# If only I could pour them perfect...



## DylanDownright84 (Apr 23, 2017)

Some of the first ingots I did and then what followed. Started making 5oz bars a few weeks ago. Can't seem to get the ingots to pour flat. I keep the flame on the silver as I pour, but I still get pot marks. Been heating the mold a bit before pouring by holding the crucible just above the mold so the flame hits both. Not a big deal, but I'd like to figure out what I'm doing wrong.


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## DylanDownright84 (Apr 23, 2017)

Seems that I need more heat on my molds.


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## upcyclist (Apr 25, 2017)

DylanDownright84 said:


> Seems that I need more heat on my molds.


Mine aren't that good either, but I would guess that you're right. I've seen many with a second torch (usually the less powerful of the two) running in a stand, pointed at the ingot/bar mold. Even for buttons, I have my 1 oz. round mold sitting on a hotplate turned up to high.


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## DylanDownright84 (Apr 25, 2017)

That's exactly what I did! Haha I just had a small propane torch burning on my mold and that by itself fixed it. I'm getting flat ingots now.


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## upcyclist (Apr 25, 2017)

Great!


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## anachronism (Apr 25, 2017)

It's not the molds that need heating more- it's the silver. Throw both onto the molten silver and get it hotter and hotter before you pour it. When I pour gold I have it almost white hot. The mold is only gonna get "so" hot no matter how much heat you throw at it.


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## 4metals (Apr 25, 2017)

It is good to keep a flame on the melt so you burn up any oxygen over the top of the crucible to prevent the silver from absorbing it. And you need the flame over the mold because if it is hot enough to stay molten for a few seconds in the mold it can absorb O2 which spits out on cooling. So you need a flame on both.


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## kjavanb123 (Apr 26, 2017)

What we usually do in our shop is to pour some oil or gasoline in the mold prior to pouring the gold, that makes the ingots come up nice.

I am not sure if this works with silver, since we usually make silver shots.

Regards
Kj


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## upcyclist (Apr 26, 2017)

kjavanb123 said:


> What we usually do in our shop is to pour some oil or gasoline in the mold prior to pouring the gold, that makes the ingots come up nice.


That's just another way of [dangerously?] sooting your mold. Some add a spritz of WD-40 to the mold, others just use a relatively dirty flame like acetylene, etc.


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## Tndavid (Apr 26, 2017)

Acetylene soot works wonders. And if no torch you can even use a cigarette lighter!!


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## 4metals (Apr 26, 2017)

Of all of the things I have put on molds over the years, I much prefer acetylene soot. Simply light the air acetylene torch and choke off the air intake with your hand and it spews black soot. Invert the mold and it sticks.


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## upcyclist (Apr 26, 2017)

4metals said:


> Of all of the things I have put on molds over the years, I much prefer acetylene soot. Simply light the air acetylene torch and choke off the air intake with your hand and it spews black soot. Invert the mold and it sticks.


Ah, wisdom from Sensei! :wink: I had tried to use the oxy/acetyl _flame _to soot, but it didn't seem to produce enough, so I started using WD-40. Now I'm hitting myself in the forehead!


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## anachronism (Apr 26, 2017)

Chalk or WD40 for me folks.


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## Topher_osAUrus (Apr 26, 2017)

anachronism said:


> Chalk or WD40 for me folks.


Chalk eh? Havent heard of that one before, nice.
Any benefits/downsides in your opinion, to either? Or why you opt against soot from the acetylene?


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## 4metals (Apr 26, 2017)

Most guys have an oxy acetylene torch setup, and it is difficult to get a decent flame with the O2 off and just the acetylene burning. It is much easier with an acetylene air torch used for sweating solder joints in plumbing. Then you just light it and choke off the air intake which enters the torch through holes where the handle meets the flame end of the torch. You can easily go from soot to clean burn by cutting off more or less of the air. 

When I had my own melt shop, I had a setup for the oxy acetylene but the feed off the regulator on the acetylene had a "Y" and a single hose went to the air acetylene torch which hung on one side of the stand and the other side of the "Y" was connected to the double hose used in an oxy acetylene torch. Then you have the best of both.

I believe what the Brit's are calling chalk is a chalk in solution that is sprayed or painted on the mold. It's not chalk like kids draw on the sidewalk with. (That is here in the US, where vandalism is rampant!)


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## modtheworld44 (Apr 26, 2017)

Take a coke can and cut the bottom 1/4 off and add baby oil,then get a 1-2 inch piece of toilet paper roll and fix to stand up in the baby oil.Light it once the toilet paper becomes completely wet and now you have a mold sooter for cheaper than the price of gas.Thanks in advance.



modtheworld44


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