Steve B wrote:
I wanted to start buying gold jewelry for cash. How would I melt it down?
What would be my most cost efficient way of selling these pieces? Leave
them whole with the karat markings on them and sort the pieces? To who?
Melt them down and sell the block, and if melting, what would a guy use in a
rough shop atmosphere with just an OA torch? Or would a kiln be cost
effective.
I've used Oxy-MAPP (really propylene, MAPP is
trademarked) to melt gold, and it works quite
well. I've been salvaging electronic scrap.
There is quite a business in this, but I have a
bunch of old electronic gear I've accumulated over
the years, some of it with a fairly thick gold
plating. The chemicals needed are pretty
dangerous though, for separating the gold from all
the base metals. However, the scrap is
essentially free, and the plating is 24 kt, if you
can get it off without dissolving much of the base
metal.

Jon