Among all precious metals, gold is considered one of the most popular. Thanks to such unique characteristics as resistance to corrosion and the negative effects of aggressive environments, this metal is loved by many jewelry makers. Due to the fact that gold is relatively soft, it will not be difficult to process it with special equipment. Often beginners ask the question, how to melt gold at home? According to experts, this is within the power of home craftsmen. To make any jewelry from this noble metal, it is not necessary to contact a specialist. You will find information on how to melt gold at home and what is required for this in this article.
Introducing Metal
Surely many of the buyers wondered why gold is so expensive? The reason for this is an attractive color, which makes gold items look very impressive.
In addition, this material has a lot of advantages, making it in demand in such industries as jewelry, medicine and industry. In its natural form, gold can be represented by grains or nuggets. Therefore, before being sent to a store or bank, gold is processed. Mostly this is a factory procedure. However, judging by the numerous reviews, it is successfully implemented in an artisanal way. How to melt gold at home, read on.
About supplements
In order to improve the characteristics of alloys, various impurities are added to their composition, which are also called master alloys. Gold can be completed with silver, copper, palladium or platinum, rhodium, nickel and chromium. Metal with silver and copper after remelting will turn out with a reddish tint. If there is more copper in gold, then it will be completely red, and if there is more silver, it will be yellow.
About the melting point of gold in degrees
According to experts, gold of the highest standard will melt at a temperature of 1064 degrees. This applies to 999 gold. If a different thermal regime is applied, this will lead to the complete burnout of the precious metal. Often beginners are interested in whether it is possible to melt gold on a gas stove? Due to the fact that the temperature resulting from the combustion of natural gas depends on the distance to the burner, experts advise not to risk it.
Near the burner itself, the temperature ranges from 300 to 400degrees. Having reached its peak, it will be 1500 degrees. Before proceeding, you should know the exact melting point of gold in degrees. Precious metal 375 samples will melt in a mode not exceeding 770 degrees. 585th test - at a temperature of 840 degrees. It is considered the most popular among professional jewelers. Often this sample is faked by scammers. According to experts, 999 gold cannot be melted in an artisanal way. A temperature of 1064 degrees can only be reached in the factory. Some home craftsmen unknowingly make a mistake - they use conventional welding machines as a means of heating. However, these devices can only melt steel. If the welding machine is used for gold, then the precious metal will completely evaporate.
What do you need for work?
Before melting gold at home, you need to get the following:
Tiglem. If for pure gold the melting point is 1064 degrees, then for alloys containing copper, heating will be required more. Therefore, there is a need for a container that can withstand high temperatures. If it was not possible to acquire a crucible, then you can use a potato. It is enough to cut a recess for gold in the center of a raw root crop
- Tongs. Preference should be given to products made of heat-resistant materials.
- A flux that refines gold. It is represented by a mixture, which contains borax and sodium carbonate. As they sayspecialists, cleaning one ounce of precious metal requires at least two pinches of flux. You can also cope with this task by using bicarbonate and baking soda.
- Furnace for melting metal. Electric furnaces for working with precious metals are presented to the attention of consumers in specialized stores. Judging by the numerous reviews, home craftsmen use microwave ovens for this purpose. However, not every microwave oven is suitable. It is imperative that its power is not lower than 1200 W, and the magnetron is located in the side or rear. According to experts, it is not recommended to reheat food in the oven, in which there was molten gold. If there is only one microwave in the house, and the master is not ready to sacrifice it, then you can recommend him to purchase a gasoline burner.
What to make a heating device from?
If you can't get professional equipment, you can melt gold with a gasoline burner. Before you start making it, you need to get the following:
- Sprinkler for airbrush. An air injector or garden equipment that sprays chemicals is fine for this purpose.
- Can. It is important that it has an airtight lid.
- Air car pump. A machine compressor will also work.
- Hose.
- Sealant.
How to make a burner?
The melting device is made as follows:
- First, the jar needs to be equipped with twoholes where the hoses will be inserted.
- Insert the hose connected to the pump into the first hole, and the sprinkler hose into the second hole.
- The connected hoses are carefully sealed.
At the end of the work, make sure that the gasoline exits with air through the injector nozzle. The flame must be blue. Judging by the numerous reviews, such a device is no worse than a special furnace for melting metal.
Where should I start?
Due to the fact that gold scrap is a precious metal, in which over 20% is occupied by various impurities, it should be sorted before melting. For this, experts advise paying attention to its color. Pieces with a reddish tint contain more copper. Next, the scrap is crushed.
Melting process
When the gold scrap is carefully sorted and crushed, you can start to melt it. To do this, flux is poured into the crucible. Then gold should be placed there. If the pieces have different diameters, then those that are larger are placed in the crucible first. Smaller scrap will be more convenient to add during melting. Then the furnace with the crucible located in it is turned on. You should wait until the scrap is completely melted. Only then can it be poured into molds. After the precious metal is poured, it is hardened with alcohol or water. If the melting procedure is carried out not in a special furnace, but with a home-made burner, then the process looks different. The crucible should also be processedflux. The best option for this purpose would be a drill. Next, a piece of gold is placed inside. Alcohol is poured there and set on fire. You should wait until the alcohol burns out completely. Then the crucible is placed on the bricks and the gasoline burner is ignited. In the central part of the flame should be blue, and at the edges - yellow. Start melting the precious metal. At the end of the procedure, the molten scrap is poured into molds and hardened.
In closing
For those who have difficulty making a crucible, experienced craftsmen recommend paying attention to barbecue stoves or barbecues with a thick bottom. These products will become an alternative to the crucible. Handicraft gold crafts often have a porous structure due to air ingress and are very fragile. Therefore, before pouring molten gold into molds, it must be shaken.
