider's fine in pewter. I always drink my own "rough" out of it.

Mind you, perhaps that explains my memory losses?

;-)

Subject: RE: help: mend leaking tankard
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 20 Jan 03 - 10:35 AM

If your tankard is made of "Black" pewter ie old pewter which contains lead, NEVER try and clean it out on the inside if you intend to drink out of it - just wash it gently and wipe it out with a soft cloth. If you are only drinking beer out of it, it will aquire a fairly insoluble coating, but if you scour it back to clean bare metal you will be allowing lead to be leached out into the beer which you are drinking. NEVER drink cider, shandy or anything acidic out of leaded pewter - the acid (probably citric) will disolve the lead and you will be drinking Lead Citrate - which is poisonous.

Modern "White" pewter doesn't contain lead, but I still don't recommend drinking cider out of it - despite the chorus of "John Barleycorn" which suggests "Put your cider into old tin cans".

Subject: RE: help: mend leaking tankard
From: IanC
Date: 20 Jan 03 - 10:32 AM

Just to get things straight.

Pewter is almost pure tin (92% to 98%) with copper (2% to 8%) and a small amount of antimony. The copper adds hardness and the antimony imparts some "shine". Some mediaeval pewter (called black pewter) contained up to 40% lead (for cheapness) but lead is toxic, and you won't find it in any quantity in pewter made during the last 200 years.

:-)

Subject: RE: help: mend leaking tankard
From: Ian
Date: 20 Jan 03 - 10:22 AM

I have found Fernox LX silicon sealant (for use on domestic hot and cold water systems) to work well. it is clear easy to apply and watertight to 2 bar. Bar as in presure not public/lounge. available plumbers merchants and good DIY.

Subject: RE: help: mend leaking tankard
From: GUEST,DonMeixner
Date: 20 Jan 03 - 10:08 AM

I would ask you if these pewter pieces are new or very old. Historic pieces of pewter should nbot be repaired or really even used. The value of these pieces as antiques is far greater than their value as an ale transport vehicle. Place them on shelf and enjoy them for what they are. Restoration, even done well, will turn a George III tankard into a piece as valuable as a dixie cup. Keep the old one and buy a new one to use. It will be safer to use as well.

Lets discuss pewter for a moment. Tin and lead allows were cheap and easily made in our early history. The tin was there to give some strength to the lead and there are probably a half a hundred different mixes of metals in pewter. Each caster had their own recipe for the metal. Strength was the factor. The big worry was lead. Now we know it was a deadly element for human ingestion. But back in the 16, 17 and 18 hundreds it was a major metal for eatting utensils of all kinds.

The melting points of tin and lead make it an easy alloy to work new but not very easy to work in repair. I have polished tankards and generated enough heat with the wheel to cause the metal to soften and cave in. Best to hand polish with a good jewelry cloth. Better still to alow the tankard to age and gain a patina that can only be had by use and age.

Don

Subject: RE: help: mend leaking tankard
From: IanC
Date: 20 Jan 03 - 09:30 AM

The gap between glass and pewter is sealed with putty (at least on my old one). Scrape the putty out carefully and replace it. If you can't do this, or if there is no putty, superglue works really well for small cracks etc. I have one which cracked at the handle and has been fine for over 5 years after supergluing. Make sure it's cvompletely dry though and do it inside and out.

Don't use lead or solder, both of which have a higher melting point than the high tin content alloy which the pewter is made of.

:-)

Subject: RE: help: mend leaking tankard
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 20 Jan 03 - 08:52 AM

Wash a small quantity of very runny POLLYFILLA (or similiar) into the bottom of the tankard - if there's a hollow base do it upside down. Let it soak in and wipe the excess away. leave the tankard in a warm place for it to set. Repeat if neccessary.

Another good sealant is PVC glue - but you do need the sort that contains a small ammount of PVC - not just the solvent.

Do not try solder a glass-bottomed tankard as you will quite likely crack the glass, and anyway solder will not adher to glass.

My current quart tankard is cast pewter, so I'm not likely to have this problem, but the above method worked fine with a glass-bottomed one I used to use.

Subject: RE: help: mend leaking tankard
From: Schantieman
Date: 20 Jan 03 - 08:37 AM

and my all-pewter one has leaked from the bottom of the handle for as long as I can remember!

Molten lead?   Just solder? (p'raps I'll just solder on with it..... ;-))

Steve

Subject: help: mend leaking tankard
From: GUEST,Alex
Date: 20 Jan 03 - 08:33 AM

My pewter glass bottomed tankard is leaking. Any ideas (that work) to reseal the gap between the glass and the edge ?