# 1 oz gold ingots



## nickvc (Feb 14, 2010)

Been trying to get hold of the owner of a large refinery that produces 1 oz fine gold bars for ages and managed to track him down last week to ask him how they produce them.His company as suspected blanks them out of sheet,nice to have that much Au.When i asked if he knew of any other methods he suggested using a graphite block cut to shape placed on a set of scales and then weighing an ounce of fine grain/buttons into the block and then placing into a furnace.This seems a possibility for us small timers to produce an ounce ingot,to give it a more professional look maybe have a punch made with your details on would be a nice touch or to have the graphite cut with them. I reckon you will only make biscuits but its a start,any thoughts on this idea? Any faults or dangers?


----------



## leavemealone (Feb 14, 2010)

Hey nick.
Steve has a good video on how to build your own graphite mold.As far as getting exactly one ounce.....just shoot the gold,then weigh out exactly one ounce,remelt and pour.If you have a hard time getting "exactly" one ounce,just use a pair of tin snips and cut one of the beads until you do,it will be remelted anyways so it won't matter.
Johnny


----------



## metalfish AR (Feb 22, 2010)

I know a machinist that can construct a two piece mold made for spinning process. It will bolt together with a zero tolerance along the edges inside. He has made several other things for me when I was in the watch business. Those are my plans also so that is who I am going to use. Maybe I can help you out?


----------



## Scott2357 (Feb 22, 2010)

I would be interested in molds of different capacities and shapes. Also, dies to stamp small coins.


----------



## 4metals (Feb 22, 2010)

Graphite can't take the heat for long and starts to crumble. Placing it in a furnace and heating the whole thing will quickly yield rough surfaces on your bar, you may only get a few melts before the heat gets to it.


----------



## nickvc (Feb 23, 2010)

4metals im sure your right about the life expectancy of the graphite,the use of a fine file may remove the rough edges and extend the life of the mold not perfect but not many members have 100s of ounces to worry about  so just throwing this around to see if between us all we can find a cheap simple route to make the odd ingot thats the magical 1oz.


----------



## hphoa (Jun 17, 2010)

how about a one ounce fishing mold, might not say fine gold,will say one ounce.for around 40.00 bucks for mold.twice the weight wow 1/2 ounce mold.I though gold was closer than that.


----------



## jimdoc (Jun 17, 2010)

hphoa said:


> how about a one ounce fishing mold, might not say fine gold,will say one ounce.for around 40.00 bucks



But it would hold closer to two ounces of gold.And then you have to worry that the kids might use them fishin'.

Jim


----------



## Oz (Jun 18, 2010)

Guys and gals,

You should give this up trying to cast exactly 1 troy ounce. Has anyone noticed that all 1 oz bars and rounds are minted (as in pressed). Even the major mints that roll then punch out blanks to as exacting standards as they are capable of need to trim them to exact weight before stamping under great tonnage to make the weight accurate for coin and bar.


----------



## Oz (Jun 18, 2010)

hphoa said:


> how about a one ounce fishing mold, might not say fine gold,will say one ounce.for around 40.00 bucks



I will buy all of your 1 once fishing weights (avoirdupois or troy ounces) at even a 50% purity Au (.500) for your $40.00 per piece.


----------



## HAuCl4 (Jun 18, 2010)

If you really want to do this to some type of accuracy, one way is: 

1-Get a very accurate balance.

2-Either:
a)Make shot of your refined gold by pouring in cold water.
or
b)Roll a bar or make a fine wire that will allow you to cut/add gold to your balance till you get the exactly desired weight.

3-Carefully weight each amount and place each of them in porcelain crucibles with borax.

4-Load about 12 crucibles in an electric furnace till they melt into a button, let them solidify and drop them in cold water.

They will not look like ingots however, but you can hammer them into any shape you want.

You could also attempt to manufacture or have someone make you molds of zirconia or sintered silica with the desired shape, but these will not be cheap.


----------



## goldenchild (Jun 18, 2010)

Im not exactly sure what this thread is about. Obtaining a 1 oz mold or weighing out exactly 1 oz. If a mold is the aim then http://www.graphitesupplies.com or Ebay search for graphite ingot molds. Trying to weigh out exactly 1 oz could be tough but I've done it many times. You just have to be meticulous. If you have a scale that weighs out to the thousandths place (31.103) helps too. Weigh out 31.11 - 31.13 grams and melt. The extra accounts for any of the gold that may be left behind in the crucible or blows out if your melting power. Its really not a big deal though. I weighed out a troy ounce ingot of silver that I got from a large scale company for making some custom color gold alloy. It weighed 31.14 grams. These guys are professionals and werent even dead on.


----------



## HAuCl4 (Jun 18, 2010)

Thanks for the graphite supplies link!.


----------



## goldenchild (Jun 19, 2010)

HAuCl4 said:


> Thanks for the graphite supplies link!.



np. Harold... this stands for no problem :lol:


----------

