Non-Chemical technique for seasoning and using a melting dish.

[Peg leg]

I tried to watch steves videos but they wouldn't work on my computer.

What is the proper seasoning method for getting my melting dish ready and what is the proper teqnique for melting down the gold powder and pieces I have.

 

[Harold_V]

What is the proper seasoning method for getting my melting dish ready and what is the proper technique for melting down the gold powder and pieces I have.

Heat the dish at a low heat, so it has time to expel the moisture contained within. You can do that by heating the entire dish over a low flame on a hot plate, or even by placing it on an electric hot plate. Try to avoid temperatures that will rapidly convert water to steam. It's important that the dish dry slowly, just as it's important for a graphite/clay crucible to dry slowly.

When the dish has been heated for a period of time, and has warmed to the point of being too hot to handle, increase temperature beyond 212°. That will insure you have evaporated all the water. You should then heat the dish to redness, using a torch. When the dish is uniformly red, sprinkle borax on the dish and melt until you have a thin film that covers the entire inner surface. That will require playing the torch on the borax until it melts and fuses. Anhydrous borax, or borax glass (they are different, but chemically the same) are best. They are far more dense, so they don't blow around, and don't expand upon heating. However, any borax will work, it's just not as convenient to melt.

Once your dish has a thin film of borax, it is ready to be put in service. It should be far more stable than a dish that has not been seasoned. Such dishes are subject to cracking when heated rapidly.

If your dish is allowed to sit unused, always heat it slowly before applying a torch. They absorb moisture readily, so they are subject to cracking, just as a new dish is.

If your gold has been properly processed, including washing properly, it should melt with ease. Place the gold in a treated dish, then apply your torch from afar. As the gold surface starts to fuse, you can move closer with the flame. If the flux lining in your dish gets discolored rapidly, your gold will not be pure, and will likely not melt easily. In that case, you can add some free borax to the gold, which will help it fuse.

Gold that is pure will leave behind only hints of color, which will vary between pink and purple. That is the result of colloidal gold collecting in the flux covering. The gold, when it has cooled, should still be bright, with no signs of discoloration. If it forms a dark covering that leans brown, the flux will reflect the contamination as well.

Pure gold can be melted successfully without flux. Only enough to "lubricate" the dish is generally required. If you find you must flux to get your gold to agglomerate upon melting, I would recommend you review your refining practice.

Harold

 

[LeftyTheBandit]

Lock this one in.

Nothing more needs to be said.

Will be a good process to have documented.

 

[lazersteve]

Several of my videos demonstrate this process.

PM me to get your computer playing the videos. There is also a FAQ section on my site that should get them up and running for you.

Steve