The final step heating your gold back to metal

[Trustworthysole]

I am having great difficulty in getting my gold dust from dust to metal. Can someone give me some hints or help? I have tried several types of torches and the results are the same no gold just some junk that looks like molten rock.

 

[Oz]

Perhaps the best place to start is to tell us what you are trying. In this way we know what equipment you have and can give advice useful to you. As an example I use an oxy/acetyl torch but many here use propane, natural gas, hydrogen, mapp gas, or an electric furnace.

 

[Trustworthysole]

I have tried propane Oxy assetyline and map gas with Oxygen. I am using the Shor International system for my processing. I have made several attempts at this and I am really frustrated.

 

[Trustworthysole]

Could under rinseing be a problem? If there is still a small trace of acid still in the dust could it cause this problem?

 

[Platdigger]

What did you disolve?

What did you use to precip?
Randy

 

[Oz]

Good to see you Plat, as I have no clue about Shor.

It makes me wonder what he has that oxy/acetyl is lacking in heat to give a button even if it is not pure gold.

 

[nicknitro]

Trustworthy,

Doing less than the prescribed washes from your "Shor" ie. "Shortchange Me" could result in excess nitrates which would cause your gold to burn off into atmosphere, and too few washes could also result in lesser purities of gold.

My best advice is to look on this forum, and learn some procedures by their chemical names. I believe "Shor" uses many substitutes , which many forum members call "PoorMan's".

You could probably save enogh money on chemicals here that you could buy more materials.

Good Luck,
Nick

 

[Oz]

I agree that Shor will hold you hostage on chemical expenses from what I have heard from people I deem reliable. I am however skeptical that excess nitrates will cause greater than normal gold loss in melting. I would not care to breathe it however.

 

[Trustworthysole]

To answer Randy's question I have nothing but gold in the bucket to disolve. If under rinseing is the problem what is the best way to rinse the gold enough to get rid or the nitrates? Shor says to rinse it 3-4 time and once more with distiled water, did that. Shor says the mud should be brown mine comes out grey. On half of the last batch I tried some bakeing soda to kill any remaining acid and the mud did turn brown but the burn results are the same. I am very confused by what I am seeing and burning up four OZ is not cheap.

 

[Lou]

It's not gold.

 

[Smitty]

Maybe if you can post a picture of the melting rig and the type of flame you have, this might help also.

 

[nicknitro]

Oz,

I am not sure of the exact reaction. I just picture it like the oxidation of most metals in pyrotechnics. I do know that Harold always did his meltings in a filtered fume hood, to avoid losses of gold.

Harold - "From my experience, I'd say that is a poor idea. Incineration causes dusting, and dusting results in losses. To incinerate without some means of capturing potential losses was not a good idea, and proven in practice by having a filtered hood. Cleaning out the hood on about a two year cycle resulted in a recovery of roughly eight ounces of gold. That does not take into account the amount of gold that was trapped in filters. "

Good Luck,
Nick