Me making silver bars = epic fail.

BBN · February 27, 2009 8:10AM

I'll leave it to the experts from now on.

cars · February 27, 2009 8:23AM

Did they move the BST?

PM'd Anyhow lol

BBN · February 27, 2009 8:25AM

sorry, I figured it might get more interest here.

I actually got the silver to melt some, but that was it. I had a crude set up. Not to mention I didn't care to much for the safety of the set up.

cars · February 27, 2009 8:26AM

lol, How did you melt it? use a blowtorch or something?

There is a PM BST but its mixed in with the other threads

gecko109 · February 27, 2009 8:30AM

See? Not everyone can just make their own bars!!!

It takes a special set-up, good tools, and know how.

BBN · February 27, 2009 8:31AM

<< See? Not everyone can just make their own bars!!!

It takes a special set-up, good tools, and know how.

>>

Bingo. Live and learn.

Now I know and will never try it again.

DNADave · February 27, 2009 11:24AM

kiyote · September 4, 2011 1:05PM

Hmm! Hmm! I just thought I'd add that my first time didn't go so well either. I used a MAPP torch to try and pour a silver Maple Leaf and generic round into a unknown size mold. I did fail, but I don't give up easily. I'll try again. My biggest mistakes;

1. Using too large of a crucible. (1.25 ozs in a 5 oz container!)
2. Using a plastic bucket to hold the water to cool the molten silver. (Great, now I have plastic fused with silver!)
3. Not being sure how big the mold I was pouring into was. I think it's a 1/4 oz silver mold.
4. Using tap water to cool it off!? The silver melted into a bar full of bubble-looking formations.

Ah, other than that, it went mostly ok. How can I get this plastic contaminants out of my blob of silver?

MsMorrisine · September 4, 2011 1:07PM

reheat to burn it off?

Jinx86 · September 4, 2011 2:37PM

I used to recycle computer components and make my own bars of gold. Largest I was making was 10 gram with purity of 22K. Takes the right equipment and practice, pouring the molten gold was always the toughest part for me. That and heating it properly in the crucible, I blew 90% of what I was smelting out of the crucible the first time I fired up my torch.

I really dont recomend recycleing PM to anyone unless they have the patients, tools, chemical knowledge and proper place to work.

OzzyAndy · September 4, 2011 8:00PM

Thanks for doing the hard work so we can all learn from it, I'd love to recycle some silver myself and I'd the find the chemicals part easy but have wondered about the blowtorch, sounds better that I don't try it.

OzzyAndy · September 4, 2011 8:02PM

And I'm guessing that small scale isn't the way to go with molten silver, would loose too much in the process.

PerryHall · September 4, 2011 10:26PM

Even if you could make perfect silver bars, who would buy them without a known hallmark stamped into its surface?

Jinx86 · September 5, 2011 8:51AM

Right off a blow torch wont do it, doesnt get hot enough. You need an oxy/acetalyne torch. The gold seems easier to get out of computers the silver, I dont like working with silver solder. If you really wanna get into it you can remove paladium from monolith capacitors.

kiyote · September 5, 2011 2:46PM

<< Even if you could make perfect silver bars, who would buy them without a known hallmark stamped into its surface? >>

Monarch Precious Metals seem to be doing good business and they were a nobody until a few years ago. Not factored into the process so far is the utter coolness of having a silver bar that you smelted, poured, and stamped off with your own logo. I recast the plastic-melted blob from yesterday successfully and now have a one ounce or so splash of silver. It's really cool! I may use it as a pocket piece. It's very smooth, shiny and tactile.

PerryHall · September 5, 2011 7:54PM

<< 

<< Even if you could make perfect silver bars, who would buy them without a known hallmark stamped into its surface? >>

Monarch Precious Metals seem to be doing good business and they were a nobody until a few years ago. Not factored into the process so far is the utter coolness of having a silver bar that you smelted, poured, and stamped off with your own logo. I recast the plastic-melted blob from yesterday successfully and now have a one ounce or so splash of silver. It's really cool! I may use it as a pocket piece. It's very smooth, shiny and tactile. >>

I certainly wouldn't compare an established company like Monarch using a fancy logo punch and having a web site showing a variety of products with the typical homemade silver bar. Most of these garage bars are only punched with number and letter punches and are very suspect in the marketplace. Have fun making them but don't expect an easy time selling them.

gecko109 · September 5, 2011 10:11PM

<< 

<< 

<< Even if you could make perfect silver bars, who would buy them without a known hallmark stamped into its surface? >>

Monarch Precious Metals seem to be doing good business and they were a nobody until a few years ago. Not factored into the process so far is the utter coolness of having a silver bar that you smelted, poured, and stamped off with your own logo. I recast the plastic-melted blob from yesterday successfully and now have a one ounce or so splash of silver. It's really cool! I may use it as a pocket piece. It's very smooth, shiny and tactile. >>

I certainly wouldn't compare an established company like Monarch using a fancy logo punch and having a web site showing a variety of products with the typical homemade silver bar. Most of these garage bars are only punched with number and letter punches and are very suspect in the marketplace. Have fun making them but don't expect an easy time selling them. >>

I sold well over 100 of my homemade bars. They were a huge success, and even to this day, I get an occasional inquiry of if/when I will make more.

OzzyAndy · September 5, 2011 10:20PM

So, gecko, care to elaborate on some tricks of the trade?

mixman · September 5, 2011 11:17PM

<< So, gecko, care to elaborate on some tricks of the trade? >>

Yes please! Also, what kind of stamp / hallmark did you have on your bars?

Funny to see this thread come up, I was thinking this might be a fun little hobby just this weekend.

guitarwes · September 5, 2011 11:24PM

What's the link to your YouTube video Gecko? Don't I remember seeing one?

stuckonnights · September 6, 2011 1:41AM

Isn't some sort of license required to legally do this, not to mention a proper breathing apparatus?

Sure wish I could've saw the video

jmski52 · September 6, 2011 2:01AM

Even if you could make perfect silver bars, who would buy them without a known hallmark stamped into its surface?

And an assay.

PerryHall · September 6, 2011 2:40AM

<< 

<< 

<< 

<< Even if you could make perfect silver bars, who would buy them without a known hallmark stamped into its surface? >>

Monarch Precious Metals seem to be doing good business and they were a nobody until a few years ago. Not factored into the process so far is the utter coolness of having a silver bar that you smelted, poured, and stamped off with your own logo. I recast the plastic-melted blob from yesterday successfully and now have a one ounce or so splash of silver. It's really cool! I may use it as a pocket piece. It's very smooth, shiny and tactile. >>

I certainly wouldn't compare an established company like Monarch using a fancy logo punch and having a web site showing a variety of products with the typical homemade silver bar. Most of these garage bars are only punched with number and letter punches and are very suspect in the marketplace. Have fun making them but don't expect an easy time selling them. >>

I sold well over 100 of my homemade bars. They were a huge success, and even to this day, I get an occasional inquiry of if/when I will make more. >>

How many were sold to complete strangers or to your local coin shop?

kiyote · September 6, 2011 3:45PM

<< Isn't some sort of license required to legally do this, not to mention a proper breathing apparatus?

Sure wish I could've saw the video

>>

Do it outside, or at least in an open garage workshop. No, second thought, outside.

mixman · September 6, 2011 10:54PM

<< Isn't some sort of license required to legally do this, not to mention a proper breathing apparatus?

Sure wish I could've saw the video

>>

Type "making silver bars" or something similar into youtube and you'll get some videos.

It seems as long as your doing it outdoors and not trying to refine the metal to .999 from something else there isn't a lot to worry about in terms of dangerous gasses.

gecko109 · September 6, 2011 11:22PM

Ignorance breeds fear. You do not need a breathing apparatus.....you do not need to be outside. These are simply comments made by people who are ignorant on the subject.

I poured over 100 .999 fine silver bars in the comfort of my basement, with no "breathing apparatus". A little research, along with some common sense and some safety precautions is all one needs. As long as you stay focused while doing this....and respect the fact that silver is about 1700 degrees as you pour it....things work perfectly fine.

I used a small electric kiln, and a graphite crucible to do the melting. I used .999 fine silver shot from APMEX. I had a table specifically built for this endeavor. It was covered with ceramic tile, and a large graphite block was used as the base on which I placed my molds when I poured. I also used safety goggles....thick leather gloves....and leather boots when I made my pours. In addition to this, I hung a 4 x 8 foot section of sheetrock above my work area to protect my exposed joists in the event of a fire. Also had 1 medium fire extinguisher on each side of the work area.

In the 100+ pours I made, I had just 1 accident....and it was my fault. I wanted to convert some of my silver "button" remnants from earlier pours back into silver shot.....and I ended up pouring molten silver into a pyrex dish filled with water. The silver did not have enough time to solidify before pooling at the bottom of the dish, and the dish exploded. I was not harmed in any way (other than my ego), but it did shake me up a bit. I should have used a deeper receptacle, like a metal pail with at least 2 gallons of water.

So in summary....is there some danger involved? Of course there is! There is danger in driving to work as well. All in all, it was a very fun project that I would highly recommend to anyone who is interested to try for themselves.

Youtube pour

The above video is me pouring a 2.5 oz bar. Part 1 consisted of the weighing of the shot, and a close up of my kiln and equipment. It did not load for some reason, and I never remade the video. Enjoy!

kiyote · September 7, 2011 2:23PM

<< Ignorance breeds fear. You do not need a breathing apparatus.....you do not need to be outside. These are simply comments made by people who are ignorant on the subject.
>>

Yes, but I want to learn and it's fun!

I'm not out to start cranking out kilo bars to sell on Ebay-- I'd really like to make a a dozen 1 oz bars for stocking stuffers at X-Mas.

Me making silver bars = epic fail.

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