# Go for the gold!



## glorycloud (Jul 27, 2016)

In honor of the summer Olympics in Rio, I am going for the gold!! 8)


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## silversaddle1 (Jul 27, 2016)

36.5 ounces!!! You be a rich man!!!


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## glorycloud (Jul 27, 2016)

You a funny man Silver - it is set to grams. :lol:


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## Barren Realms 007 (Jul 27, 2016)

I'm getting impressed with your buttons. But still no pipes yet. :mrgreen: 

Your getting there. I got faith in you. 8)


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## glorycloud (Jul 28, 2016)

I may be taking them out of the melting dish too soon? 
I seem to use way too much borax and the buttons seem to 
get stuck in the dish if I wait too long.


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## everydayisalesson (Jul 28, 2016)

Looks like the top two have pipes Barren. Maybe I am seeing shadows.


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## g_axelsson (Jul 28, 2016)

glorycloud said:


> I may be taking them out of the melting dish too soon?
> I seem to use way too much borax and the buttons seem to
> get stuck in the dish if I wait too long.


It is all in the way you melt your buttons. If the gold is solidified there will be no more pipe forming no matter how long you leave it.

If you just back off the flame a bit then the button will freeze from the bottom up and no pipe will form. But if you take it away fast then the button will freeze on top first and when the interior shrinks it creates a vacuum that pulls down a pipe, often pulling some of the frozen surface with it into the button.

What I've been told here on the forum is that a pipe requires high purity but high purity doesn't guarantee a pipe. 

Göran


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## Lou (Jul 28, 2016)

More or less what Goran said.

On very high purity gold, I have seen kilo sized ingots display a pipe cavity that was inch wide by perhaps a half inch deep, filled with spectacular crystals. The gold also would ring for many minutes if tapped with a sharp blow.

Basically, more time to cool, means more time for the gold to get itself ordered up.


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## glorycloud (Jul 28, 2016)

Got it. I have been so proud of buttons that are actually shaped like a button (spherical)
that I didn't even think about or understand how a pipe forms. All these buttons came from
fingers and I do the washes pretty fastidiously, so the purity should be good. Thanks for 
the "pipe formation" insights. 8) 

If I wanted to make one button out of these three buttons can I just put them all back 
into the melting dish and turn up the heat?


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## FrugalRefiner (Jul 28, 2016)

glorycloud said:


> If I wanted to make one button out of these three buttons can I just put them all back
> into the melting dish and turn up the heat?


Yep!

Dave


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## jimdoc (Jul 28, 2016)

A variety of smaller nuggets makes partial sales or trades easier, I always prefer that option.

Jim


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## glorycloud (Jul 28, 2016)

Good thought Jim and thanks Dave!


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## Barren Realms 007 (Jul 28, 2016)

glorycloud said:


> Got it. I have been so proud of buttons that are actually shaped like a button (spherical)
> that I didn't even think about or understand how a pipe forms. All these buttons came from
> fingers and I do the washes pretty fastidiously, so the purity should be good. Thanks for
> the "pipe formation" insights. 8)
> ...



You are doing a good job. Don't let what I said about the pipe make you second guess your actions in your melting. I have great faith in what you have accomplished.


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## glorycloud (Jul 29, 2016)

You're a fine fellow Barren.


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## Tndavid (Sep 4, 2016)

Sweet


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