Questions about Pitch

elegantrockart left a comment on the post "Pitch Pots and Workshops":

Kirsten, If there's an ideal working point re: temp, does that mean the pitch needs to be rewarmed periodically during the chasing process? Whenever it starts to get too stiff/brittle again?What do you think of the practice of filling your pitch pot part way with plaster of paris then finish filling with pitch for the top couple of inches? I read that somewhere but not sure if that's a good idea or if it's just asking for trouble somewhere along the line.

Thanks for asking the question! I needed some stimulus to write.

Warming pitch- Yes, the pitch does need to be rewarmed periodically as you work. There is not one ideal working temperature. You need the pitch to be warmer when you want to move your metal a lot. You need the pitch harder when you are working on details and need a lot of support. Yes when the pitch starts to seem too brittle, then warm it up. I use a heat gun to warm up my pitch gently and slowly, being careful not to let the pitch burn or smoke.

Pitch pots and plaster- Filling a pitch pot halfway with plaster is common practice for American jewelers. Our Japanese artist friend was horrified by the practice. I don't do it myself. I find that I hit the metal so hard, eventually the pitch and plaster both fall out of the pitch pot! That's incredibly frustrating and annoying. I keep my pitch bowls completely filled with pitch. If I needed to conserve pitch (or money), I could weld a false bottom into my pitch bowl, or use Charles Lewton Brain's method of converting an old bowling ball into a pitch bowl http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/nenam/jeweler-pitch.htm .

p.s. Thanks Linda for pointing out the typo!