melting gold

[miasdad]

hi all got some fine placer gold anyone know how to melt this down into small flake some one told me you could use a potatoe and a tourch

 

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[gollum]

Russau,

While the dangers of heavy metal poisoning are VERY real, death, hair, and tooth loss would not happen with just one exposure.

The old time prospectors used to amalgamate their gold, put it in a piece of leather (shammy), squeeze it by twisting tighter and tighter (watching the mercury drip out through the pores in the leather), take the gold amalgam ball and drop it in a skillet (cast iron). They would then cook the mercury out of the amalgam, leaving a nice gold wafer in the middle of the skillet.

They did this over and over (many times on a daily basis) for many years. Over time, they lost their teeth and went nuts (due to heavy metal poisoning). Mercury is dangerous just to handle bare handed (it is absorbed directly through the pores of the skin), even more so by cooking it and inhaling the vapors. The only really safe way to cook the mercury out of your amalgam ball is to make and use a retort. That way you not only get clean gold, but your mercury is recycled to use again!

http://www.appropedia.org/Mercury_retort_(Practical_Action_Technical_Brief)

Mike

 

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[Hoser John]

I've been to 3 funerals from a 1 time exposure to mercury fumes and one,Butler Labs in Costa Mesa, had been working with it for over 30 years and OOPS 1 mistake and adios. I use it dozens of times a year with no problems as done correctly. I do relate to missing parts and pieces but I do have 1 question--why all the hair growing from the ears and eyebrows as the dome goes hairless Transference maybe tons a au 2 u 2-John

 

[gollum]

Those must have been some serious exposures. I don't personally know anyone that has died from a one time exposure. I have worked with it for years and haven't suffered any sd,cjhbwkdjvcbleidkjvcnsdkjcnsldm,jkcnd,jksmnc.dms,ncs sorry, just a little siezure.

Seriously though, build or buy a good retort, and use it properly, so you will never have to worry.

Best-Mike

 

[russau]

BUT do you want to take that risk?? risking your,or someone elses life/health for something that could be done just as EZ anotherway?

 

[goldcur]

We consume large quantities of coal for power which means we all hide our heads into the sand while 50 tons of airborn mercury is released each year from coal plants.

 

[strickman]

ear hair ,,,,,,, is the result of your body trying to block out certain tones ................mainly the tone of wife's voice !!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Hoser John]

StMan--no wife in 30+ years,after 3 I quit wasting my time and money and raised my kids myself!!! I keep telling my kids ifn' I let it grown long enough I could use it as a combover maybe Anyhow the nose,ear and eyebrow answer quest continues Thanx for the laugh this am also---John

 

[ohiochris]

Since gold has a lower melting temperature that stainless steel , can gold flakes be melted in a teaspoon. Of course while holding the spoon with pliers or a vise , with borax in the spoon with the flakes. It may seem like a silly question , but I am just wondering if anybody has tried it before. What I was thinking is the spoon could be heated from the bottom side so not as much worry about blowing the flakes out , then after it was cool you may be able to give the bottom of the spoon a tap with a hammer to dislodge the gold.

 

[strickman]

best to use a crucible. can substitute a homemade one using charcoal.

 

[ohiochris]

best to use a crucible. can substitute a homemade one using charcoal.

While that may be true , the spoon idea could let you melt down smaller amounts if it worked , with less chance of losing flakes with the torch....and if you dont end up with just a gold plated spoon. I was just hoping somebody out there had the same idea and tried it before.

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

Golly my good friend. I plead the -----5th------ in your case. snicker . However I agree with you, as for the retort, remember to follow the Intructions, and never let the exit tube go under water or you will not live to be at my 150 th birthday party. The hot retort can suck water back into itself as it starts to cool ->BOOOM.

Incidentally, a cupel can be purchased very inexpensively in any hobby or chemical supply shop. You can even make your own.

Final thingie, mercury danger is vastly over played. Just think, each energy saving bulb contains more mercury than a large mercury thermometer. Yet according to the gov't, if you break a 'teeny' mercury thermometer, you are required to redo the house to get rid of hazardous material


Don Jose de La Mancha

 

[Gramps43]

John, I don't think the ear hair would work, not enough there to do any good, besides you know dead ground don't grow no grass. Mine is starting to thin a bit but I don't think it's from age (68) but rather from the meds the VA docs have me on.

Gramps

 

[Lanny in AB]

Fascinating post. It answered a lot of questions. Thanks.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[KevinInColorado]

A warning to those considering melting gold in a metal item (spoon, pan, whatever)...due to the nature of how alloys form, your gold may partially or fully bond with the metal container at temperatures above the point where gold melts but BELOW the melting point of the container. One person who tried melting gold in a steel pan found that their gold "disappeared into the metal of the pan!". This is real...stick with nonmetallic containers like the briquette mentioned here or something ceramic as used by professional metal workers.

 

[loby]

Hyyyy... i suggest that If you want to do it with a butane torch
a) do not allow the flame itself to touch the gold, heat the container, not the gold itself
b) do not add heat too fast, you must start with a low/small flame, and SLOWLY increase the heat until the gold becomes soft, add a bit more heat and let the gold turn into liquid.
c) for experiments/small amounts of gold, a crucible (a small heat-proof ceramic cup) will be the ideal container for such tasks.

 

[TerryC]

My thoughts are, why even melt it? There is no monetary advantage. The little gold button looks neat but the natural gold flour and placers look neater. Also, if you are going to end up selling it as scrap, which is about all you can do with the button anyway (you can't stamp it 14k or 18k), the company that buys it will re-melt it anyway. TTC

 

[strickman]

I take my fines and melt them ,cast them into natural looking pendants .No two are alike ,look better than store bought. And priceless !

 

[Underburden]

Strickman,
I believe I've seen your cast pieces on the VA Gold Forum.
Wouldn't mind seeing some pics and method again.
Love the rock salt pieces...look like the real deal !

Bob

 

[Hangtown]

hi all got some fine placer gold anyone know how to melt this down into small flake some one told me you could use a potatoe and a tourch

A "Hupperts" furnace. Works like a charm. Don't listen to these tenderfoot folk. A torch can fume the gold away. And wear a mask.

 

[LinkHylian]

It's SMELTING that you want to do, not melting. Spend $250-$350, go online and get a 1oz-3oz smelting machine. If you're planning on melting down your gold, you might as well smelt it to make it pure.
Imagine pouring in your fine gold into a small crucible, smelting it down and then pouring it out into 1oz gold cube molds. Can't think of many things finer than that.
I'm all for doing it yourself and torchin' it, however me personally I would just blow that placer/fine gold all over the place, overheat it, lose some, pour some on my hand...etc etc lol. Get a smelting pot!!!