Materials - Gold

General

The precious metal of choice for jewellery makers is not widely used outside the profession. Gold has excellent electrical conductance properties meaning it can be used for low noise connections. The nature of the material makes it expensive. Very heavy.

Properties

Forming

Cutting
Very soft metal in its purest form. Needs to be cut with care and slow speeds.

Bending
Can easily be formed by gentle heating .

Casting
Casting is very common with gold. Often impurities are added such as silver, lead or copper, to change the characteristics of the material

Welding
Welding is not recommended.

Grinding/Filing
Can be filed or ground using general abrasives, however it softens as it gets hot and as such becomes trickier to grind. Keeps speeds down and, if necessary, provide a heat sink.

Joining
Gold may be soldered easily using normal soldering equipment. Try to keep joins as clean and pure as possible as any dirt will weaken the joint. Be careful not to overheat the joint as this can lead to deformation of the material.

Handling and Storage

Gold is exceptionally heavy and as such must be kept in relatively small quantities. The material must be kept away from extreme heat and stored flat to prevent warping. Being a soft metal, it is important to keep away from sharp edges or heavy weights which may leave marking. The material will also age and dull on its surface due to oxidisation.

Links

rswww.com	Supplier, look under Mechanics/Engineering Materials

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