Casting pewter bell

Hi
I only dabble in casting but I've had a need to produce small pewter bells. By small I mean about 5cm high. They have to be non-ferrous because the application requires them to be non-magnetic, and since I don't have a foundry, only a domestic stove, they have to be low melt. A few years ago I made some using a RTV rubber mold, and they worked fine, sounded good. I can't remember the exact alloy that I used because I had collected a lot of scrap pewter objects from car boot sales etc.
Anyway, I am now trying to make some more. I am using the same mold but the bells just don't ring, they thud. Now I've read quite a lot of internet advice that says you can't make pewter bells because the metal is too soft. On the other hand, I know I did it successfully, and I also know that you can buy commercial pewter hand bells. So either I got lucky with the material I was using, or there is some technique that I once used, but which I have now forgotten. I suspect it's the material. Has anyone got any tips for what low melt alloy might produce the right ringing noise?
Thanks
R


Read the full thread at metalworkforums.com...