# My Gold powder wont melt?



## hongyizhong-39 (Dec 6, 2011)

Hi, I have read Hokes book, For months I have been studying this forum and Listening to Mr Harold V and Laser Steve and his video's but I have never posted nothing just listening and taking notes, I feel like I am close to smelting my first gold bead b/c listening to all the comments posted here. My gold power will not melt, I have rinsed it and washed it like instructed but when I go to heat it up, it just glows yellow or orange then when I am finish heating it, it still remains a powder. 1)Do I need a higher heat source? and second I still have trouble getting the borax when I sprinkle it to stick imediately to the crucible and form a even glossy look in my crucible could that also be do to not having a hot enough heating source?


----------



## Smack (Dec 6, 2011)

What's your heat source? How hot is it getting? Do you know how hot it needs to be?


----------



## hongyizhong-39 (Dec 6, 2011)

I am using a bernzomatic torch propylene torc.


----------



## hongyizhong-39 (Dec 6, 2011)

I know gold melts at 1947 some degrees and no I dont know how hot it is getting.


----------



## glorycloud (Dec 6, 2011)

Tell us about your actual setup. I ran into problems because I had my
melting dish on an aluminum heat sink which was, in effect, getting
rid of a lot of the heat that I had intended to melt the gold powder.

When I was given some KOA wool from laszersteve to help prevent
heat loss from the melting dish, the temperature went up and the
gold melted and turning shiny and bright!! 8)


----------



## hongyizhong-39 (Dec 6, 2011)

my set up is a crucible on a concrete floor, that is pretty much it, I noticed this in Lasser Stevens video.


----------



## metatp (Dec 6, 2011)

hongyizhong-39 said:


> my set up is a crucible on a concrete floor, that is pretty much it, I noticed this in Lasser Stevens video.


Sounds like the heat is being sucked out by the Crucible and concrete. You might want to try some ceramic wool insulation.


----------



## hongyizhong-39 (Dec 6, 2011)

Thank You all for your help.


----------



## Smack (Dec 6, 2011)

Concrete will pop if you get it too hot.


----------



## Harold_V (Dec 7, 2011)

hongyizhong-39 said:


> my set up is a crucible on a concrete floor, that is pretty much it, I noticed this in Lasser Stevens video.


That is extremely risky. Concrete holds residual moisture that can flash to steam, causing a minor explosion. When that happens, the surface of the concrete explodes violently. Consider yourself lucky that you've had no luck melting your gold, for it may have been thrown in your face while it was molten. 

Do your melting on a low conductive surface---a fire brick, for example. If you can't preheat a melting dish to the point where introduced borax melts, you will have NO luck melting gold. However, the fuel source you have chosen is likely to be sufficient for melting a small amount. I'd encourage you to use oxygen along with fuel, however. That yields a flame much hotter than that which is necessary, making the task of melting a short and pleasant experience. 

Do not add borax to your gold while melting. If, after it is molten, you find it has an oxide coating that emanates from the center and moves rapidly to the sides of the button, you can help absorb the oxide by sprinkling a little borax on the button, but understand that it won't appreciably improve the quality of the gold. To do that, you must re-refine. 

Harold


----------



## butcher (Dec 7, 2011)

Lhongyizhong-39 ,
Go forum; find a post by Laser Steve. 
Bottom of his post there is address to his Website, click on it (go to his website),
(Login) using words --- gold goldm1ner*
(Note: number one in the word m1ner* and star at end).
He sells a small firebrick furnace (very cheap).
Look around on his Website lots of good stuff.
He also has a search button for this forum it will help you find many more answers to your questions.


----------



## lazersteve (Dec 12, 2011)

I sell the mini-furnace by request only.

For the record in my videos I always have something under the hot melting dish and the concrete.


----------



## ms32462 (Dec 24, 2011)

i would use mapp gas with a tip that will burn at 2500 f you can buy the kit at lowes and home depot thats what i use and works great within a couple of min u willl have a nugget


----------



## niteliteone (Dec 24, 2011)

lazersteve said:


> For the record in my videos I always have something under the hot melting dish and the concrete.



Just a fun poke. No bad intentions.

Tom C.


----------



## Dr. Poe (Jan 13, 2012)

Powder has spaces. Molten soda ash fills those spaces. Your torch flame is too cold and your heat is dissipating through the points of crucible contacts. It's not the temperature of the tip of the flame that makes it too cold. It's the total BTU out put that's insufficient (unless you insulate). Hint, gold will glow yellow white hot, not orange when melted. Dr. Poe


----------



## Harold_V (Jan 14, 2012)

Dr. Poe said:


> Hint, gold will glow yellow white hot, not orange when melted. Dr. Poe


Actually, it's a pale green luminescence.

Harold


----------



## Dr. Poe (Jan 14, 2012)

Harold_V said:


> Dr. Poe said:
> 
> 
> > Hint, gold will glow yellow white hot, not orange when melted. Dr. Poe
> ...


That's true Harold, if you are shinning a light upon it. Dr. Poe


----------



## Harold_V (Jan 15, 2012)

Dr. Poe said:


> Harold_V said:
> 
> 
> > Dr. Poe said:
> ...


I worked under fluorescent lights. 

Green it was! 8) 

Harold


----------



## lazersteve (Jan 24, 2012)

niteliteone said:


> lazersteve said:
> 
> 
> > For the record in my videos I always have something under the hot melting dish and the concrete.
> ...



I made that video nearly 5 years ago and it was a mistake, it's not advisable to heat anything on concrete directly with a torch. You will see in all of my newer videos that I use a mold, firebrick, or mini-furnace under all of my hot dishes.

Good catch. Perhaps I need to update some of my old videos, huh?  

Steve


----------



## Jason1 (Feb 8, 2012)

lazersteve said:


> I sell the mini-furnace by request only.



Is there a link for more information on your mini-furnace?


----------



## jimdoc (Feb 8, 2012)

http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=7387&p=67225&hilit=mini+furnace#p67225

Another but has broken links;
http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=60&t=4323&p=39240&hilit=mini+furnace#p39240


----------



## lazersteve (Feb 9, 2012)

I fixed the missing images Jim. Thanks for the heads up.

Steve


----------



## niteliteone (Feb 9, 2012)

Thank you Steve.

I wanted to see them too.

Tom C.


----------



## JTroyner (Feb 25, 2012)

Harold_V said:


> Dr. Poe said:
> 
> 
> > Harold_V said:
> ...



Boy do I love seeing that green start to appear!


----------

