Gold melting methods and handling

On these pages you may find some of gold melting methods and handlings.

One would first need to consider all the safety precautions while melting gold.

In the next step one need to know how to melt the gold properly.

Not all types of gold are to be melted with the same method.

Special precaution and care shall be given when handling any gold that would contain mercury.

Even though our company do not buy or trade with gold that contains mercury, we often recover mercury from tailings, and in the case usage of retorts is necessary to prevent any contamination or disposal of mercury.

• Gold melting laboratory, using oxy-acetylene torch
  Based on the visual evidence and the context provided, here is a description of the image: The image captures a scene inside a **gold melting laboratory**, viewed through a window in a light blue door labeled "LABORATORY." **The Interior Scene:** * **The Furnace:** Dominating the right side of the window view is a large, industrial furnace with a reddish-brown exterior. Inside, intense orange flames and glowing embers indicate extreme heat, characteristic of melting precious metals like gold. * **The Torch:** Although the specific nozzle of the oxy-acetylene torch isn't clearly distinct, the bright, concentrated fire at the bottom of the furnace chamber suggests its active use. The flames are illuminating the dark interior, revealing what appear to be crucibles or metal tools resting near the heat source. * **The Worker:** To the left of the furnace, a figure is visible wearing heavy protective gear. They are clad in a dark apron or protective suit and appear to be wearing a face mask or respirator. This is standard safety equipment for handling molten metal and inhaling fumes. They are standing in profile, seemingly monitoring the melting process or preparing to manipulate the molten metal. **The Surrounding Environment:** * **Storage:** To the left of the door, the laboratory walls are lined with extensive shelving units filled with small, black plastic storage bins. These likely hold assay samples, tools, or chemicals used in the refining process. * **Utilities:** A blue trash bin and a wooden stool are visible in the foreground area outside the door, suggesting a workspace that is actively in use. * **Atmosphere:** The overall lighting is functional and somewhat dim outside the furnace, while the interior of the furnace glows with an intense, warm light, creating a stark contrast that highlights the heat of the operation. In summary, the image depicts a traditional and functional method of gold refining, where an oxy-acetylene torch is used to melt metal in a controlled industrial furnace, all while the operator maintains safety precautions.
• Pouring the gold into the mold
  You may see here how gold is quickly poured into the hot mold. After pouring the gold into the mold, shake it a little, give it few kicks, so that any remaining impurities, dirt or borax or remaining particles of gold may come out. Keep those impurities for later refining.
• Quickly adding gold scrap into the melting oven
  If you wish to add some gold into the melting oven, do not delay as not to decrease the temperature. Quickly open the melting oven with one hand, and by using tweezers or small scoop, add the scrap gold into the oven.
• Human fat burning while melting the scrap gold
  What you may see on this video is human fat burning while melting the gold scrap. Necklaces and bracelets often collect parts of human fat and during the melting stage they quickly burn out.
• Pouring the gold into the mold
  Once gold has been melted in the melting oven, you are pouring the gold into the mold. There is no waiting time. The process must be done without delays. The mold must be heated and is usually held on the top of the oven to keep its temperature always hot. Asbestos gloves must be used, as otherwise you cannot handle the hot mold. You take the tweezers in the hand, quickly open the melting oven, then fix the crucible with tweezers and poour the gold into the mold.
• Quick gold mixing with the graphite stab
  During the melting process one need to quickly open the melting oven, then use the special graphite stab to mix the gold, and then quickly close the melting oven.
• During melting mold is held on the hot gold melting oven
  During the melting process the mold must be heated. As if the mold is not heated and very hot, pouring gold into cold mold would result with the burst of the melted gold. Basic safety gear are protective glasses, asbestos gloves and protective apron. When opening the oven to see or verify if gold have been melted, one should be fast. Open the oven, look inside, shake the gold, and close the oven as fast as possible. Don't let the temperature go down during your observation.
• The front panel of the melting oven for 1 kg of gold
  This is the front panel of the small melting oven for gold. The maximum quantity for this melting oven is 1 kg of gold. This melting oven is ideal for scrap gold or gold nuggets. When recovering the gold from tailing heaps on mining sites in Tanzania, Uganda or Kenya, such gold often contains mercury. In that case it is advisable to first separate mercury by using retorts. After separation of mercury such melting oven as this one may be used to melt the final gold. Flux such as borax shall be used…