Hand Poured / Crafted Silver

[Carpe Diem]

Thought it'd be interesting to get a look at some of the different types of hand poured / hand crafted silver out there besides your usual bars.

 

Maybe there's a niche in the market here in the UK for someone to do this, especially with the advent of 3D printers.  You could get a little 1 or 2 oz figurine of yourself or other personalised keepsakes?  Sure it's a small market but diversifying down that road could appeal to more than just offering bars.

 

Here are some oddities I stumbled across (Bison Bullion in the US seems to be doing a bit of this)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Fluttershy]

That skull is certainly done by lost wax casting, the others Could be done with simple graphite molds though and a bench grinder however

 

lost wax stuff needs quite a bit of outlay for the kit and a decent amount of workspace and a fume outlet/chimney, thats me out the game!

 

I am hoping to make a small furnace eventually though, so the graphite casting isn`t out the question really if someone`s up for doing the artwork/engraving in the graphite blocks, or perhaps has a milling machine? (I sold mine a while back as I couldn`t get my head around the s/ware).

[UKSILVERCOINS]

Actually was looking into this yesterday and found fine silver casting grain at £5 for 10g from a UK supplier. Anybody know any cheaper sources?

[Fluttershy]

not bad if they sell in those small quantities! it`s about what I pay for mine in bulk, here: http://www.thegoldbullion.co.uk/buy-silver-bullion/silver-grain/

[SilvergunSuperman]

I spotted these on ebay, I think they're really cool looking bars but couldn't bring myself to pay that for an ounce. Wouldn't do my cost average any good!  Maybe if they were around £22-24 I'd pick up a few.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PROSPECTORS-GOLD-GEMS-1-OZ-999-SILVER-HAND-POURED-LOAF-BAR-SKULL-CROSSBONES-/161589212632?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item259f77b5d8

 

[SilverPirate]

There must be a gap in the market for U.K. refiners to knock out some hand poured stuff.I got some sterling i would not mind being made into something as cool as them there pirate bars.

[SilvergunSuperman]

I think we all secretly see our stack as an overflowing treasure chest of pirate bullion.

 

I've looked into buying the bit and pieces required for casting my own bars. It would be an interesting hobby and scrap silver can be found pretty cheaply. One step at a time though, I've only been stacking a few months.

[morezone]

I spotted these on ebay, I think they're really cool looking bars but couldn't bring myself to pay that for an ounce. Wouldn't do my cost average any good!  Maybe if they were around £22-24 I'd pick up a few.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PROSPECTORS-GOLD-GEMS-1-OZ-999-SILVER-HAND-POURED-LOAF-BAR-SKULL-CROSSBONES-/161589212632?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item259f77b5d8

 

 

 

I've got some spare pieces from Atlantis Mint http://www.atlantismint.com/index.php/ if you're interested.

 

Selling for what they cost me inc 1st class signed-for for £60.  They're the Tiger, Dragon and Eagle Head.

 

I love the poured stuff.  You might want to check out http://www.yeagerspouredsilver.com/index.php He has quite a few nice pieces.  On 16oz (I think that's the weight limit before postage shoots up), you can get them landed for around £21/oz.

[lightjaw]

You could always use a microwave like these guys, they sell the kit on eBay too

First Melt using Microfoundry to cast a bronze ingot:

[StackemHigh]

Could you use the same method for silver? Or Gold?

[lightjaw]

Seems so, see here http://www.compucutters.co.uk/products/microFoundry/foundry02.html

[StackemHigh]

As a complete novice to this type of equipment I've watched a movie clip of the furnace in action making a bronze blob. What would be needed to make simple shapes pyramids rolos etc ie moulds or something?

[HawkHybrid]

didn't know it was legal to melt copper 1p's?

probably more cost efficient(and fun) to use

a blow torch?

 

HH

[StackemHigh]

A blowtorch wouldn't be as safe as a small furnace and I would have thought that there would be a problem with impurities with a blowtorch too.

A microwave oven according to the movie I watched it took only 8 minutes to achieve a very soft liquid bronze substance .

[Fluttershy]

a blowtorch (how I started out) works perfectly well albeit a little slow using Propane/air or Butane/air, there`s also no real issue with contamination, in fact if you can adjust the gas/air ratio to make it a reducing flame whilst the ingot cools, it`s infinitely preferable to electric heating and air cooling!

Silver absorbs loads of oxygen upon cooling that can lead to all sorts of unwanted effects (surface and otherwise).

 

I don`t like the idea of using a microwave to melt metals, it just doesn`t sit right with me for all sorts of reasons (I`ll not go into detail here).

I will however test this idea myself (when I get time) as I have the kit to do this experiment already and will be happy to post the results.

 

I use HHO to melt my silver into ingots/billets with a hexane bubbler to make a reducing flame, casting is ideally done in Graphite (I have this stuff) but compressed charcoal removes way less heat and so is preferable for me to use.

 

but Totally go graphite for an end product with no post production cleaning if you can!

 

I considered today using the 1v 500A transformer to heat the graphite casting block directly, but I`ll wait until summer months when I can set that up outside, just in case

 

 

If any of you fellas Really want to have a go at this, I`ll be happy to help out in anyway I can also.

[SilvergunSuperman]

I've got some spare pieces from Atlantis Mint http://www.atlantismint.com/index.php/ if you're interested.

 

Selling for what they cost me inc 1st class signed-for for £60.  They're the Tiger, Dragon and Eagle Head.

 

I love the poured stuff.  You might want to check out http://www.yeagerspouredsilver.com/index.php He has quite a few nice pieces.  On 16oz (I think that's the weight limit before postage shoots up), you can get them landed for around £21/oz.

 

Cheers morezone, some pretty cool looking stuff there. My monthly budget is spent for now but next time I'm looking at silver I'll give this some thought.

[Luker2]

Thought I'd compile a list the companies that I am familiar with- those that pour unique products or bars less than 100oz in size. Please feel free to add to this list. {I am always on the lookout/want for any producers in Canada; since several of the smaller producers don't ship outside of the U.S., and I don't believe there exists any in Canada}

NB: Several of these companies may also have eBay and/or Facebook Sites

ATLANTIS MINT: http://www.atlantismint.com/collections/all

BISON BULLION: http://www.bisonbullion.com/

ERICSONMINT: http://www.ericsonmint.com/

FIRST MAJESTIC Bullion (50 oz bars only) https://www.store.firstmajestic.com/product/list/category/14

GUILLER67: http://www.ebay.com/usr/guiller67?rmvSB=true

HAC PRECIOUS METALS: http://hacpreciousmetals.myshopify.com/collections/hac-specialty-silver-bars

K4 MINT (David Rodgers): https://www.youtube.com/user/kernel1949

MAGGIE'S BULLION (Australia): http://www.maggiesbullion.com/offLine.php

MK BARZ: http://mk-bars-and-bullion.myshopify.com/

MONARCH PRECIOUS METALS: http://www.monarchpreciousmetals.com/

MUTINY METALS: http://www.ebay.com/usr/little_antique_shop?_trksid=p2047675.l2559

PROSPECTOR's GOLD and GEMS: http://prospectorsgoldandgems.com/poured-silver-bars/

SCOTTSDALE MINT: https://www.scottsdalesilver.com/store/home.php?cat=249

SHINYBARS: https://www.shinybars.com/shinybars-poured-silver

SILVER BY KANNIBAL HECTOR: https://www.facebook.com/kannibalsilver

SILVERSTAN METALS:  http://silverstan.com/

SILVERTOWNE: http://www.silvertowne.com/c-446-poured-silver-bars.aspx

VULTURE PEAK MINES: http://www.vulturepeakmines.com/

YEAGERS POURED SILVER (YPS): http://www.yeagerspouredsilver.com/index.php


I happened across this link which is very useful as well (includes some photos of product):

17 Amazing Hand Poured Silver Bars & Ingots http://www.silvercoins.com/hand-poured-silver/

[Luker2]

SilverStan Metals (UK-based)...pricey but very very nice (and original) product...and micromintage!

 

Satosan Metals :

 

MK BARZ:

 

[lightjaw]

Don't think maggies bullion exists anymore as she sadly passed away.

[Murph]

What about that delft clay method that I've seen going around in recent times?  Along the lines of sand casting, which I have done before but you have to throw away a tiny amount of the clay that comes in contact with the metal each time.

That should easily be doable at home with a plane old butane torch.

[SilverPirate]

https://silvergoldbull.co.uk/silver-soldiers

[Euromir]

These snowflake bars Silver Slacker just posted are beautiful..

 

 

[lightjaw]

Seriously considering starting to make my own bars...would people be interested?

Looking at about  £21 per Oz Inc shipping in the uk. Just wondering if people wanted them so I can decide if it's practical or not.

[SilverPirate]

1 hour ago, lightjaw said:

Seriously considering starting to make my own bars...would people be interested?

Looking at about  £21 per Oz Inc shipping in the uk. Just wondering if people wanted them so I can decide if it's practical or not.

It depends what they look like really, I might be interested . I like SilverStan's 2oz Bar he has on his web site.  

Heavy pour lines are sexy also.

I like the look of MK BARZ they are different and the design of the stamps and the heavy hammer gives them character.

1oz bars are O.K. but the stamps are hard to see.2oz and above seem to look a lot better. 

Bars that have just the basic stamps are O.K. and are bullion at the end of the day.If they have some kind of quirkiness they are so much more appealing.

 

 

[SilverPirate]

How about these for pour lines, Love these, sexy as hell.

Edit: Just realized this is my 1000 post. Only seem's five minuets ago Danny brought me over from the Kitco forum when this was a fledgling site.