Home >> Science & Nature >> Rocks & Minerals

How do I Cast Scrap Silver?

Ancient ancestors of modern Middle Eastern peoples living in the 4th century B.C. melted and cast silver to make vessels and weapons. Casting silver has always demanded careful preparation, thoughtful handling of materials and patience to accept flaws and deformities in the finished product. Aside from basic equipment such as a metal foundry, casting silver requires a delicate artist's touch. Though the process can often result in flawed or failed end products, the reward for successfully casting a silver object can far outweigh the occasional setback.

Things You'll Need

Metal foundry
Safety goggles
Metal working gloves
Crucible
4 boards, 2 inches by 1 foot by 1 foot 8 inches
1 piece of plywood, 1/2 inch by 2 feet by 2 feet
Hammer
Nails
Fine-grained sand, 16 cubic feet
Scrap silver
Wax
Knife
Straw

Instructions

Constructing the Sand Mold
- 1
  Nail each 2 foot long board to a 1 foot 8 inch long board to form an L shape.
- 2
  Nail one L shape to another L shape such that the final shape is in the form of a square box that measures 2 feet by 2 feet with no top or bottom. Do this with each L shape so you have 2 boxes.
- 3
  Nail the 2 foot by 2 foot piece of plywood to the bottom of one square box, making the bottom shell mold. The 2 foot by 2 foot square with no top or bottom will serve as the top shell mold.
- 4
  Carve a wax mold in the shape of the object you would like to cast in silver. The object should fit easily into the sand mold shell.
- 5
  Fill the bottom shell mostly full with fine-grained sand.
- 6
  Position the carved wax mold in the top of the sand and fill the remainder of the bottom shell with sand.
- 7
  Set the top shell on top of the bottom shell and fill the whole shell until the wax mold is barely covered with sand.
- 8
  Stick a straw through the sand so it attaches to the wax mold and points straight up. The straw should stick out above the rim of the top shell.
- 9
  Fill the rest of the top shell with sand and pack the sand thoroughly. Allow the two sand-filled shells to sit for at least twenty minutes.
- 10
  Remove the straw creating a spout from the top of the packed sand to the wax mold.
Melting and Casting the Silver
- 11
  In a metal melting foundry, heat your silver scraps to 1435 degrees Fahrenheit to begin the melting process.
- 12
  Increase the heat or your silver scraps to 1635 degrees Fahrenheit to finish the melting process. The time between start and finish of the melting process should be 10 to 15 minutes.
- 13
  Pour your molten silver into the spout of your sand and wax mold. The silver should travel through the spout and into the space occupied by the wax mold. It will melt the wax immediately and occupy the emptied space.
- 14
  Allow the silver to cool in the mold for at least 5 minutes.
- 15
  Break loose chunks of sand away from the cooled silver with a pair of metal-handling tongs.
- 16
  Submerge the cooled silver in cold water to finalize the cooling and setting process.

Rocks & Minerals