2nd Button - 8.5gr

[limestonecowboy]

OK, so I now have my Mapp torch so I can start to melt in larger quantity so today I tried about 8 gr of gold powder.
This was produced in the Cell from a job lot of high quality 24k plated watch straps and double precipitated for high purity.

I found a little powdered borax sprinkled on the powder in the melting dish helped to prevent blowing losses, as the Mapp has more punch than the propane torch I had used previously. Worked real nice.

The resulting button at 8.5 gr is lovley - especially for my second attempt.

I think I'm getting there, and just love the melting, best part of the process by far.

Cheers for the help and comments dudes..

[IMG:1024:627]http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn205/Bluejohn/butt1.jpg[/img]

[IMG:1024:768]http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn205/Bluejohn/butt2.jpg[/img]

 

[Noxx]

Good job !

Looks real nice.

 

[Harold_V]

Very nice!

I agree-----melting, to me, was always the most pleasant of all the tasks.

The sole exception, and it happened only (very) infrequently----was when I'd re-refine a cylinder of gold, occasionally it all flashed to what resembled bronze paint----almost instantly. I have no idea why it happened, and could not duplicate the process at will. Sure was fun to see when it happened.

Harold

 

[SapunovDmitry]

Cool! Great color. It has no greenish stuff in it.
GJ!

 

[limestonecowboy]

Cheers guys.

The colour is superb, very golden, much more so than the photo, and the first time it cooled there was a nice pipe straight through the middle. I remelted it and kept it rolling around before I quenched it. but it has still sunk in the center a little.

There was a beautiful purple halo left in the melting dish, so its probably quite pure.

Next, a 1oz ingot now my graphite mold has arrived.

 

[Harold_V]

There was a beautiful purple halo left in the melting dish, so its probably quite pure.

The color of the flux cover on the dish will be very telling. If it is discolored anything beyond that same purple color, your gold will have given up some contamination in the melting process. Another good indicator is the size of the crystalline pattern that forms on the surface of the button. If it's very small, finely divided, somewhat frosty in appearance, or it has any discoloration, the gold is likely contaminated. if you have a broad surface with little or no pattern, and it's nice and shiny (which it appears to be), you nailed it! :wink:

Harold

 

[JustinNH]

looks good!!!

 

[Rag and Bone]

I'm with you on melting, man. It's the best! It will be a while before I melt any. Other than small samples, I'm holding off on refining and focusing entirley on recovery.

I like holding it when it's warm