Pouring ingot

[RicRock]

I have some cemented silver that I've been practicing pouring into ingots.

Crucible seasoned, torch melting silver just fine.

When I attempt to pour it into a mold it just lumps right where I pour and doesn't fill out the mold.

I've tried leaving a torch directly onto the mold and it doesn't appear to make a difference.

It's a 5 gram graphite mold.

Is my mold too small?
Does the mold need to be red hot before I pour?

Thanks,
Ric

 

[butcher]

It does sound like the mold is not hot enough.

 

[its-all-a-lie]

Sounds to me like the metal being melted is not hot enough to stay liquid long enough to flow into the mold as desired, or you could be pouring too slowly allowing the mold to cool the metal before it is all poured. Be sure you are heating the melting dish efficiently enough to not take heat from the metal as it is poured across the lip into the mold, this could also be an issue.

 

[Smack]

What kind of torch?

 

[RicRock]

It's a TS8000 MAPP torch

 

[lazersteve]

Here's some good reads on silver bars:

Pouring Silver Bars

and

Hand Poured Bars

and

Graphite Molds

Steve

 

[nickvc]

Ric I believe your going to struggle to pour good 5 gram bars due to the surface tension of the molten metal. If you melt even 30 grams and pour that I think it will still want to be a button not a bar unless you get the temperature right and by having a hot and sooted mold to pour into.

 

[Anonymous]

Sounds to me like the metal being melted is not hot enough to stay liquid long enough to flow into the mold as desired, or you could be pouring too slowly allowing the mold to cool the metal before it is all poured. Be sure you are heating the melting dish efficiently enough to not take heat from the metal as it is poured across the lip into the mold, this could also be an issue.

I agree on this observation. I too, believe either the silver is not melted to a hot enough temp to pour it all out. I also believe the melting dish is not hot enough, and even the mold isn't hot enough, and, it's not being poured fast enough. Either one and (or) all of them are enough to make your pour harden up while you're pouring into a mold.


Kevin