If I was just starting out and didn't have any other torch AND I had the other stuff on hand, maybe. If I had to go out and buy everything, I would still go for the oxy/gas setup, and probably use propane. When I bought mine, the kit, with hoses and tips was $98 on sale. It was a light to medium duty kit. I added better back flow preventers that cost about $35 at the time. I also bought a propane tip for it that was $29. I bought a 5 foot tall bottle of oxygen that was about to run out on the inspection date for $40. I only use it for gold, so it is still roughly half full. All of this was around 10 years ago. Roughly $200 in total. I was gifted a $2 clay melting dish that I very carefully heated and glazed. I melted gold in that dish, or parts of it, for two years. That torch can still be used for cutting steel or scrapping metals. I can weld better than fair with it as well.
It has sat out in the weather this entire time, and still does till this day, (I do keep the torch head in the dry)? Try that with a microwave
.
My point is when looking for tools to use in refining, look for those that will take a beating, has multiple uses, and is cheap and accessible.
One can always replace them with better tomorrow without breaking today's bank account.
From day one, refining for me had to be able to show me that there was a possible profit in it, even as a hobby, (like I needed another hobby).
I still run on the basic tools and methods and have had a lot of fun at it. I have experimented with many of the "make do" methods and a few were successful, many weren't. I don't doubt that a microwave could work, I just can't justify setting it up if there are any other options.
It has sat out in the weather this entire time, and still does till this day, (I do keep the torch head in the dry)? Try that with a microwave
.My point is when looking for tools to use in refining, look for those that will take a beating, has multiple uses, and is cheap and accessible.
One can always replace them with better tomorrow without breaking today's bank account.
From day one, refining for me had to be able to show me that there was a possible profit in it, even as a hobby, (like I needed another hobby).
I still run on the basic tools and methods and have had a lot of fun at it. I have experimented with many of the "make do" methods and a few were successful, many weren't. I don't doubt that a microwave could work, I just can't justify setting it up if there are any other options.
