Harvester3
Well-known member
Greetings you all.
So, is it practical/possible to clean the impurities deposited in melting dishes/cupels?
Thanks
So, is it practical/possible to clean the impurities deposited in melting dishes/cupels?
Thanks
cleaning melting dishes
- Thread starter Harvester3
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teabone
Well-known member
Soda ash works wonders !!!
Harvester3
Well-known member
Hey, it does!
thanks
thanks
Harvester3
Well-known member
Ok, maybe I need to clarify the procedure. I just melted soda ash in the dish and all contaminants were drawn out of the dish into the ash. Is that right?
Thanks again
Thanks again
I have not used soda ash but have heard Harold talk of how destructive it can be to crucibles. It is my understanding that it is sprinkled into your crucible a bit at a time building a molten liquid slag that you can pour out. Breaking this slag finely and removing prills of PMs and processing the remaining powder residue in acid to recover values.
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2007
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Soda ash appears to reduce oxides. Dirty flux loses the dark color, and in its place you find droplets of metal. A mix of fresh borax and soda ash will generally yield a fluid flux, so the resulting metal will agglomerate and form a button. Encourage it to do so if it does not, which you can do by steering the largest button towards the smaller ones. When the dish is clean, pour the flux and small button to a cone mold so the values are easily separated from the flux.
If a melting dish is particularly dirty, the flux will be very viscous. It isn't beyond reason to dissolve it with one application, pour it off and start with fresh soda ash. When the job is done, the dish will return to the original color if you've done your work well, and it will have a clear coating of soda ash and borax remaining.
One thing worthy of mention. I did this in a fume hood. Avoid breathing the fumes.
As has been stated, soda ash is very aggressive. That's what is used to dissolve silica sand to make glass. You can expect the melting dish to lose wall thickness, but it restores what otherwise would be worthless. If you melt in a pan, you can use a melting dish until it springs a leak.
All of my spent melting dishes were recycled by running them through my ball mill and processing the residues with cyanide. Screening of the ball mill discharge captured any values of reasonable size.
Harold
If a melting dish is particularly dirty, the flux will be very viscous. It isn't beyond reason to dissolve it with one application, pour it off and start with fresh soda ash. When the job is done, the dish will return to the original color if you've done your work well, and it will have a clear coating of soda ash and borax remaining.
One thing worthy of mention. I did this in a fume hood. Avoid breathing the fumes.
As has been stated, soda ash is very aggressive. That's what is used to dissolve silica sand to make glass. You can expect the melting dish to lose wall thickness, but it restores what otherwise would be worthless. If you melt in a pan, you can use a melting dish until it springs a leak.
All of my spent melting dishes were recycled by running them through my ball mill and processing the residues with cyanide. Screening of the ball mill discharge captured any values of reasonable size.
Harold
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2007
- Messages
- 8,360
You did just fine. None of this is rocket science, nor did I read about what I advise. After learning of the ability of soda ash to dissolve silica, it was a natural for me to start using it to clean my dishes. I figure if it worked for me, it would work for others as well.
Fact is, that was one of the services I offered my clients. Many of the guys I served were a small operation, often submitting an ounce or less to be refined. Didn't matter to me-----everyone was welcome. By offering little things like cleaning dishes and returning them, you'd be surprised how many were happy to use my services. They were particularly grateful when I'd clean a dish that fit their centrifuge.
Offering little things like that can often spell the difference between success and failure, especially in tough times, when every buck may be difficult to earn.
My business philosophy was to always shear the sheep, never skin them, and to treat them honestly and fairly, providing services that they could not get elsewhere, along with the exceptional quality gold. When you provide that kind of service, word spreads quickly, amongst the right people.
Harold
Fact is, that was one of the services I offered my clients. Many of the guys I served were a small operation, often submitting an ounce or less to be refined. Didn't matter to me-----everyone was welcome. By offering little things like cleaning dishes and returning them, you'd be surprised how many were happy to use my services. They were particularly grateful when I'd clean a dish that fit their centrifuge.
Offering little things like that can often spell the difference between success and failure, especially in tough times, when every buck may be difficult to earn.
My business philosophy was to always shear the sheep, never skin them, and to treat them honestly and fairly, providing services that they could not get elsewhere, along with the exceptional quality gold. When you provide that kind of service, word spreads quickly, amongst the right people.
Harold
Harvester3
Well-known member
"Offering little things like that can often spell the difference between success and failure, especially in tough times, when every buck may be difficult to earn"
It's this kind of concept that made the USA great, and any successful business just that.
These days, I'm betting the term "service" will again become meaningful.
Thanks you all for the wise counsel.
It's this kind of concept that made the USA great, and any successful business just that.
These days, I'm betting the term "service" will again become meaningful.
Thanks you all for the wise counsel.
