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Thread: Silver will not melt!

  1. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by ps_bond View Post
    Your £50 Bernzomatic is significantly less capable than this - https://gasproducts.co.uk/gas-blow-t...torch-kit.html (I have both...)
    Up-front cost of gas will be higher, but the run time on the little cylinders is quite low, so it'll recoup fast.

    Later, you can add more nozzles for different work. There's no need to go over to MAPP for melting small amounts of silver - air/propane is more than enough, although boxing in the heat is a worthwhile move.
    Thank you Peter, Do you suggest getting a propane gas cylinder with this torch?

  2. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Niamh View Post
    Thank you handmadeblanks!
    Because the Sievert torches are rather pricey and i cant afford them at the moment (Currently paying off things for our wedding in 3 months) I wondered if a Bernzomatic Propane % MAP gas torch might do the trick? It seems a bit more affordable at £50 from screwfix and iv been told MAP gas burns hotter then propane and butane.
    I had built myself a little enclosure with fire bricks hoping to keep heat in but to no avail.
    I dont want to give up im determined to do this!
    There are cheaper Sievert Kits, like the one ps_bond recommends or this one: https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/pmpx...nal-torch-kit/

    The burner on this kit is 7.7Kw which is more than enough as the burner I use on my kit is 3.1Kw

    I have not used MAPP but I have seen Youtube video's of people melting silver with MAPP. ps_bond is better qualified to answer as he has both.

    I'm not sure if you would end up saving much buying the disposable...it might be worth saving for the Sievert because it will definitely work.

    Yes, use propane!

  3. #13
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    One of the dinky ones will last a fair time - the 3.9kg ones. Light enough to be managed easily (with an easy carrying handle).

    The usual disposable ones are 400g at around £12; 9.75 of them will give around the same volume of gas. A 3.9kg cylinder will cost £56.54 from Calor as a first buy, then £16.55 per refill.
    https://www.calor.co.uk/shop/gas-bot...as-bottle.html

    Or you can go larger

  4. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by handmadeblanks View Post
    I have not used MAPP but I have seen Youtube video's of people melting silver with MAPP. ps_bond is better qualified to answer as he has both.
    MAPP's too expensive to use it as a standard thing IMO - I only resort to it when I absolutely need to. Most of the time my need for more heat is satisfied by the Sievert instead of the dinky one.
    For stuff that's too large for the Sievert I use the Flamefast torch.

  5. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by ps_bond View Post
    MAPP's too expensive to use it as a standard thing IMO - I only resort to it when I absolutely need to. Most of the time my need for more heat is satisfied by the Sievert instead of the dinky one.
    For stuff that's too large for the Sievert I use the Flamefast torch.
    Thank you everyone, I found a sievert Po 86 propane gas blow torch brand new on ebay for £60. Is this a good buy do you think? Id be buying a propane cylinder to accompany it from screwfix as i wont be doing much melting just yet as im only just starting out on the venture to make my wedding ring. Thankyou

  6. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by ps_bond View Post
    One of the dinky ones will last a fair time - the 3.9kg ones. Light enough to be managed easily (with an easy carrying handle).

    The usual disposable ones are 400g at around £12; 9.75 of them will give around the same volume of gas. A 3.9kg cylinder will cost £56.54 from Calor as a first buy, then £16.55 per refill.
    https://www.calor.co.uk/shop/gas-bot...as-bottle.html

    Or you can go larger

    You can get a rough idea of how long 3.9Kg will last.

    The burner I use is rated at 240g/h @ 2Bar

    This means that I can run it continually for approx 16.25 hours

    Given that the average casting takes 5 minutes, I can do approx 195 castings...(If I've done my maths right)

    I have had mine for well over a year and although I don't do much casting now, I have done at least 20 - 30 castings, at least that many ingots and countless annealing and it still isn't empty!

  7. #17
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    I don't think Screwfix do POL fitting gas cylinders... I'll check.

    ...Nope, thought not.

    The cylinders that Screwfix sell will only work on the Rothenberger/Bernzomatic-type torches. You need a proper POL fitting propane bottle to use with the Sievert. Calor (as one gas supplier) will list suppliers near you.

    As for EBay, make sure it is genuine.
    Last edited by ps_bond; 05-04-2018 at 08:56 AM.

  8. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by ps_bond View Post
    I don't think Screwfix do POL fitting gas cylinders... I'll check.
    No your right they dont do them! Calor gas is my best bet in that case im lucky to have a calor gas place local to me. I paid £50 for the Seivert torch in the end so im quite chuffed.

  9. #19
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    Hi Niamh, have you tried with new dilver? I had a similar problem. An old jewel was made from an old silver Dutch guilder. But this is never 100% silver and the additions caused the problems. I would in any case use a different melting tray.
    Good luck,

    Verstuurd vanaf mijn GT-N8010 met Tapatalk

  10. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by mariannez View Post
    Hi Niamh, have you tried with new dilver? I had a similar problem. An old jewel was made from an old silver Dutch guilder. But this is never 100% silver and the additions caused the problems. I would in any case use a different melting tray.
    Good luck,

    Verstuurd vanaf mijn GT-N8010 met Tapatalk
    Thanks Mariannez, I have tried with new silver last night (sheet silver i had been given by a jeweler friend) it did melt in small quantity's but the moment i tried to add a bit more so i could cast my ring it failed to melt anymore so i think everyone saying my torch isnt hot enough is right. I have bought a Sievert Pro 86 Propane Gas Blow Torch Kit so im hopeful this will work!

    One thing iv been noticing though is when my silver cools and solidifies its got a blue shiney coating on the bottom half where its cooled in the crucible? looks like blue enamel but theres been nothing blue added to the silver? just sheet silver and Borax?

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