# mapp gas for melting



## dndglobal (Sep 7, 2008)

Hi everyone. This is my first post but I have probably spent 20 hrs reading everything here over the last two weeks. This ques has been asked before but everyone seems to dance around the answer but not answer the ques directly so I asking: Will a oxy/mapp gas torch ( the ones from homedepot) melt gold? Need a yes or no answer. I will be using melting dishes, crucibles, fluxs, etc... but propane & butane doesn't work by itself so I'm figuring oxy with mapp or propane together.
Did my first AR last week, got some clean brown mud. Did a nitrate acid bath yesterday, finger's fell off nicely. Will be trying steve's AP this week.
Thanks, Don


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## Husker (Sep 7, 2008)

Oxy/MAPP is about 2900 F and Acc/O2 is about 3100, so yes, MAPP with O2 will melt gold.

NOTE those tiny kits will cost you a lot in the long run. they do NOT last long at all.

It is also possible that you will not be able to get 2900 out of that torch head, due to not being able to get a perfectly adjusted flame. I have no hands on experience with the setup you are referring to. It may work just fine, and allow you to get a good hot flame. I know my Oxy/Acc torch does, but the torch and valves are professional quality.

However, gold (if it is pure), melts around 1950, so I would bet (pretty safe bet), that O2/MAPP would work just fine.

Jim.


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## dndglobal (Sep 7, 2008)

I was thinking I may have that problem but I was also thinking that if I needed too? I could use a hoke torch head provided that they will interchange (need to research that). Someday I'll fine a good deal for a small oxy/acetylene torch but until then, homedepot has their whole kit with tanks for 49.95. Don


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## Anonymous (Sep 7, 2008)

you can get an air acetylene torch at refrigeration supply shops that will work as good or better and you will only need a small tank that will last much longer than those Home depot bottles and you will not need a oxygen tank at all.

jim


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## Lou (Sep 7, 2008)

Husker, your flame temps are a bit low even for adiabatic flames. I think you mean 2900 and 3100 in degrees Celsius, not in Fahrenheit.


Plain air-map and even air propane can melt gold and silver. In a properly constructed furnace, it's at the threshold to melt platinum with air propane.


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## Husker (Sep 7, 2008)

Lou, you are correct. I read the temps wrong.

MAPP
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MAPP_gas 2927 °C (5300 °F) in oxygen

metal melt temps
http://www.lib.umich.edu/dentlib/Dental_tables/Melttemps.html



Lou said:


> Husker, your flame temps are a bit low even for adiabatic flames. I think you mean 2900 and 3100 in degrees Celsius, not in Fahrenheit.
> 
> 
> Plain air-map and even air propane can melt gold and silver. In a properly constructed furnace, it's at the threshold to melt platinum with air propane.


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## cloomis (Sep 9, 2008)

I use mapp and a 3in melting dish, wich i place in a oven and heat to 500deg and then dump in the gold and hit it with just mapp it works in 30 seconds.


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## JustinNH (Sep 27, 2008)

Yeah, while it wont last as long as a good set up, one of the small $20-30 MAPP torches will melt powder gold. Although it may take a bit for larger quantities of gold without the oxy mix.


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