Making crucibles

[Yggdrasil]

I didn't direct anything offensive to anyone. I was not vulger or crude and if the guy is banned why the heck does he still have posts on here? I was really hoping you guys could help in some way. Because I believe that knowledge should be free to anyone no matter what good or bad intent. So I'm apologize if I hurt your feelings with my post that didn't have foul language nor was I unrespectful to anyone's race, creed, gender or sexual orientation. But I will leave you all with one thing before I go. I sprinkle Suger on my fire bricks, chimney bricks, or what ever I'm going to put in the kiln and use for a crucible. I hit it with a torch and it reduces to pure carbon and it keeps the bricks from absorbing the lead and gold. But your feelings on how I present you with my real knowledge on this subject is going to get me banned from a forum that didn't do a thing for me in the first place. I apologize if I was rude but you shouldn't leave posts up from someone you have banned because they were obviously an idiot. Best in luck and life to you gentleman I hope my knowledge helps you guys out.
Sincerely,
Curtis Matherson

We do not delete posts here unless it is completely out of topic and character.
And if they has been replied to we do not delete them because it breaks the continuity of the thread, rendering any replies without context and point.
If they are too bad they end up in the rouges gallery as a warning to others.
I do not get offended but you should rein in your language a tad, you are balancing on the verge of swearing.
That should not be necessary.

Read our forum rules and as long as you heed them you are welcome to stay.
https://goldrefiningforum.com/threads/gold-refining-forum-rules.31182/

 

[Shark]

You are a *******.

Sorry, but that is a statement that, I for one, deem rude, crude and unnecessary. And it was directed at a person that is not available to defend themself. How I may speak in person around known individuals is one thing, in public to an unknown person is another. I try to speak in a manner that allows for friendships to have a chance to form, not to distance myself from a person without knowing them better.

I am also one who has always felt information should be freely available, BUT, I am sick of people who feel they are owed access to what others have spent years, if not a lifetime trying to acquire. Please take yaggdrasils advice, and maybe people will feel like SHARING, and not like they are required to give away their hard earned knowledge.

Best of luck.

“Rant over with”

 

[galenrog]

Thank you, Yggdrasil, for dealing with this. Fine work, as always.

Time for more coffee.

 

[goldshark]

Crucibles are made from Alumina and silica. Probably the best/easiest way , is to go to a pottery supply store, buy some 60% or higher Alumina clay, mix 60/40%, 40% Silica, and throw on a potter's wheel. Let dry for several weeks, then fire at 2400F. Probably cheaper to buy them. Either singular on line, or by the carton, from DFC Ceramics in Canon City, Colo. 719-275-7525. They carry crucibles in various sizes, as well as cupels, bone ash in bulk, and almost every chemical needed for smelting and assaying. Bulk (carton box ) loads only. No single crucible sales. They supply to the assay business world wide, and have been in business since the 1880's. Other sources are Action Mining in Nevada.

 

[Yggdrasil]

Crucibles are made from Alumina and silica. Probably the best/easiest way , is to go to a pottery supply store, buy some 60% or higher Alumina clay, mix 60/40%, 40% Silica, and throw on a potter's wheel. Let dry for several weeks, then fire at 2400F. Probably cheaper to buy them. Either singular on line, or by the carton, from DFC Ceramics in Canon City, Colo. 719-275-7525. They carry crucibles in various sizes, as well as cupels, bone ash in bulk, and almost every chemical needed for smelting and assaying. Bulk (carton box ) loads only. No single crucible sales. They supply to the assay business world wide, and have been in business since the 1880's. Other sources are Action Mining in Nevada.

Slightly too simple.
There are more than that.
Magnesia, Zirconia Thoria and BoronNitride are some others
I found an interesting pdf regarding production of crucibles online.

 

[Yggdrasil]

This is the one I'm talking about.

 

[slickster37]

I didn't direct anything offensive to anyone. I was not vulger or crude and if the guy is banned why the heck does he still have posts on here? I was really hoping you guys could help in some way. Because I believe that knowledge should be free to anyone no matter what good or bad intent. So I'm apologize if I hurt your feelings with my post that didn't have foul language nor was I unrespectful to anyone's race, creed, gender or sexual orientation. But I will leave you all with one thing before I go. I sprinkle Suger on my fire bricks, chimney bricks, or what ever I'm going to put in the kiln and use for a crucible. I hit it with a torch and it reduces to pure carbon and it keeps the bricks from absorbing the lead and gold. But your feelings on how I present you with my real knowledge on this subject is going to get me banned from a forum that didn't do a thing for me in the first place. I apologize if I was rude but you shouldn't leave posts up from someone you have banned because they were obviously an idiot. Best in luck and life to you gentleman I hope my knowledge helps you guys out.
Sincerely,
Curtis Matherson

Didn't hurt my feelings

 

[goldshark]

This is the one I'm talking about.
View attachment 57827

The recipe I presented, is a down and dirty recipe for doing simple Au/Ag melts, and assaying. Of course there are a lot of other composition crucibles for specialty applications, but no one in this forum is likely to get set up for the production of said specialty crucibles.

Edited by moderator to take response out of the quote.

 

[hoytSmith]

A couple of relevant threads with information on making and finding crucibles for sale. I include a thread on sourcing them as making them seems complicated enough to be a distraction rather than a solution to my problem. If I used 20+ a year, I'd probably look at it differently.

It's enough of a thing that I stopped looking for information on how to make them and focused on finding ones compatible with the process I use.

Need Suppliers for Crucibles & Cupels

GRAPHITE CRUCIBLES BONE ASH CUPELS​

 

[goldshark]

Again, DFC Ceramics, in Canon City, Co. will be able to supply about all requirements. Google them yourself. You just have to buy a carton, not 1 piece. Legend in Sparks, Nev. for 1 pc..

 

[jphayesjr]

Making your own crucibles is not technically difficult. Getting appropriate materials also not too difficult. Making an efficient durable mold, firing them in a kiln, and storing enough of them so the effort and resources committed make economic sense, that's another matter. When I refine PGMs, I use a recipe for a large more flat bone ash dish that is in a YouTube video, posted by someone who I am guessing is in northern India or in Pakistan. It literally shows how a low tech artisan makes a dish in minutes, for almost immediate use. This dish, approximately 100 cm diameter by 12 cm tall, thickness 3 to 4 cm, would be very costly. It holds a button that weighs up to one kilo. If you search for "refining palladium from MLCCs (ceramic capacitors), you should be able to find it.

 

[jphayesjr]

Making your own crucibles is not technically difficult. Getting appropriate materials also not too difficult. Making an efficient durable mold, firing them in a kiln, and storing enough of them so the effort and resources committed make economic sense, that's another matter. When I refine PGMs, I use a recipe for a large more flat bone ash dish that is in a YouTube video, posted by someone who I am guessing is in northern India or in Pakistan. It literally shows how a low tech artisan makes a dish in minutes, for almost immediate use. This dish, approximately 100 cm diameter by 12 cm tall, thickness 3 to 4 cm, would be very costly. It holds a button that weighs up to one kilo. If you search for "refining palladium from MLCCs (ceramic capacitors), you should be able to find it.

The dish is scalable down to about 50 cm. Smaller than that doesn't make structural or thermophysical sense. A different shape or configuration probably would be optimal for smaller sizes.