handhelt torch

[yazeed]

hey guys i my gas on my bottles are finished ao a quick question can a hand held propane/butaine plumbers torch melt gold

 

[jimdoc]

It can be done,but it takes a long time.
Mapp gas would be a better choice.

Jim

 

[FrugalEE]

I have two swirl wind propane torches, one with opening 1/4 inch and another with opening 1 inch. The swirl torch probably gives much more heat than the regular kind. I have been able to braze thin steel like EMT conduit with the big one. I'm wanting to set up for melting gold and silver and I'm too wondering if what I already will melt gold. I'm pretty sure the 1/4 torch is too small. The 1 inch one is quite a dragon and I'm afraid it will just blow the gold all over. I'm debating whether to buy a mapp kit like HD sells for $41, I hate to give up the big tank and flexible hose. Going to a propane/ oxygen set up seems like too much money at this point. Eventually I hope to make a natural gas/blower arrangement like discussed on other threads. I just got back from buying some fire bricks and K wool insulation.

FrugalEE

 

[yazeed]

yeah this torch of mine seems to wana blow a bit hard,hoping it will melt the stuff,just bought it the other day,it looked promising with that intense blue flame but now i wonder if it got what it takes.jim when u say it takes a while how long do u think itl take to melt the gold,p.s im also worried that the flame mite blow my gold coffee bits away

 

[jimdoc]

I have melted small buttons from 4 grams up to about 10 grams with just a handheld propane torch.I took at least 15-20 minutes. I heated the melting dish real good with the torch first before I went to melting the gold. Mapp gas would make it go faster.If you aren't in a rush to melt your gold, hold off until you get a mapp canister.Unless you want to try it with propane.
If you setup some firebricks around the melting dish it will make things go faster.Steve sells a mini firebrick furnace if you check his website.

Jim

 

[yazeed]

wow man thats a while,i shoulda got that mapp before i purchased the propane,i have oxy acetelyne but they gonna cost a hummer v to fill.yeah i live in the city of gold joberg mayb i could just pick up sum buttons lol,ok so were is a good place to check for a mapp gas kit and any ideas how i should adjust this propane torch to give me the best results while i search for that.p.s i will check out steve's furnaces how much do they cost btw,plus jim i need to email u i have sum more ideas id love to ask u

 

[jimdoc]

Here is a link to info on Steve's mini furnace;

http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=52&t=4813

 

[yazeed]

thanx jim wil def check it out.o/t jim im currently processing sum silvered wire,i wana dissolve in nitric then cement with copper or precipitate with sodium chloride,but ive been wanted to try the ferric leach,so i now have a smal, sample of that wire in the ferric leach solution,its really not leaching frum what i can see,any ideas how i should proceed now and how best to leach those wires,mayb sum peroxide?

 

[jimdoc]

Yazeed,
Sorry but I am not the one for advice on your question.One of the guys who can help you will probably give you an answer.

Jim

 

[Harold_V]

thanx jim wil def check it out.o/t jim im currently processing sum silvered wire,i wana dissolve in nitric then cement with copper or precipitate with sodium chloride,but ive been wanted to try the ferric leach,so i now have a smal, sample of that wire in the ferric leach solution,its really not leaching frum what i can see,any ideas how i should proceed now and how best to leach those wires,mayb sum peroxide?

Yazeed,
Please take this bit of advice in the spirit in which it is offered.

Terminology in chemistry is very tricky. The slightest substitution of a letter in a word can change, entirely, the results one may achieve, or may provide information that is misleading.

That brings me to your posts, and the language you choose to use. Note that I am not fond of anyone that posts in cryptic phrases. When you ask for guidance, it will serve you far better to lose the texting lingo-----as I, for one, will not respond to such posts. I expect readers to address me with enough respect to use language that is acceptable in polite company and at least reasonable control of the English language. I do make exceptions for those that do not use English as their native tongue.

If, when posting, you mean "you", say so. Please do not use the letter u. The word is "some", not sum. That is but a small sample of the trick things you should lose on this forum.

My thanks for your understanding.

Harold

 

[yazeed]

my apologies,Harold,text lingo sometimes takes the best of us.i would still like your comment on my question if you are willing

 

[Harold_V]

Ok, yazeed, maybe I can offer some thoughts.

First, it's important to know the nature of the silver wire in question. The way you posed your question leaves me with more than a few questions. Is it plated, or is it solid silver? If so, it may be pure silver, assuming it is silver wire, not silver plated wire. Can you shed some light on that subject?

In general, it is accepted that recovering silver plate isn't a profitable venture, although that may not always be the case. In this example, I'm going to assume that the wire is copper, silver plated. The wire can be melted to a solid, then used to recover silver from silver nitrate solution. You would make use of the copper, and recover the plated silver in the bargain.

I would not be able to address the ferric leach process, although I am of the opinion that it likely would not work. It is not a process I used.

Harold

 

[Oz]

Yazeed,

I melt and cast gold and silver with oxy/acetylene all the time. The only thing I am wanting for is a hydrogen torch for PGMs. Acetylene can cause some harm to them.

 

[yazeed]

thank you Harold,i have actually read many of your posts as well as the other veterans here,you gentleman really keep this place alive,so yet again excuse the lingo as you so aptly referred to it,alas it results from exposure to many uncouth chat sites.ok so yes the silver is plated on the copper wire and i would like to recover the silver.i have used copper sulphate which looked promising,as it appeared to eat the copper underneath and cementing it in the jar leaving the silver behind,any ideas how to proceed

 

[nickvc]

thank you Harold,i have actually read many of your posts as well as the other veterans here,you gentleman really keep this place alive,so yet again excuse the lingo as you so aptly referred to it,alas it results from exposure to many uncouth chat sites.ok so yes the silver is plated on the copper wire and i would like to recover the silver.i have used copper sulphate which looked promising,as it appeared to eat the copper underneath and cementing it in the jar leaving the silver behind,any ideas how to proceed

Yazeed Harolds given you the best option in my opinion melt your silver-plated copper wire and use it for cementing silver out of silver nitrate solutions,this way you recover your silver in the cementation process and don't spend money on nitric to dissolve copper and very little silver but use it to dissolve silver of decent quality. As Harold stated recovering silver plated items for the small refiner really is a waste of time and money which could be better spent on gold,silver or pgms.

 

[yazeed]

thank you,nick and yes i would agree on that point,going to see how to melt that copper now