Cone Mould

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Philip & Sandra Box
Joined
Oct 10, 2014
Messages
4,186
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Location
Cue, WA
I hope I didn't waste my time today. I've been keeping my eyes peeled for a heavy chunk of cast iron but nothing has turned up.

Cone mould.jpg

I had and old chunk of 100x50 flat bar so I decided to give that a go. I want a mould to pour my gold into. I'm counting on the heavy chunk of steel staying cold enough that the gold won't stick to the mild steel. If it does I'm going to be in trouble :rolleyes:
 
they use big cast iron moulds in the gold rooms, I think you need to apply some kind of release agent to the moulds, make google your friend again and find out what they use, it might by just oil but check first

cheers dave
 
Does everyone forget about 'candle black' or soot from Acetylene burning from a torch ?
Black the mold with soot from a burning candle as a release agent.
Those videos showing potatoes being used for gold? They torch the life out of the potato starch to make charcoal.
Then plonk the gold into the hole to cast a button, candle black will do it too.
No opportunity to use cast iron for the mold ? That works well for lead casting and I am not sure why, maybe someone can tell me.
Maybe a chunk from an engine block or old truck drum brakes.

Just hold the mold upside down over the burning candle wick, easy peezy.
 
l would think if you boiled cooking oil into the steel if may act like a frying pan and maybe not allow to gold to stick, may try a tiny bit of gold first. good luck
 
Ok, it was time to try it. I went out early, spun the dryblower around so that I was working with the wind behind me and got to work. I put a few tonnes through and when I came home for morning tea I brought the concentrates home.

I took a few shortcuts. I did the usual and ran the dirt through the sluice with Dream Mat and then panned what came out of that. Usually I clean it thoroughly and sieve off the last of the black sand and fine gold. Today I took it straight from the pan into the crucible.

Crucible.jpg

With it still wet I added some borax. The wet borax was better because it didn't blow away as easily when I hit it with the oxy torch.

Gold mould.jpg

I prepared the new mould by flashing the oxy over it to make sure it was dry then I dusted it with engineers chalk. The pour went well. It was obvious as I poured it in it just pooled in the bottom with no attempt to stick to the mould.

Mould.jpg

I just lifted the button out with my fingers because it cooled quickly.

Button.jpg

Then I hit it with a hammer and smashed the flux revelling a nice little gold button.

Button weight.jpg

6.6g for Mrs M was enough to put a smile on her dial ;) and the whole thing was done by morning tea.
 
very nice Phil, don't you just love it when a plan comes together, and especially when it works, well done, now that you know it works well just repeat the process

cheers dave
 
Does everyone forget about 'candle black' or soot from Acetylene burning from a torch ?
Black the mold with soot from a burning candle as a release agent.
Those videos showing potatoes being used for gold? They torch the life out of the potato starch to make charcoal.
Then plonk the gold into the hole to cast a button, candle black will do it too.
No opportunity to use cast iron for the mold ? That works well for lead casting and I am not sure why, maybe someone can tell me.
Maybe a chunk from an engine block or old truck drum brakes.

Just hold the mold upside down over the burning candle wick, easy peezy.
Excellent
 

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