Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Equipment Needed
• Method 2 of 3: Using the oven
• Method 3 of 3: Using Other Heat Sources
• Warnings
• What do you need

Perhaps you have gold items that you would like to melt. Or maybe you are an artist or a jeweler and want to create a new piece of gold jewelry. There are several ways to melt gold at home, and you should always be very careful when smelting gold, as extremely high temperatures are reached.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Equipment Needed

1. 1 Purchase a crucible in which you will melt gold. You will need equipment that is suitable for smelting gold. A crucible is a container that can withstand very high temperatures in which the metal melts.
   • Usually, graphite or clay crucibles are used to melt gold.Gold melts at 1064 degrees Celsius, which means you have to heat the metal to that temperature. Therefore, it is important to select a crucible of a material that will withstand a given temperature.
   • You will also need tongs to use them to pick up the hot crucible. The tongs should also be made of a heat-resistant material.
   • If you don't have a suitable crucible, the artisanal potato method will do. Just cut a hole in the large potato and place the gold in it.
2. 2 Use a flux to clean the gold. It is a substance that should be mixed with the metal before melting it. For smelting gold, a mixture of borax and sodium carbonate is often used as a flux.
   • If the gold is contaminated, more flux will be needed. The composition of the flux can be varied. One option is a mixture of borax and sodium carbonate. Add two pinches of flux for every 28 grams (1 ounce) of pure gold, and more for less pure scrap gold. You can use regular store-bought baking soda and bicarbonate. When they are heated, sodium carbonate is formed.
   • The flux improves contact between small gold particles and helps to remove impurities from the metal when it is heated. If you are using a potato as your crucible, add a pinch of borax to the hole you made in it before melting the gold.
3. 3 Be very careful throughout the entire procedure. Smelting gold is quite dangerous because of the high temperatures required for it.
   • If you have never smelted gold before, consult a specialist. Find a place that is safe for melting, such as a garage or utility room. You will need a workbench to put all the materials and tools you need on it.
   • Be sure to wear safety goggles and a mask over your face. Heat resistant gloves and a thick cloth apron should also be worn.
   • Never melt gold near any flammable materials or objects. This is very dangerous and can cause a fire.

Method 2 of 3: Using the oven

1. 1 Purchase an electric oven for melting gold. There are compact, powerful furnaces on the market specifically designed for smelting precious metals, including gold and silver. A similar oven can be ordered online.
   • Some electric melting furnaces are quite inexpensive. In such a furnace, you can also mix several metals (such as gold, silver, copper, aluminum, and so on) and smelt them at home. In addition to the furnace, you will also need a crucible and a flux for melting.
   • If gold contains small amounts of silver, copper or zinc, the melting point will be lower.
2. 2 Try melting gold in a 1200 watt microwave. Use a microwave oven with the magnetron not on top but on the side or back.
   • You can purchase a melting chamber to melt gold in a microwave oven. This camera is placed on a tray in the microwave. A crucible is placed inside the chamber, in which the metal is melted, and covered with a lid on top.
   • However, after you have melted the gold in the microwave, do not use it to cook or reheat food.

Method 3 of 3: Using Other Heat Sources

1. 1 Try melting gold with a propane torch. As already noted, extreme care must be taken when using a gas burner. However, with a burner, you can melt gold in just a few minutes.
   • Place the gold in the crucible first. Then place the crucible on a fireproof surface and aim the burner flame at the metal inside the crucible. If you add a little borax to the gold first, you can melt it at a lower temperature, which is useful when using a gas burner.
   • If you are going to melt small particles of gold, carefully bring the flame of the burner to the crucible so that it does not blow them away.Do not heat the crucible too quickly, otherwise it may crack. Try to heat slowly, evenly heating the entire crucible. Oxyacetylene torch will melt gold faster than propane torch.
   • Hold the burner flame well above the gold powder, slowly moving it in a circle. Once the powder is hot and reddened, slowly lower the flame closer to the metal until the gold grains melt and merge into one piece.
2. 2 Shape the gold bar. Decide what you are going to do with the resulting ingot. Perhaps you want to give it a new shape so that you can sell it later. You can, for example, cast a cylindrical ingot or a flat bar.
   • Pour molten gold into a casting mold before it starts to solidify. Then wait for the metal to cool down. The casting mold must be made of the same material as the melting crucible.
   • Don't forget to clean up after yourself! Do not leave any heat sources turned on; keep them out of the reach of children.

Warnings

• 24k gold is very malleable. If you need to increase its strength, make an alloy of gold with another metal.
• Smelting gold requires certain skills, so check with a professional before trying to smelt the metal yourself.

What do you need

• Gold
• Oxy-acetylene or Oxy-propane burner
• Crucible pliers
• Crucible
• Flux (borax)
• Melting furnace
• Microwave oven with melting chamber