# Silver Melting and Molding



## Redeemed19 (Nov 25, 2021)

Hello, I am wondering how does one make a mold for molten Silver? I know graphite is an option but I am not sure how to "Make" a Graphite mold for a Coin that I want to make.
I also have a smaller simpler rectangular shape with a small design on it that I could make from molding sand. But I was wondering if there was any way I could make a mold that is good for Silver pouring at home without fancy equipment like a 3D Printer or CNC Machine. Any Ideas?


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## nickvc (Nov 26, 2021)

Casting coins results in fairly poor results as the details tend to be lost which is why coins are made using dies , sand casting is probably your best route but as stated the details may not be that good.


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## Martijn (Nov 26, 2021)

Lost wax casting may be an option?


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## Martijn (Nov 26, 2021)

Reproducing coins may not be entirely legit though. And you'll never get the quality like a stamped coin.


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## Redeemed19 (Nov 26, 2021)

Does anyone know where to get custom stamped coin dies? I think I could pour it into the correct shape. For the best quality I usually see it pressed first but maybe I could figure something out. 

Thanks for the replies!


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## cejohnsonsr1 (Nov 26, 2021)

There are several suppliers online. I don't have any on the top of my head. Google is your friend. Search for silver molds.


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## BLACKESTFOOT (Nov 26, 2021)

Etsy you can get custom coin molds and dies


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## upcyclist (Dec 1, 2021)

I have a small graphite mold for making 1 ozt rounds, I think I got it from Amazon or eBay years ago. Probably the best coin you could make without a press & die would be to hand engrave a blank round, but that's a whole 'nother skill set (see also: hobo nickels). But really any non-die method would need to be carved, it's just whether your carving wax or engraving silver. You would get a fair amount of detail from either, especially if you're spin-casting.

If you can carve it in the right kind of wax, I or any number of forum members could lost-wax cast it for you. Get with your caster of choice and they can either recommend or send you a wax blank.

--Eric

_Edit to add: _or have it printed if you can design it in a CAD program. Check your local area for maker groups and workshops to find a printer. You can also do lost-wax casting from some types of 3D printer materials.


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## BLACKESTFOOT (Dec 1, 2021)

I had die made and just hand strike my own. The molds didn't last long before deterioration.


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## BLACKESTFOOT (Dec 1, 2021)

The graphite molds have not held up as well as the die.


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## GoIdman (Dec 2, 2021)

Blackestfoot,

Nice strikes! Where do you make your dies?

Be safe

Pete


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## BLACKESTFOOT (Dec 2, 2021)

GoIdman said:


> Blackestfoot,
> 
> Nice strikes! Where do you make your dies?
> 
> ...


Pete,

Thank you! It's a lot of work to refine, weight, mill, and strike. 
I found a custom die maker on easy. About $300. Takes a month to get the die and no returns so make sure you get your sizing right the first time. I have had 2 made and still not happy. Having 2 more made in a bigger size one for gold coins and one for silver. All 1ozt. It's just a fun way to store my refineries (lol). For my pirate treasure.


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## FrugalRefiner (Dec 2, 2021)

Would you mind sharing who your die maker is? Many members have considered making coins over the years.

Dave


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## BLACKESTFOOT (Dec 2, 2021)

It auto changed it to easy. Should have said etsy


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## BLACKESTFOOT (Dec 2, 2021)

I'll find the link in just a few and post it here.


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## BLACKESTFOOT (Dec 2, 2021)

Stampscustom. Is the name of the shop. And I can only get to them through Etsy. The dies come from kharkiv,ukrain.


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## FrugalRefiner (Dec 2, 2021)

Thank you for sharing that.

Dave


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## Redeemed19 (Dec 2, 2021)

BLACKESTFOOT said:


> Stampscustom. Is the name of the shop. And I can only get to them through Etsy. The dies come from kharkiv,ukrain.


I found Stamps custom after posting the question in this forum. I just bought a hand die. I do have an issue with pouring blanks though because I am not using a 1 oz coin. So I am looking into finding a mold for my blanks that are the correct diameter and height. I have gotten a few quotes but they are asking as much for graphite molds as I paid for the stamping dies. Lol


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## Tevlon (Dec 2, 2021)

I’ve been wanting to make a custom coin forever! What product did you buy? I’m looking at the store and I only see ink stamps, other soft materials and branding irons? Did I miss coin dies?


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## BLACKESTFOOT (Dec 2, 2021)

It can be pricey. I'm doing 1ozt so it's a bit more convenient. But I found that I had to weigh each one and pour individually to get my weight on point. Then roll or hammer each one to get it to the dimensions I'm looking for then once I have 20-40 of them then I heat each one to redness put it in the die and strike it 3-4 times. I found I can get about 3-4 strikes before I get a double strike on the coin. So long as its hot it kinda sticks to the die. Also I've got 2 different types of die. I found the one in the picture works better then the hand held ones. Ie. The die that's made for a hydraulic press. I still do it by hand though. 30ton press is not big enough I have found. Maybe 80-100 ton but I can't find access to one in my area.
Hope that helps. And post pictures of your progress. I know I'd love to see.


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## BLACKESTFOOT (Dec 2, 2021)

You must have missed it. Type in coin dies it will come up.


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## upcyclist (Dec 2, 2021)

Redeemed19 said:


> So I am looking into finding a mold for my blanks that are the correct diameter and height. I have gotten a few quotes but they are asking as much for graphite molds as I paid for the stamping dies. Lol


Redeemed:

Your best bet is to find a premade mold in the diameter you want. Rather than trying to get the perfect height, just get a mold that is at least deep enough. Try different _weights _in it (1/2 ozt, 1/4 ozt, etc.) and see if you like the thickness. You can even start thick and file it down to your desired height. Once you get that height, weigh it. Pour by weight and not height.

Try looking for "round ingot molds" - I found this one on Amazon with 3 sizes.

Also, dig around the forums for help on pouring ingots well--one tip is to make sure your mold is hot and sooted.


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## BLACKESTFOOT (Dec 2, 2021)

Redeemed is correct. The weigh is the key. If you hit/press the die hard enough it will round itself out. If you want it thicker. Make it weight more.


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## Noggin (Dec 2, 2021)

I've done some research but haven't made any coins yet. For my day job, last year I ordered a batch of brass coins called challenge coins. You work with them to make the 3d art and then they feed it to a cnc that cuts the die. The cost is a few hundred for the die but the quality is breathtaking (I had a dragon with textured scales).
I understand that 50+ tons of pressure is what's needed for silver (but I wonder if I can hot press (just-off molten) at substantially lower pressures. I can find a short-travel hydraulic piston that can manage 50 tons but haven't worked out a frame yet. Incredibly dangerous at these pressures.


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## Elemental (Dec 2, 2021)

Challenge Coins, I've got a pile of them from my time in the military. The story behind them is they usually have the rank of the person who awarded you the coin. When you go out for drinks, everyone is required to pull out a coin, the lowest ranking coin ends up buying a round (or worse yet if you get challenged and don't have a coin with you!) I lost interest in them once my wife got a coin from General Dempsey. She still likes to brag about that and she wasn't even in the military.


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## upcyclist (Dec 6, 2021)

Noggin said:


> I understand that 50+ tons of pressure is what's needed for silver (but I wonder if I can hot press (just-off molten) at substantially lower pressures. I can find a short-travel hydraulic piston that can manage 50 tons but haven't worked out a frame yet. Incredibly dangerous at these pressures.



You betcha. The price differences after 20 tons go up real fast (like exponential), but if you buy a press vice make one, you won't have to worry nearly as much about potentially fatal failures. Let's see, 50 tons of pressure, 1/2 square inch of flying metal fragment, that makes 100,000 PSI...

It's probably a premium price, but for scale, Bonny Doon's basic 20-ton press retails for $995, and their 55-ton press is $12k+. But your peace of mind, and possibly your face, should be worth more than that.


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## orvi (Dec 6, 2021)

i worked for few years with screw press, making custom coins from pre-made brass or copper discs for souvenir shop, closely to the size of the 1ozt gold ones. it was a historic manual machine from like 40s or 50s, building your muscles quickly as some days you should make some 200 rounds  tiring but interesting work.

i never needed to cast my own "empty" coins, but working with copper was relatively efortless, compared to brass. but after heat treatment, brass was much easier to press (as expected, but oxidation patterns should be sanded off and roughly polished before). i am assuming that pure gold or silver would be soft enough to mint at home with some basic press, but i am concerned about diameter. 
maybe some sacrifice of diameter could be beneficial for you, because pressing area will reduce significantly (sqare order). you could than use much less pressing power to obtain good results. 

i personally would not use hand held hammer, espetially on high end matrices (brittle, extremely wear resistant steel). maybe some sort of falling weight would assure the proper direction of force 
when attempted to hit another time after the die moved from position after the first whack, "focus" the dies by means of turning them gently, and you will hear a "click" - mint on the coin properly fit the die, and then you can whack again without making "double pressed" coin  
wishing luck with this beautiful hobby 

illustrative picture of the machine, one that i operated was somewhat bigger, but man... it weights somwhere about 2 tonnes  delivery of the dissasembled thing and properly getting it to the room, and assembly of the thing onto two cubic meters of concrete (so it wouldn´t dance around)... that was hell of a work  4 man, 2 days


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## upcyclist (Dec 6, 2021)

If your blanks are air-cooled after casting, you should have relatively little problem pressing them. If you have worked them at all (e.g., cut them in a press, a lot of filing, more than a cursory polish), you'll want to anneal them again before pressing. Hot pressing shouldn't be necessary--if you don't heat the die as well, you're also giving them a bit of a thermal shock (though that may not matter, unless there's already a crack in them).


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