After power cut, gold stuck in crucible -- help please.

Ok first post and need some help please. This was only my 3rd melt -- electric furnace -- half way through the melt we had a power cut overnight. The next day i just fired the furnace up again added a little more borax and got up to 1150 for 45mins, but the when i went to pour into the cast it was still not melted, left it for another 20 mins and still the same. I am now left with a graphite curcuible with 100g of gold stuck to it -- any help would be great -- i can not work out why it did not melt -- furnace is all good after power cut -- checked the temp out ect -- any help would be great.
I have looked on the forum for anything like this but did not find anything that is why i am asking -- thanks.

Increase the temperature and it should melt without problems!

Gold melts at 1946 F/1064 C

WHITEMOOR said:

checked the temp out ect --

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Ect is not a word. If you meant to say et cetera, the contraction is spelled etc. We try to be precise here, as many don't use English as a first language, so the misuse of words or improper spelling can lead to problems, so please accept this message in the spirit in which it was offered.

Luck with your gold problem. Personally, I'd solve it by getting rid of the furnace and using either a gas fired furnace or a torch. If you move that direction, use a silicon carbide or graphite clay crucible, but unless you intend to melt large volumes of gold, you can get by perfectly well using a melting dish and a respectable torch. It's faster and MUCH cheaper, as crucibles are not cheap. They also don't take kindly to being fluxed, so they suffer a shortened lifespan. If yours does so while in use, you will, for all practical purposes, destroy the furnace.

At least two of us, with prolonged experience in refining, have used those electric furnaces and don't like them, not at all.

Welcome to the board.

Harold

Harold_V said:

At least two of us, with prolonged experience in refining, have used those electric furnaces and don't like them, not at all.

Welcome to the board.

Harold

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I assume you are talking about GSP as the second person (or at least someone other then me)

I had one when I first started out - what a TOTAL waste of good money that turned out to be

So you can make that - 'At least three of us, - don't like them, not at all :!:

Kurt

Make that 4 of us. I actually have one a client gave me sitting in the shed if anyone wants one. Personally I don't feel it is even worth the cost to ship it. But if anyone close to North East Pennsylvania wants one, let me know. (May not even be worth the gas to drive here!)

4metals said:

Make that 4 of us. I actually have one a client gave me sitting in the shed if anyone wants one. Personally I don't feel it is even worth the cost to ship it. But if anyone close to North East Pennsylvania wants one, let me know. (May not even be worth the gas to drive here!)

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:lol: :lol: :lol: - Now that's what I call an endorsement :mrgreen:

Kurt

Despite the fact that your furnace readings are showing its past the melting point of gold it's obviously not!
As I said before increase the temperature, if you can't you have probably burnt out an element or the thermocouple is kaput and it won't allow it to get hotter.
I must admit I'm with Harold and Lou the things a liability, get a gas torch and some fire bricks and metals melt in minutes once up to heat and we have many very good designs here on the forum to build your own furnace.

Hi thanks for all you great answers, I must admit i am now number 5 -- these electric furnaces are not good -- i have given up on it and got myself some gas :shock: i have taken on board all you have said and will be using gas from now on, there is alot more information on this forum for using gas, which says alot in itself, so now i need to get rid of the electric furnace. Thanks again for your replys and help.