Gold melting is an art that has been practice for thousands of years. With the advancement in technology came the gold melting machine. Gold melting machine is a modern approach to melting gold. This is a machine that makes the gold melting process easy and saves a lot of time.
A gold melting machine controls the heat associated with gold melting, it limits it to the actual melting process. The machine makes use of electricity, eliminating the use of open flames and making it eco-friendly and easy to use.
In this article, we’ll look at what gold melting machines are, safety precautions to follow when melting gold, and a step by step guide on how to melt gold.
What are gold melting machines?
These are machines that use electricity to melt gold. They make use of induction furnaces so heat is applied via induction. Gold melting machines vary in size. So depending on the size of gold you want to melt, gold can be melted on a large or small scale. If you want to melt gold on a small scale, you should consider getting a mini gold melting machine. Especially if you are a goldsmith.
Gold melting machines produce heat from alternating magnet current directing the heat into the crucible where the gold is placed. This is why the gold melting machine is considered eco-friendly because it eliminates the emission of harmful pollutants into the atmosphere.
It supplies this heat evenly so the gold melts faster. It also allows you to set the temperature digitally. Since gold has a standard meting point of 1064.43 Celsius, the temperature of the gold melting machine will be at this temperature.
Safety precautions to follow when melting gold
Irrespective of how experienced you are, when melting gold you must adhere to all the safety precautions so you can prevent accidents and save lives. Here are some of these precautions:
- Always put on a pair of heat resistant gloves. Never melt gold with your bare hands
- Never melt gold close to something flammable or something that can easily catch fire.
- Wear a heavy apron. This is to protect your body in case there is a spillage.
- Wear goggles to protect your eyes and face
- Always melt gold in a safe place, a place with minimum activity
- Always use a mixture of borax and sodium carbonate to remove impurities.
Steps on how gold is melted
- Put the gold scrap or dust into the crucible
- Add a mixture of borax and sodium carbonate to help remove the impurity in the gold.
- Put the crucible into the induction furnace and set your temperature to 1064.43 Celsius( the standard melting point for gold)
- Clean and prepare your mold holder
- Use oil as a lubricant for your mold holder. It prevents the gold from sticking to the mold holder when it is poured
- Set your gold stopper on the mold holder
- Put the mold holder close to the gold melting machine so it can heat up gradually
- Once the gold has melted bring out the crucible from the furnace
- Shake the crucible before transferring the gold into the mold. This helps you to see if there are still gold lumps in the crucible
- Transfer the gold into mold holder
- Sprinkle a bit of ammonium chloride dust on the gold, it will help the gold to sparkle when it solidifies
- Leave the gold to solidify
Conclusion
Understanding the steps and safety procedures of using a gold melting machine will surely benefit you in the long run.
