First attempt at pewter casting

A couple of weeks ago, I had a 'play' with lead-free pewter. I had read a lot of articles on the internet, but didn't really feel that I had an idea of how a cuttlefish mould would react to the molten metal. My only previous experience of casting had been in childhood -  casting lead fishing sinkers in commercially made moulds with my Dad. 

I roughly carved designs in the cuttlefish shell

Melting the pewter on a gas stove outside (for good ventilation)

The first pour - what a mess!

The result

All in all, it was a useful and valuable experiment. I have a much better idea of how the cuttlefish reacts to carving, how a second cast in the same mould turns out, and the general properties of molten pewter. I am considering other options for making moulds, as the natural variations in the cuttlefish translate into the cast piece.
I am already looking forward to doing more casting!