[Jewelry making - Article 00092] - [Orchid] Recasting old 18K...nasty alloy?

[M'lou Brubaker]

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    I took in two old, heavy plain 1/2 round wedding bands, said to come
    from the client's grandparents. They were marked 18K but had no
    hallmark. I tried to recast them without adding any new material. The
    melted alloy smoked a lot, which I have never seen before. (Yes, I
    was wearing a respirator and using positive active ventilation, I'm
    glad to say!) I heated it until it looked right to me, but the metal
    froze before it filled the mold (mold temperature  AT  900 degrees F.).
    When I examined the partial casting, and tried to bend part of it, a
    brittle crack opened up at one point. I do not want to heat this
    metal again, as I am afraid of what might be in it. I am thinking of
    offering to make the piece in new gold, taking their old gold as
    scrap to be refined. Of course, this will cost more, since I will
    have refining fees some day when I send in scrap to my refiner. The
    initial estimate I made to the customer did not include materials,
    just my labor and overhead. I feel bad about having melted down their
    heirloom rings and not producing the cross made of the same metal
    that they wanted to give their son. Questions: 1. What might make an
    old 18k alloy smoke when melted? I guess it is some metal burning
    off, but what? 2. What might cause the brittleness in the casting? 3.
    Do you take in old gold to recast? If so, what kind of guidelines do
    you use in deciding if it is appropriate for you to accept? These
    rings did not seem to have solder on them. 4. What should I tell the
    clients to make them feel better about this little disaster? I will
    tell them the truth, of course, but in how much detail? 5. Is there
    any reason I should not feel badly about this? I thought I could do
    it and that it would work ok, but now I'm feeling kind of
    incompetent and fearful about trying it again. What if there's
    cadmium in the alloy? Why risk my health just to attempt to please
    some client? 6. Is this why some jewelers don't take in old gold to
    recast? -- M'lou Brubaker, Jeweler 14015 W. County Road 578
    Goodland, MN 55742 phone/fax:(218) 492-4487 www.craftswomen.com
    mlou AT uslink.net  

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