Melting precious metals

[Nitelord]

I see people collecting precious metals for melt. Is it worth the time and effort, to melt it down yourself? If one was going to "hoard" it. I think it would be easier to store cubes, bars, rounds, bricks, etc. More so than 35 spoons, 5 combs, 20 bracelets, etc.

Is it better to have someone (that knows what they are doing) do this for me? ie silversmith, goldsmith, etc.

Or, does anyone melt it themselves?

Thanks in advance....

[NMsilver]

I think silver would be better stored as an ingot, but it would be a pretty involved project to melt and pour silver neatly.
You need a furnace with a blower to get the coals hot enough to melt silver, a crucible with a handle, a mold, etc.
I think it would be fun as heck, I'd try it if I had my own workshop.

[RyanChappell]

What you are talking about is melting not refining.

Advantages:
Off the grid no paper trail

Disadvantage:
You lose hallmarks, karat marks,
the gold content might become unknown, especially if you mix karats
if you ever sell it you will have to find someone that can determine the content, or may not know what the value you get until it is refined

ARA provides a service of melting and refining your gold jewelry into 24kt ingots, at a cost of 2% of your gold. They refine by dissolving the jewelry into an the only acid the will dissolve gold and extracting the different metals in it separately. They keep the sub metals.

Also it is not like you can melt it on hot coals like you can lead.

[dogpound]

its a little different than meltin sinkers ...lead has a melting point of 840* F where as silvers melting point is 1761*F

[longbeard]

^^^well put.plus you have to heat your mold up as well.if it cold and melt can splater like a bomb

[HarveyH48]

Aluminum 1220F
Copper 1983F
Lead 621F
Tin 449F
Zinc 787F
Silver 1760F
Gold 1945F

I've seen Aluminum cast at home, and seemed like a lot of work. Tin and lead, I've done many times, burner on the kitchen stove will work, but got a melting pot eventually. Zinc isn't so easy. I think gold and silver would be sort of an expensive hobby to get into melting yourself.

[Nitelord]

WOW. Sounds like more work than it could possibly be worth. I suppose this requires a little re-thinking.

It's still something I'd like to be able to do. But, it seems I may have to collect the different pieces over time.

Thanks for all the responses!

[HarveyH48]

There are a few sites on the web, that can explain how to setup a backyard forge on the cheap. I looked into aluminum years ago, but sort of lost interest, once I saw it first hand. I was wanting to mold specific things, ingots or blobs might not be as bad.

[jmorton04]

I have never read any of them, but I have read about them. He discussed making a foundry to melt and cast aluminum, and possibly other metals.

My take on the matter is that if you want to "reformat" precious metals at home, I would think that it would be easier and safer to use acids and electrolysis. Note that 'easier and safer' suggests that you are prepared to handle acids that can eat flesh at a phenomenal rate.

Back when I was in high school, our metal shop class melted aluminum and cast a few ashtrays and door stops. From my observation, it seemed like there were lots of ways for melting and sand casting to go very wrong, unless you are well prepared and on the ball.

Best of luck,
John Morton

[CopperMinerAZ]

I Melt metals every day a work. The mold does not have to be hot. We mostly do copper, you get it up to 1200f the importent thing to no is to get any metal a few degrees hundred hotter then its melting point. U need time to do your pour, otherwise it will set to quick. That's when u make a mess. Gold is the same as long as u get the gold a few hundred above melting point, and pour quick enough, you can trips 100% of you melt. Sorry about the grammer, I am posting from my phone.

[PAMD Tim]

As seen on TV, The HobbyMelter™ furnace kit

http://www.backyardmetalcasting.com/hmkit.html

[PAMD Tim]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Melting-Furn...item4842b4d89b