Hi all, I have a lot of gold scrap, mainly lemel (dust, filings). I
wanted to get the best way to melt it down, I’ve done it before but I
know its not right. I want to get the best way to melt it. I kind of
remember something about salt peter added to the scrap to take out
impurities? Any tips would be greatly appreciated.
Ed Dawson
Maine Master Models
Hi, Had an experence of such…Lost an once of gold in my
casting machine. You dont wanna know how…but got all the stuff out
of the bowl…silver,white gold 14, 18…thrash…washed it with
water…paning method…( outside) nitric acid … three
times…every thing evaporated but the gold…washed and picked
white from white from gold…made beautiful cast from
gold…no no …not safe …but a way…clyde
Hello Ed, Melting old gold is not difficult but can be frustrating.
First separate the gold parts with no solder in it, by cutting solder
parts of. This good quality gold can directly melted with some borax
and sugar. Do not overheat this gold and use a reducing flame
(overdose gas), it will give direct a good alloy back. Cast this gold
of in a sheet form or sand, or Delft clay. Hammer this on the sides ,
anneal, and quench in alcohol (after dull red). a few times before you
can start rolling.
The rest, gold fillings, dust, solder and other sjit can be used for
casting which does not need to be of a good quality. Or it can be made
in a workable alloy. I hope you have not mixed all kind karats so that
you do not know at which alloy you will end. Start by cleaning on steel
particles by stirring it with a magnet. For casting gold, just melt
with a lot of borax and cast something out of this scrap gold.
For a usable ductile alloy it needs to undergo some more
purification. First you have to remove the steel particles with a
magnet. If you are not sure, boil your lemel in sulphuric acid to
remove all steel. Than melt the gold and stir special melting powder
trough the melt, to takes out the first amount of dirt and to binds
some of the wrong alloys. (This powder is the cheep special melting
powder,that the normal suppliers have). For the next step I use Auro
Purifax for cleaning. This Auropurifax is a special gold cleaning
powder, It absorbs the wrong alloys and removes dirt. Just stir it
trough the melt in amount of 5 to 30% depending on the dirt. You will
get a wonderful ductile alloy back which does not crack during
rolling. But if it does so, do the above trick again. Also adding some
zinc will help in making it ductile. And if this does not work, send it
away for refining, or cast something out of it.
If you want to know more, just mail to me.
Martin Niemeijer
Ndesign@wishmail.net
Hi Ed. A flux for the melting of jewellers scrap and bench filing is
available from Twain Mnfrs. Ltd.(South Africa). Visit site
Blast This 86 / Soon by wetter hört zu . The name of the flux is FILUX. Used by
manufacturing jewellers in South Africa. Another supplier of the flux
can be contacted at sjt@global.co.za Regards, Ed. Wocke