can anyone melt down some gold leaf?

[XIV]

My father inlaw has a small box of gold leaf 24c and wants to know if anyone can melt it down for him.
He is in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne.
He is not sure how much he has there as the paper weighs a bit and so does the box he has it in.
So can someone melt it down for him.
As he want to give it to me with the gold I have to make my partners wedding ring.
I can also get him to post it too. With a return envelop.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers Kane.

 

[Nugget]

Have you considered buying a kit off eBay and giving it a go yourself? I don't think they're very expensive and it could be a great learning experience.

Otherwise shoot Mike a PM as he might be able to help you out https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/profile.php?id=303

 

[XIV]

Thanks nugget
I haven't looked into it.
And yes would be something new to learn.
Just thought I would post the question on here first.
I'm 3000km away from the in-laws so was hopping someone close to him could help out.
We have a ring each already (just a symbol for our wedding day.)and am getting married in 9 weeks.
I want to get our bands made and have enough for hers already. Just not enough for mine yet.
A few more grams will be enough for mine.
Plus we have the opportunity to design our wedding rings with the gold I found. So it means a little more to me.

 

[Outback]

Gold leaf is just to thin to melt down , just try touching it to see what I mean .

 

[Barra_Mad]

Gold leaf is just to thin to melt down , just try touching it to see what I mean .

Not sure what you mean mate why cant it be melted is it not still just gold, I don't see why you cant melt it?

 

[Outback]

Because of the thickness of gold leaf it will turn to ashes , maybe there is a way to do it if you had a huge amount

 

[Barra_Mad]

Because of the thickness of gold leaf it will turn to ashes , maybe there is a way to do it if you had a huge amount

Ok well I would say that is not likely to happen as gold melts at 1064C and boils at 2807c so in if it where possible to destroy gold completely it would have to be heated to well over its boiling point! Melting gold leaf is no different to gold dust it will melt fine! Because its so thin you need a huge amount to make up a gram. So when melted it may look like it burnt off but just reduced drastically in size when condensed.

 

[XIV]

I belive 1msq of gold leaf is 1 gram. And one book of leaf is 1msq.
My father inlaw has 11 books. Which would be about 11g give or take.
If I was to melt it down. Paper attached
Would the paper burn out of it and the ash just disappear with the flux.

 

[XIV]

Gold leaf is just to thin to melt down , just try touching it to see what I mean .

Wouldn't it be the same as the guys that get the gold out of the computers.

 

[Sa_bogan]

My understanding is gold leaf is for decoration and as others said would just burn up. Seen the stuff on eBay and it says that it's not 'real gold' I would look the stuff up on the internet first to see what can he down with it. I melt and make silver ingots and can melt up to 4 ozs at a time with my setup

 

[Ben78]

it won't turn to ashes, because gold doesn't oxidise. You will need to compress the leaf first - by rolling it into a ball then melt it in a crucible.

 

[Ozjono]

Buy a cruisible of ebay $2.50 a tub of borax $4 from bilo and a map gas torch from bunnings around $50 heat the cruisible put some borax in there with the flame still on it use steel tongs to move the cruisible around with the borax in it. Then add more borax in to the cruisible and continue to heat the borax will look like clear honey this is when I add my gold, with yours being gold leaf you could possibly get a glass jar with a lid and put some borax in the jar and add the gold leaf a few leaf at a time and shake it up this will brake the leaf up once all done I would then add this to the heated cruisible slowly melt it down in two a few gram buttons.now I haven't melted gold leaf but this is how I would go about it.

 

[Guest]

Gold is gold chaps, you aint vaporising any of it, It melts at 1064c and boils at 2800c, Scrunch it up and pop it in a crucible. Would be devastating news to all the blokes who have viles of flour gold at home if it suddenly became useless. LOL

 

[G0lddigg@]

mate its been said already but gold is gold, a bit of borax a crucible and mappro gas from bunnings and you should be on your way, start slow and increase heat as you see the change in colour (cherry) im sure if you google "meld gold with map gas" you will find a video or two.

 

[XIV]

If I get my father inlaw to send it to me then I can do it when I get home
I was hopping someone close in Melbourne could do it for him as I'm in FNQ.
If anyone could help him out. That would be great.
I'm working in Mackay at the moment.
And I'm only home for a week or so.
Then back in Bowen for a few weeks.

 

[geof_junk]

If it is real gold leaf it is 24 ct and worth much more to an art supplier than it gold weight.

This was small nuggets and specimens melted with propane but found it hard doing lumps greater than a couple of ounces.

 

[Outback]

Gold leaf is just to thin to melt down , just try touching it to see what I mean .

Wouldn't it be the same as the guys that get the gold out of the computers.

There are 2 common types of gold leaf , transfer & loose , if you have transfer there is a problem when trying to melt the paper that adheres to the gold ! as I'd mention earlier tying to melt this form could result to ashes .

I have no knowledge of computer gold sorry .

Outback .