# Melting gold powder



## goldfynder (Dec 4, 2014)

Hi community, my name is robert , i m new in this of refining gold and silver, i read about the process and his variants , actually i refining silver sucessfull but in gold process i m lost in the part of melting the powder i dont know why the powder fly i lost about 3 gr of gold trying melt, o have about ten cell phones read y to refining but i have scare when i need melting the final powder so i need information to read or a guide about melting step by step, and why if the silver powder i can melting fine the gold no if the powder of both are the same no?


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## FrugalRefiner (Dec 4, 2014)

Welcome to the forum Robert.

It's hard to know why your gold was blown away when your silver isn't. It could be that your gold is finer powder and your silver is actually larger crystals, but that's just a guess. It may be the type of torch you're using, or whether you're using a melting dish or crucible, or if you're glazing your vessel with borax. 

When melting fine powders, you have to take your time. Use a melting dish. Glaze it with borax. Start with the torch a good distance from the powder. Heat around the edges of the dish, then, as you see the gold start to melt around the edges you can bring the torch closer and aim the torch more directly onto the gold. Be patient and take your time.

There is a lot better information on the forum than my brief description. Look around the forum and try the search for information on melting.

Dave


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## goldsilverpro (Dec 4, 2014)

I start with the tip of a long slow flame about 2-3" above the gold powder. I move it it circles and very slowly lower it. I first want to slowly and carefully form a crust on the entire surface of the powder so it won't blow around.


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## Anonymous (Dec 4, 2014)

goldsilverpro said:


> I start with the tip of a long slow flame about 2-3" above the gold powder. I move it it circles and very slowly lower it. I first want to slowly and carefully form a crust on the entire surface of the powder so it won't blow around.


I always do my gold and silver that way, especially the silver. I make a crust around the entire top layer so that way the metal is starting to bond and reduces the chances of powder flying away.

It sounds like either the torch is too close to the powder in the beginning, or the flame is up too high. If not any of them, then it's too windy. It must be one or more of these instances to make your gold powder fly away.

Then again, maybe the melting dish (if using one) isn't hot enough to make the gold stick to the borax, but my guess is too hard of a flame directly close to the powder. At least keep the distance about 2 - 3" away from the dish, and move the torch around the outside of the dish, then slowly move the torch towards the edge of the gold powder and go around in a circular motion until the gold powder starts to turn red. After that, you should be able to slowly turn up the flame and again, in a circular motion, start to work towards the inside and entire surface of the gold powder. For whatever reason with my own experiences, gold powder melts faster than silver powder. I don't know why it happens to me and no matter what I refine. Silver powder takes much longer to melt... for me that is. After my dish is heated, I can melt gold powder in approximately 5 - 10 minutes at tops.

Kevin


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