How to Clean Out a Crucible - Melting Down Gold and Silver

This video is a reply to a question that was asked in the comments box on one of the last videos.
The question was how to clean out a crucible.
#AtTheBench #JewelryMaking #meltinggold
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Andrew Berry, a professional jeweller for over 30 years, is the training director of www.AtTheBench.com, an award winning on line jewellery training website.cible

[@allanthompson9695]

Took me a lot longer than I thought it would to season the crucible for the first time. Cheers Andrew.

[@ozmommi]

Thank you Andrew. There seems to be a small fissure in my flux and molten silver has malted down underneath it. I thought I had to get a new crucible, you demonstrated that it could be cleaned. You are amazing. I’ve learned so much from you through the years.

[@durtyd9625]

Bloopers are the best part of ANY video. Much love from Maui 🤙

[@mawi1172]

How brave is this man? 😂🤯 Or is it just confidence in his skills? I wouldn't be anywhere near that kind of heat without some heavy duty oven mitts! 😂😂😂😂. Gotta luv you Andrew!!! ❤️👏👏👏

[@pijnto]

I did this on Tuesday for a really important piece I am working on then went and had coffee I came back and blow me down the crucible was now 5 crucibles just cracked and fell to bits never had that happen before, luckily I keep spares ( packs of 4)as I found a log time ago they don't bonce on cement floors

[@EaselCat]

Love how you call them films :)

[@Ray-gz4ut]

Very interesting comment about the size of the crucible. Mine is the size of your big one and heat can be a challenge when melting.

[@rocki_bb]

I would imagine to efficiently heat something that size a side opening furnace with ceramic fiber insulation, even something pieced together would be needed to keep heat dissipation from really slowing down the process

[@thedazzlingape2006]

well, that explains a lot. I have been having a terrible time trying to melt and cast bronze alloy and felt like my crucible had maybe too much flux which keept the metal from flowing out. yes.

[@hateonskillz318]

I'm new to melting metals and have an electronic furnace and melting dishes and crucibles. Was cleaning my first furnace Crucible and boom out drops a huge silver nugget with all kinds of gold clearly visible on the silver nugget

[@jakobhalskov]

Pleasant to watch and great learning as I am just getting into sand casting of jewellery (have been doing larger brass and bronze stuff previously). Best wishes from Denmark

[@myjewellerygarden_8628]

Thank you - so helpful

[@Coleman77]

Thanks! I was wondering what worked best. Great bloopers! ❤️

[@northrouter]

Could you make a video of polishing techniques with both flex shaft and buffing wheel? Using multiple stages and different polishing compounds from start to finish? Really struggling to get flawless mirror finish...

[@shemhaque2758]

Thanks for another video so appreciated. Can you do a film on micro pave diamond setting ? Pleaseeeee

[@mahtoosacks]

I've been wanting this too.

[@eivindkofod1774]

Hi Andrew, I think, I have asked you before, but can you demonstrate how to use a 17 degree square collet block? And while we are at it: how to make tiny springs to set into locks and clasps.

[@mickeylickey123]

Thank you. Easy solution for my problem.

[@JL76OH]

How do you remove gold/silver, etc from your soldering pick effectively? Bloopers were a nice addition 😂

[@Jaymobe07]

This video answered a question i asked in a different video. thank you.

[@user-pt5ov2xk2s]

Hi Andrew. Thank you for your enriching videos. I wanted to ask if you could give some tips about silver jewelry that oxidizes quickly even though it is rhodium plated

[@asen7574]

Love the episode. I was just suffering with that

[@johnhowton6339]

great demo thanks andrew

[@abhimanyuocean1863]

If you melt Different karats of gold jewellery together, 1)Does that reduce the melting point of gold due to alloys?? 2)Does gold also evaporates due to alloys present in it or is it only the alloys that evaporates alone leaving gold behind? Kindly help and explain with a video.

[@DreidMusicalX]

I know this is an older video and I am new still and learning about fluxes and stuff and wanted to know the difference between say Borax and something I have seen like Anhydrous Casting Flux and how they are used? I think am not the only one who wants to learn but can find no videos on them actually being used with any type real instructions and safety like you do.

[@sas1uk185]

Thanks Andrew, I'm learning a lot from your films! Any chance you could demo some open sand casting please? Just think it'd be a great way to recycle my scrap. Thanks! Sas

[@ronskopitz2360]

Thank you for posting this!!! As a rank beginner, I've been wondering what to do about excess borax - it keeps dribbling down and interfering with my pours, so this is incredibly helpful!!

[@sistersilver]

good to know. I always thought I needed a new one.

[@raphak5461]

Thank you for information i love your channel. I have a problem i cant melt gold with my propan burner. I 4 bar pressure and 8 kg/h

[@tombeeks3406]

Hi Andrew, great video, any chance you can tell us how to process the flux with the metals in, i have trpped gold lol

[@jimbettridge3123]

Great info Andrew, shared them to my groups!

[@PatrickPoet]

I loved the smaller crucibles and wonder if they're an EU only thing like the nylon bristle brushes. I've never seen them.

[@FrancisR420]

You said this is the quick and easy way is there a drawn-out difficult process to clean a crucible?

[@dinoquintana4319]

Nice

[@MisterHeim]

excellent as always master Berry tysm

[@Junoshelly]

I did wonder if you could place them in a kiln on their edges too?

[@alfisyarif8943]

Where can i buy those great little torch of yours?, I can't find it in my country.

[@barry7608]

Very clever thanks

[@13kaitlyng]

Great info! Thanks! I do have a follow up question though. When I first started melting metal I didn’t realize I had to coat the crucible with flux. The crucible has small pieces of metal stuck to it and is cracking a bit. Is there any way to clean this out and flux it such that I can continue to use this crucible?

[@hayderalkhafaji8408]

Well done sir

[@cmoreno05271990]

How do you make a cylinder into a string to make a necklace? Gold.

[@ma1900bi1900]

Thank you

[@FrancisR420]

You know I was trying to push some of the borax out of my crucible with the torch flame and a drop just stopped moving on a wall and the borax around it all flowed out and dried out but the one drop just wouldn't do anything. I think I melted part of the dish

[@johndooskie4750]

Hi, where can I get one of those little torches you’re using in this video? I believe you said oxygen and propane? You may have mentioned this before I just haven’t read through everything to see yet.

[@paulstein2480]

Thank you!

[@kornkobbler1]

Thank you! Now i will clean up haha

[@tb2267]

Hi Andrew, I LOVE your videos and am such a fan... Thank you for all the great info you put out!! I had a question - my sterling silver ingot got covered in glass/slag. I believe I have pre-seasoned the crucible properly. I added a pinch of borax with the scrap to be melted and now i am thinking i maybe should not have? I poured the silver into the large hole of my reversible ingot mold. What do you think? My crucible is also red now and i will clean it as described in this video. Thank you again!!! Cheers

[@byrdhemenway369]

Tried to smelt 10k gold but made borax turn green and blue and brown and now it seams the metal has dislaved into the borax I was using a small hho torch it was about 2g of 10k gold what do I do to get the gold of of the borax?

[@swaroopcool22]

Awesome video. Thanks I regularly watch you videos. Btw could you give me the address of your shop? Next time I visit UK would love to meet you in person if possible.

[@randymurray934]

I have a question Andrew, how do you calculate how much gold you need to make a piece of jewelry? Example: I want to make a gold bezel for my pamp, how would i know how much gold i need to make my bezel.

[@mahtoosacks]

You could calculate volume and multiply by specific gravity. That would be the weight you need.

[@cheesejuice_]

cricible is: A: NICE B: GOTH

[@knowldedge5012]

what is the gas you use?

[@jerseydevil1]

Is flux glass?

[@noecarrillo4391]

I have a question I'm new melting and my first batch came out good but the second came out black and bad i was melting silver any advice or do you know why thank you

[@swaroopcool22]

one question. You appear to be melting down your stuff in a not so well ventilated area (at least seems like that in the 'film'). Do you do anything to clear out the smoke. Also are these torches safe enough for indoor use?

[@thefunkyhippy7778]

By flux this he mean borax? Ive been using borax

[@caveymoley]

Hello. I'm not able to get my metal hot enough and after prizing it back out of my crucible (it always sticks to the bottom) my silver brought some glaze with it How do I go about repairing a patchy and horrible glaze? Thanks

[@kevinkelly8842]

I had the same problem when I started - are you using a butane brulé-style torch by any chance? It sounds to me like you need more heat. My solution was to get a MAPP gas powered blow torch and I've found it a lot easier

[@caveymoley]

@@kevinkelly8842 . Butane - Propane mix .;) Thanks... I will get searching for MAP.

[@johnnyblueeyes8037]

When I clean my crucibles I drop the flux into ice water then dissolve the flux in hot sulfiric acid and recover the little bits of precious metals that were stuck in the flux

[@mikehamm8649]

Why can't you pummel the flux with a hammer then pick out the pieces of metal?

[@johnnyblueeyes8037]

I've done both but have found that the acid is a much better way cause at the end all that's left is the metal

[@mikehamm8649]

Johnny do you remelt what's reclaimed or send it in to be refined? Thanks for your reply...

[@johnnyblueeyes8037]

@@mikehamm8649 I do refining myself

[@mikehamm8649]

@@johnnyblueeyes8037 excellent. Thank you for your time sir....

[@jarlathmcnee3833]

Do you need to switch between crucibles if you are melting silver and/or gold, or is it ok to use the same one

[@aliceharvey1226]

jarlath mcnee In a recent? video he recommended a separate crucible for silver, and one for each different gold carat. That could be a lot of crucibles, make sure to mark them.

[@jarlathmcnee3833]

alice harvey thank you. I missed that one. Good spot

[@alphatango1358]

Don't clean up ..by another one for gold.. it's not expensive... Andrew Greetings from New York...👌👌👌

[@bestworst1979]

what torch is that

[@Atthebench]

Smiths little torch

[@brdmec134]

O vento sopra onde quer. Você o escuta, mas não pode dizer de onde vem nem para onde vai. Assim acontece com todos os nascidos do Espírito". João 3:8 Ouça o vento, Berry!

[@firebirdbullion8123]

Hi Andrew When I’m melting my silver I’m managing to melt the flux at the same time and the silver and flux pour into the mould and set together. Any idea what I’m doing wrong? Using an oxy/propane torch Thanks !!

[@elliminieren8041]

Is that tiny flame hot enough to melt down bigger amounts of gold? If yes, tell me the name hahaha

[@josephbXIX]

shoud have found this channel before i screwed a crucible. gonna be a bitch to take the silver solder out now

[@CELLebrateASEA]

How do you smelt the gold out of $100 & $1,000 Trump Bucks?

[@ajingolk7716]

Gas is not cheap buy a new crucible will cost you less