# just starting out. need to melt



## tassos recycling (May 29, 2012)

hey guys, 

i am just starting out i have yet to refine anything i have been reserching for days trying to figure out the best way to do things whats worth it and whats not. ive been scrapping electronics for a while and have a small stock pile of gold bearing boards long story short i want to build a small kiln or some way to melt my gold once its refined. im a poor college student looking for a cheap (as possible) way to do this .

any ideas would be great 
thanks!!


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## jimdoc (May 29, 2012)

tassos recycling said:


> any ideas would be great
> thanks!!



Keep studying the forum, its the best idea that can be suggested. 

Jim


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## Harold_V (May 30, 2012)

What Jim said. 
Then, when you're finished studying, the first thing you'll come to realize is that you don't need a furnace to melt gold, nor is one recommended. You most likely will never have the volume that would justify a furnace, even if one was given to you. 

Harold


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## lazersteve (Jun 2, 2012)

tassos recycling said:


> hey guys,
> 
> i am just starting out i have yet to refine anything i have been reserching for days trying to figure out the best way to do things whats worth it and whats not. ive been scrapping electronics for a while and have a small stock pile of gold bearing boards long story short i want to build a small kiln or some way to melt my gold once its refined. im a poor college student looking for a cheap (as possible) way to do this .
> 
> ...



The cheapest kiln/furnace setup you will find for starting out is my mini-firebrick furnace design.

Check out my website for videos. If you need me to make you one let me know via PM or email and I'll provide you a quote including the melting dish, lower furnace, and cover. The set up will melt up to a few ounces of gold for you using a normal MAPP gas torch. It's a great tool for beginners.

Steve


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## Beirdo (Jun 10, 2012)

lazersteve: will it get hot enough to melt gold using a propane tank instead of MAP/Pro on the torch? Just asking as it is easily 1/3 the cost, so if it is sufficient...


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## MysticColby (Jun 11, 2012)

I can't seem to find his furnace design, but I can tell you that I have easily melted pure silver using a propane bernzomatic T8000 inside my own mini firebrick furnace. the mini has fairly thin walls compared to bigger versions, and more insulation will help it melt quicker, but this works anyways. Silver has a similar melting point as gold, so gold shouldn't be a problem with propane.
MAPP has a higher flame temp than propane, so it will melt gold quicker.


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## Beirdo (Jun 15, 2012)

MysticColby: Thanks. Unfortunately, now MAPP gas is not made anymore, and the alternative is MAP/pro, which is slightly different, but I think the same thing applies there. It burns hotter than propane, but also costs 2-3x as much. So I guess it comes almost to a wash in the end. Thanks


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## MysticColby (Jun 15, 2012)

huh. First time I've ever heard of MAP/pro. At first I thought it was some sort of typo or off-branded MAPP.

wiki:
On April 30, 2008, the Petromont Varennes plant closed its methylacetylene/propadiene plant.[2] They were the only North American plant making MAPP gas, and the only legal supplier of trademarked MAPP gas in the world. This caused a widescale shortage, and many substitutes were introduced by the companies who had repackaged the Dow and Varennes product(s). Most of these substitutes were propylene, like MAP//Pro [3] from BernzOmatic. Some were mixtures with higher hydrocarbons or with other ingredients like acetone. Many of these work acceptably in gas/air torches, but none work as well as MAPP in gas/oxygen torches.

I wonder why they closed... they were in such high demand


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## MysticColby (Jun 15, 2012)

So I've been looking into Map-Pro
From the MSDS, it says 99.5-100% Propylene and 0-0.5% Propane
So it's essentially Propylene (aka Propene or Methylethylene)
(MAPP is Methylacetylene-propadiene)

Some flame temp comparisons:
Propane in oxygen = 2526ºC
Propylene in oxygen = 2870ºC
MAPP in oxygen = 2927ºC
Acetyelen in oxygen = 3480ºC

So it's similar to MAPP, but not quite as hot. Still totally useful in melting anything up to and including gold (hotter just makes it shorter time to melt).
If it's more expensive than propane, the only reason for them to use it is so they can market this specialty gas and charge 10x what it's worth. I just refill a 5 gal propane tank at the gas station for $20, then refill small canisters from that using an adapter. instead of like $10 for a 20 oz bottle, it's $20 for 32 refills of a 20 oz bottle  (1/16 the price)


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## pimpneightez (Jun 15, 2012)

Do you need a special cannister to fill from the big propane tank? Can you use one off the shelf at lowes for it. whats the connector.


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## goldpete (Jul 6, 2012)

tassos recycling said:


> hey guys,
> 
> i am just starting out i have yet to refine anything i have been reserching for days trying to figure out the best way to do things whats worth it and whats not. ive been scrapping electronics for a while and have a small stock pile of gold bearing boards long story short i want to build a small kiln or some way to melt my gold once its refined. im a poor college student looking for a cheap (as possible) way to do this .
> 
> ...


i just started about 2 weeks ago and im also getting my scource from computer scrap . but after waisting lots of acids and gold , ive learned from this site that watching you tube videos wasnt enough . i obtained the hokes book from this forum and lots of advice and so far im still yet to produce gold . but take it from me , its not as simple as first thought.
so far i have stage one sussed , soaking the scrap in nitric acid then filtering to remove base metals , then soaking what was filtered in aqua regia to disolve gold .
im now learning the next stage , getting rid of the nitric so i can precipitate


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## BAMGOLD (Jul 6, 2012)

GoldPete, did you miss a step?


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## MysticColby (Jul 7, 2012)

pimpneightez said:


> Do you need a special cannister to fill from the big propane tank? Can you use one off the shelf at lowes for it. whats the connector.



two ways:
http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Heater-F276172-Propane-Adapter/dp/B000AMC5WO/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1341699184&sr=8-6&keywords=propane+adapter
or
http://www.amazon.com/Camp-Chef-disposable-regulators-HRDSP/dp/B0023F9YTS/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1341699184&sr=8-10&keywords=propane+adapter

these are just examples, there are other brands/models. might want to start here: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=propane+adapter


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