# 1 Troy Ounce Gold Loaf



## lazersteve (Jul 15, 2010)

Thought I would share a photo of a 31.3g gold loaf I poured this morning for a customer:







Source material was e-scrap, processed in the cell and AR for the second refining.

Gold was melted using the mark II mini-furnace prototype. Start to finish melt time was 10 minutes including time required to pour the gold into the graphite mold.

Steve


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## goldsilverpro (Jul 15, 2010)

Pretty bar, Steve.

I always liked watching their reaction when I plopped the pure gold bar in their hand.


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## glorycloud (Jul 15, 2010)

It's a thing of beauty Steve! ( The gold, not the dime.) 8)


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## teabone (Jul 15, 2010)

I was wondering is there a way to pour , without those concentric lines ? My bars look just like those , but I would like to get smooth polished bars , like the ones that sell above spot.


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## dtectr (Jul 15, 2010)

that is a thing of beauty. I can't describe my reaction because this is a family-friendly forum. Ha! :lol:


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## dtectr (Jul 15, 2010)

lazersteve said:


> Gold was melted using the mark II mini-furnace prototype. Start to finish melt time was 10 minutes including time required to pour the gold into the graphite mold.
> 
> Steve


 Is that the New Firebrick furnace, Steve?


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## beachbum1975 (Jul 15, 2010)

Fantastic! A thing of beauty!


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## lazersteve (Jul 15, 2010)

dtectr said:


> lazersteve said:
> 
> 
> > Gold was melted using the mark II mini-furnace prototype. Start to finish melt time was 10 minutes including time required to pour the gold into the graphite mold.
> ...



It's the second version of my prototype new furnace. I sold a few of the first version and tested one myself, then I made a few subtle design changes to get to this version.

My hand is starting to feel a little better (when it doesn't rain) so I'll begin producing them to sell on my website very soon. Keep your eyes on my website to purchase or email me if you want to help test one. 

Steve


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## Barren Realms 007 (Jul 15, 2010)

lazersteve said:


> dtectr said:
> 
> 
> > lazersteve said:
> ...



I asked about testing one a couple of weeks ago but I recieved no response. Guess I don't melt enough.


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## dtectr (Jul 15, 2010)

lazersteve said:


> dtectr said:
> 
> 
> > lazersteve said:
> ...



i don't have much gold ready to melt, or I'd volunteer. I am looking forward to trying one when i have a suitable quantity. by that time, i'll likely just have to buy one, i guess.

and re: your hand - it will ALWAYS hurt when it rains. i had 3 vertabrae fused 3 yrs ago & I'm a better weather forecaster than our local meteorologist! if i could just get someone to PAY me for it ... :lol:


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## lazersteve (Jul 15, 2010)

Barren Realms 007 said:


> I asked about testing one a couple of weeks ago but I recieved no response. Guess I don't melt enough.



Check your PM records again, I responded to you as I do to everyone. Two of the first run of prototype furnaces was sent out last week and are getting good reviews. The bar in the photo above was melted using the second prototype of the new furnace and the only one I fabricated is currently being asked about tonight. 

I still have a one of the first run prototypes left if you are still interested PM me again. As I mentioned in my first PM reply to you, you'll have to pay shipping charges and a small fee for the materials required to make the prototype. I have tested these and they work fine, but I'm a perfectionist and want to make some more improvements before going into production full speed.

Each run of mini-furnaces (the two new types) takes a few days to fabricate so orders will be filled slowly after the remaining prototypes are spoken for. Once I settle on a final design, I'll mass produce them in batches of 10 or 20 at a time and list them for sale on my website pricing page. 

Steve


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## Barren Realms 007 (Jul 15, 2010)

lazersteve said:


> Barren Realms 007 said:
> 
> 
> > I asked about testing one a couple of weeks ago but I recieved no response. Guess I don't melt enough.
> ...



Yes you did, sorry for that. Guess that was one of my busy days and I forgot to send you the Email.  

I'll send you an email.

Thanks


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## SilverNitrate (Jul 16, 2010)

Quite a dense bar seeing that a dime weigh only 2.3g


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## teabone (Jul 17, 2010)

Anybody ?


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## Harold_V (Jul 17, 2010)

teabone said:


> Anybody ?


It's not easy to accomplish with the type of equipment in use here on the forum. 

Key to success is cooling the ingot from bottom to top, all without any agitation of the molten gold. If the ingot freezes from the sides inward, it will create a pipe, which may be a sign of good quality gold, but less than desirable where finish is concerned. 

Preheating your mold to a temperature slightly below the combustion point of carbon is a good start. Blackening the mold with a sooty torch helps, too. Pouring to a mold that conducts heat too rapidly doesn't help. A heavy soot covering behaves somewhat as an insulator, so it serves double duty. 

Pour the gold at a slightly superheated temperature, than immediately play a soft (reducing) flame on the surface of the gold as it cools, keeping it molten. Slowly reduce the heat, allowing the gold to freeze. Flame must be soft enough to not create any motion in the molten gold. A reducing flame retards combustion of the soot covering. 

It can be done, although I don't recall EVER getting an ingot that rivaled those that Noxx used to use in his avatar. They were truly a work of art. 

Harold


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## Lou (Jul 18, 2010)

Teabone,

On bigger bars it doesn't do it as badly. I like the concentric swirls, I think they're cool!

As Harold said, you might try heating your mold so the cooling curve is longer --or-- pour it into a heated mold and then quench quickly in water!


Lou


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## goldenchild (Jul 18, 2010)

Teabone,

As Harold has indicated, not disturbing the ingot after the pour is key.
I've found that simply not holding a flame on the ingot after the pour will reduce if not eliminate the rings all together. Just pour the molten gold and let it air cool without disturbing the ingot mold. Then quench in water once the molten gold has totally hardend. 

The inverse would be to take the flame and vigorously move it over the ingot in a circular motion. If you look in the gallery(more buttons please) you can see the ingots I poured have some very prominent rings. They are raised like brail in fact. This was on purpose. After pouring the gold into the ingot I immediatly took the torch and swirled the gold around vigorously. The rings came out this way because I was using an oxy-acetylene torch. Also the crucible was set on top of the ingot mold while melting to get the mold nice and hot. I think that is the best way to get a graphite mold up to temp without destroying it.

By the way... beautiful ingot Steve. I think its safe to say, we don't expect anything less from you.


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## HAuCl4 (Jul 19, 2010)

Here's how they do it for larger bars, around 1:04 minute in the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQ37SFKahc0

Small commercials bars are usually stamped, not cast. That's why they have such good finish.


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## teabone (Jul 21, 2010)

Thanks everyone for the great tips ! I could only dream of producing a bar like the ones in the South African refinery. Great video , by the way.
On my next pour , I will try those helpful tips and see what I come up with.
Gold is gold no matter what it looks like , but it does look better when its refined and polished and in good form , either in jewelry , coin , or ingot.


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