Silver Smelting

[mobil890]

Hello I'm looking to learn how to smelter Silver. I have looked to You Tube but that's not what I'm looking for. I want to learn the steps, types of equipment and safety. I live in the Camas/Washougal area. Thanks for help.

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[wired]

My dad worked at a X ray lab when I was a kid. Big industrial nuke plant sort of thing. He's come home with truckloads of exposed film back when the Hunt Brothers were running up the price of silver. We would soak that film in a bleach solution and scrape off the emulsion and fire it up in a crucible with a rosebud to burn off the crap off and it left "pure" ish silver behind. Had blocks of silver the size of lunchboxes laying around. Get yourself a Oxy acetylene torch and a Coors high form crucible and fire it up. You'll need a set of tongs to grab the crucible and a firebrick ( your can make one with vermiculite and plaster ) to set the crucible on while you melt the silver. Nothing fancy needed but you will need a leather apron, good welding gloves, goggles and good thick boots because you WILL get molten metal on your feet etc.

Ive heard you can do it in a microwave. I really need to try that.

 

[Siglvr]

Might consider a jewelry metalsmithing class at the local Community College so you can get professional hands on learning and use their equipment to help you decide what you need. Just evaluate the course syllabus beforehand. They typically do lost wax casting (google it). If you have another mold (say you're making making silver bullets) that would work in place of a wax casting. It's a simple process if one has the gear like Wired notes upthread. Add some flux and you'd be good to go. Oh, as he notes upthread, wear the safety stuff and don't get molten metal on you. Seems obvious but I thought I'd add it.....