Home Furnace found on eBay

[beachbum1975]

Hello all,

I am a noob, but over time I have accrued a fair amount of gold fingers from escrap.

After months of reading this forum, I am getting ready to take the plunge (buy Steve's DVD) and try processing my first batch of gold...

While tinkering around on ebay, I found the following auction:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Melting-Furnace...483772f0f5&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14#ht_5763wt_939

Has anyone ever used this? If so, what are your thoughts?

Thanks in advance!

beachbum1975

 

[Exibar]

I haven't seen those before but they sure are sweet little suckers! Kinda pricey though....

Mike B

 

[Noxx]

Never did but it surely looks nice.

You could build one yourself for less than that though.

 

[Anonymous]

Noxx, you think the seller built that? seems like that may be, but looks like they really did a good job.

I would like to build one, but not sure were to get that graphite crucible.

Jim

 

[T3sl4]

I don't know where to get graphite crucibles, but they're very easy to machine from blocks of the stuff... as long as you don't mind the mess.

That very device is one thing I could do with my induction heater, but why stop at that? The power supply is much more versatile. The price seems reasonable, depending on how it's constructed (if it's just resistance heated, that's not too interesting, eh?).

Tim

 

[butcher]

Tim can you add a link to your induction heater, that is sum project, I still have not started trying to build one as this gold bug seems to have absorbed alot of my time, I did buy some nice capacitors for one though. also your sodium chlorate for our platinum group metals, several times I have seen your expieriments, and even the guy's on the forum have referenced to some of your expieriments, I am not very computer savy, so it blows me away all your stuff you put on the computer, I would like to see you melting your refined gold in that copper coil induction cooker of yours.

 

[Fournines]

You can purchase that melter from American Jewelry Supplies

http://www.ajstoolsonline.com/mystore/casting-supplies/burouts/handheld-digital-furnace.html

They also sell the crucibles and tongs that fit it.

 

[Noxx]

You can buy graphite crucibles on ebay for quite cheap.

 

[Harold_V]

I don't mean to throw a bucket of cold water on this party, but the subject of these furnaces has been beat to death previously. Both GSP and I have used them and don't like them. They are expensive, slow, and shouldn't be used with any fluxes. The graphite crucibles burn in use, yielding a relatively short life span. You can do MUCH better for far less money.

Unless you find yourself melting a large volume of gold, you can get by perfectly well with a Hoke torch, even running natural gas. Melting dishes that will accommodate more than ten ounces of gold are readily available, and will last a long time if properly seasoned before placed in service.

Harold

 

[goldsilverpro]

I echo Harold's sentiments concerning these type furnaces. I hate them and wouldn't use one if you paid me to do it. They are a hi-dollar, hi-maintenance pain in the butt. They may have some applications, but I haven't found one yet. Mine did look pretty, though, in it's perennial position of sitting on a shelf. Use a torch.

Believe it or not, I once saw a jeweler melt 25 oz of pure gold powder in a single melt in one of those thick melting dishes with a handle. He used natural gas/oxygen and a surprisingly small jeweler's torch. I was impressed. I don't think I would want to try that myself, however. I have steady hands, but maybe not that steady. That's a lot of molten gold to have to pour without spilling a drop.

 

[beachbum1975]

Thanks to everyone for their input. I will buy Steve's DVD shortly!