# Making silver shot



## Williamjf77 (Feb 1, 2020)

Question about making shot, do most avoid using any borax when making shot?

I ask because I used a new melting dish and coated with borax, I probably used too mush to glaze. How does one keep the flux from contaminating the silver shot. 

If my flux residue is very dirty and colorful does that mean I didn’t rinse the cement silver good enough?

I know when I’ve melted my gold the flux residue was clear.

For reference I’m using a propane forge and trying to pour, I think a torch would be easier.


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## Thipdar (Feb 1, 2020)

Williamjf77 said:


> Question about making shot, do most avoid using any borax when making shot?
> 
> I ask because I used a new melting dish and coated with borax, I probably used too mush to glaze. How does one keep the flux from contaminating the silver shot.
> 
> ...



"Dirty and colorful" implies impurities, and it means that the flux is doing it's job.

One thing you can do is to heat the dish until the glaze is viscous and then try to dump it out. You probably won't be able to get all of it, but any that you do remove will benefit your shot-making process.

I've never tried to use a forge for that, so I don't know which is easier. I have been able to aim a torch's flame point at a specific part of the melting dish and used it to remove molten impurities (like investment, for example). Getting them molten is fairly easy, but they don't generally want to pour out - I often have to nudge them with a carbon rod.

Like Sreetips' video shows, it's ok to be stingy with the borax when you're curing a new melting dish or crucible.

-- Thipdar


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## ION 47 (Feb 7, 2020)

To remove the flux residue from the silver surface, boil the silver granules in a solution of citric acid (I did this). Some also use sulfamic acid for this purpose.


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## Palladium (Feb 7, 2020)

How much shot are we talking about?
Unless you just covered it like basting a ham you should be alright.
The borax will be left in the filter basket of the cell.


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## Williamjf77 (Feb 9, 2020)

Thanks palladium, I guess I should have just asked if the flux would screw up the silver cell process.

It’s not much, this is my first silver cell attempt so I made about 2 pounds of shot.


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