my problem with fuming is that now that i have taken a class and learned the mojo (thank you Sonoran Glass School in Tucson and Bronwin) is wearing the safety mask. i get that i don't want to coat my lungs in precious metal, but now that i am old......, when i wear the mask it moves my bifocals and i can't see where to put the tiny dots of clear to capture the fume. waaa waaa waaa, i will shut up now.

I have a couple questions about the gold and silver. So, this is kinda gross I know, but my hubbie lost a tooth a few years ago. He was headed for the trash can with it when I saw a sparkle. The tooth had a gold crown! I saved it from the trash can LOL! Gross, I know. But, my question is, can I harvest the gold from that tooth and use if for fuming? Any suggestions how to get the tooth off the gold?

For silver, I have lots of fine silver wire. Can I use that for fuming?

Thanks!

Most recomend 24K gold to fume and I understand that 24K is too soft for dental work. I think the softest they go is 18K. That said, I am all for experimentation. I would put the tooth in a box and hit it with a hammer. If you can crush the tootooth getting the gold would be easy. Not sure how unpleasant using a torch to melt off the gold would be. That would be my last choice. If the tooth catches fire it might be kind of smelly and teeth often survive when an entire body is burned up in a fire.

VERY nice. The first is my favorite.

-BEP

LOL! Ok thanks KA. I've since found some Youtube videos. Yes, basically, just put the tooth in a baggie, a couple whacks with a hammer and your done. I'll probably try to fume with it. It's from my hubbie so I know there's no weird diseases.

you may need to know about the karat, apparently 22K gold will give you a more orange look whereas 24K is a more pink gold. think it may have to be either 22k or 24K to work but am not sure

I've used both and can't tell the difference. It depends on what color is behind it. If it's a dark color, you get orange/yellow. If it's a light color, you get pink.

If its gold amalgam which is common in older fillings and crowns it has mercury in it. That would not be good to fume with. Vaporized its highly toxic. A one gram gold bar from a pawnshop will cost about $50 and last a very long time. Is it worth the risk?

Aye, I would be more inclined to sell the crown to the gold recovery folks and then buy bullion from Rio or someplace.

No worries about what else might be in the metal that way and the bullion comes in small bead shapes that fit better in the depressions in the boro rods I use for fuming.

As for the smells I hope that your ventilation is strong enough to not smell anything coming off the torch or the fuming metals. If you can smell something then you are breathing it.