Ingot: Pouring Technique

Jewelry Discussion
1

Good day all,

Did a quick search in the Orchid archives for ingots (even 'googled’
the topic), and it seems that not a lot has been said about ‘pouring
technique’. It’s been my experience in making even a simple silver
ingot that success rate for almost anyone is 50/50 (or worse).
Curious what other Orchidian success rates are and any tricks that
help you.

My technique:

  • Heavy steel mould, coated w. candle soot (not oil), and then
    heated to a dull red

  • Ceramic crucible coated glassy with Borax flux, also heated, add
    metal

  • Heat metal, allowing some heat to still warm the mould (large
    oxy-natgas-torch, large neutral flame), add dash of flux when -
    appearance seems ‘wet’ , allow to ‘ball-up’ like mercury

  • hold heat @ mouth of mould & crucible w. metal and tilt & pour…

…Seems simple, but it is the unpredictable nature of the heated
mould + metal that seems to cause most distorted ingots rather than
the technique used IMHO.

Thanks in advance for every/anyone’s feedback.

Cheers,
Taylor

2

If you heat the ingot mold to a dull red, I believe you are getting
it too hot. In accordance with some instructions I ran into
somewhere a long time ago, I just heat it until th oil smokes. Works
fine for me. :slight_smile:

Jerry in Kodiak

3

Thanks, Jerry - though to clarify the mould I’m using is an
extremely heavy steel monster with a thick steel base which acts as a
heat-sink. To avoid the mould cooling while I’m playing with the
metal, I usually heat the base to a dull red - not the entire mould.

Seems oil v. candle ‘soot’ (or acetylene) is the question :wink:

Appreciate the feedback,
Cheers,
Tay