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I have 5 ounces of Nuggets 22kt/24kt ranging from 2.3 grams to 5.0 grams.. I want to melt.

VextronVextron Posts: 93
in Precious Metals
Is there anyway I can melt these Gold Nuggets I have into a 5 ounce bar myself using a welding torch or something else?

I have a old caster mold that was used to make arrowheads from a jeweler and it was used for 1 ounce metals. I was thinking of making some of them into 1 ounce pure Gold arrowheads and then selling a few and keeping 2 for myself..

So, is it possible to melt Gold using a welders torch or does the temp need to be higher? thanks for any help.

P.S. what other metal should I add to make it more of a solid arrow?

Comments

  • PerryHallPerryHall Posts: 46,122 ✭✭✭✭✭
    How do you know they're 22-24K purity? Also, those nuggets are worth more as nuggets. Once you melt them, you'll have to pay for an assay if you want to sell them for full value.

    Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
    "Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
    "Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire

  • TomohawkTomohawk Posts: 667 ✭✭
    Sorry to not answer your question: but if you are going to make an arrowhead out of solid gold, I WANT ONE!!! That would be too cool!! Plus, ,what a great way to "hide in plain site" your gold reserves.

    My concern would be purity...not sure how you'd be able to fully remove all dross unless you were at a minimum of about 2,000 degrees (gold's melting point, I believe). Let us know how you do though...sounds like fun.
    ASE Addict...but oh so poor!
  • gsa1fangsa1fan Posts: 5,566 ✭✭✭
    Are you wanting a 5oz bar or Arrow heads?

    I'd think you could sell the nuggets & buy a arrow head and have $$ left over.
    Avid collector of GSA's.
  • bestmrbestmr Posts: 1,777 ✭✭✭
    Just going by what I've seen on TV, melting and refining these on your own would be a challenge that's for sure. However, I still think a solid gold arrow head would be bad ass.
    Positive dealing with oilstates2003, rkfish, Scrapman1077, Weather11am, Guitarwes, Twosides2acoin, Hendrixkat, Sevensteps, CarlWohlforth, DLBack, zug, wildjag, tetradrachm, tydye, NotSure, AgBlox, Seemyauction, Stopmotion, Zubie, Fivecents, Musky1011, Bstat1020, Gsa1fan several times, and Mkman123 LOTS of times
  • KISHU1KISHU1 Posts: 2,118 ✭✭✭
    They sell small furnaces on ebay to melt gold. I doubt that a torch has enough heat spread over a large enough area to melt the gold. Not to mention the splattering of hot metal. Ouch!!

    Keep them as nuggets

    Frankimage
  • VextronVextron Posts: 93


    << <i>How do you know they're 22-24K purity? Also, those nuggets are worth more as nuggets. Once you melt them, you'll have to pay for an assay if you want to sell them for full value. >>




    They have been tested with a device from a local jeweler I know, most are mainly 22k with some quarts and other metals in them..

    As to the other questions, I want so bad to make some cool arrows, the mold is a cool looking arrow design that was used back years ago for 14k/18k jewelry from stores in South Dakota..

    The owner used this cast mold for Silver Arrows and those Arrows that were two parts which I guess another metal inside..

    I love wearing Gold, I have 5 indian head 2/1-2 dollar coin rings with 18k bands size 14. Also I am a old fellow over 50, I still have a 22kt *2* ounce 20 inch Herringbone my mother bought me for graduation, it cost her something like $280 thirty years ago.. I told her she was crazy, now I am thanking her everyday in heaven.

    I lost it twice in poker games, but won it back everytime with a couple of nice $20 fine/xf common St Guads Gold coins back in my stupid days. Hell, I only spend $1 for Mega Millions tickets twice a week. Did win $400 one time on a Mega ticket..

    Thanks for the nice comments, soon as I figure on what I will do, I will post another thread or add to this one.. I have a cool looking 11 gram nugget that looks like a rasberry and was going to add a piece bezzle clip and it attached to another chain...


    Perry, you are correct about getting more for selling nuggets as they are, but I have been burnt so many times on ebay, I don't know a good place to sell them right.. You think a dealer would work with me at a show or something.. What do they charge for commission? thanks Brian,,


    P.S. I got Gold Fever Fellows.. I have been to Alaska to Nome on the Gold Prospectors outing you see on the Travel Channel twice and have found some nice nuggets in the range of 5 grams to 16 grams.. I am sorry but I am hooked, also I witnessed a 11 year old boy find a huge piece of quarts with more than 4 ounces of Gold on one trip. A local caretaker bought it from the boy for $1,000 when Gold was around $280 a ounce years ago, wonder what that booger would be worth today, what a speciman.... Just love that Yella stuff.
  • NitroCruiserNitroCruiser Posts: 654
    Gold melting point is 1947.9741 °F which would be hard to do without a furnace's even heat. You'd want it molten so it pours nicely. An oxy acetylene torch burns hot 5800 °F to 6300 °F the pressure would blow the melted gold, much like blowing a candles wax, which would harden quickly. If there are impurities in the nuggets these could pop or explode under that kind of heat, injuring yourself and losing metal in the process. It would also be difficult to alloy another metal into the mix, as you suggested, to strengthen the gold (I'd use silver or copper by the way). Just be extra careful if you experiment. You may also want to talk to Gecko as he has poured some silver bars and I'm sure he could give some pointers.

  • gecko109gecko109 Posts: 8,231 ✭
    My kiln is on the fritz. Although I have poured hundreds of silver bars, the melting point of silver is somewhere in the 1700-1750 area. I recently had a forum member send me some scrap gold to melt into a mini bar for him. My kiln would not pass 1600 for some reason. The point about impurities exploding in your face is a valid one. Take those nuggets to a large jewelry store that has repair capabilities. They MAY be able to accomplish what you want for much cheaper than you think.
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