Melting/Smelting



Here's my simple way to convert your fine gold to a gold button,
my potato method. This is about melting gold not smelting
which is a refining process. I just liked the way it rhymed.



Take an ordinary potato and cut it in half then dig out a small
cavity to melt your gold in.



My simple answer to flux is just that, get some welders flux. Here I'm
using some old  # 1 Blue I had left over from my welding days. Drop
in your fines and maybe add a little more flux on top.



Get a oxygen - acetylene torch to melt it down.  Here I'm using Linda's
small jewelry torch to heat it. The temp has to be near 2000 deg F
 so an oxygen system is needed.



Here its cooling down, one interesting thing is the potato is not hot on the
outside. You can pick it up with your fingers with the molten gold inside.



This is what it's going to look like at first with impurities or slag all over it,
maybe some potato too.



It lost some weight from the 270 start weight. Some gold will still be in the
potato, be sure you smash and pan it out.


On to page two of melting/smelting.