Does anyone know if gold would make a good tool for dabbing? Other than the price is there any reason not to use something made of gold to dab with? Would it burn/melt from contact with the nail, would it melt from contact with the torch to clean it, would the gold have discoloration(if that's even possible), etc. And would this change in any way if one were to use 18k gold for example instead of pure gold? I know there are some companies that make dabbling tools with a 24k gold plating, does anyone have experience with those?
Gold is malleable with just the warmth of your hand So dabbing in it would result in a expensive puddle. Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum
The melting point for gold is almost 2000 degrees Fahrenheit, not as much as titanium but I doubt a nail would be at that temperature when one goes to dab. For clarification I meant the dabber you use to put the wax on the nail, not the nail itself.
Pure gold would be prohibitively expensive, and too soft... A gold plating would more than likely crack, chip, or deteriorate with the constant exposure to heat cycling when you apply your dab to the nail... A very well made one might work, but then the cost would most likely be silly as well...
I use a brass tool all the time without issue, same thing as in my sig. It has a lower melting point than gold, so you shouldn't have any troubles. Real ballers dab on diamond nails with platinum tools though
lol that would be insane. I was actually referring to a thread here. A jeweler of sorts was considering making one, and I think actually did. I'm curious to find that thread now.
http://forum.grasscity.com/toking-tools-qa/1280109-platinum-diamond-nails.html?hl=diamond nail check it outtttt man
That's exactly the kind of thing I'm referring to actually lol I'm going to see if I can contact the guy who made that thread, thanks.
Obviously pure gold would be prohibitively expensive. A gold alloy like 14k would definitely be sturdy enough. One thing you might want to consider, simply get a titanium dabber and find a titanium nitriding service and see if you can get it coated. A titanium nitride coating is very gold looking and enhances the durability of the tool too.
Thank you for your suggestion but I don't want a gold look I want it to be real gold. Actually 18k gold would be perfect since you mentioned 14k, do you know if that would be sturdy enough?
Gold is a super soft metal with a low melting point. Do not use gold as a dab tool. You'll heat it enough to reform its shape super easily. You'll be risking inhaling vapors too. Metal vapors generally = really bad.
14k will be plenty strong enough to use. It has a strength comparable to brass and similarly high melting point. Unless you really abuse and torch it directly with a high power torch flame a 14k dabber will survive just fine. I would have worries about 18k, unless you can specify the right alloy composition for strength AND the jeweler can properly cast high strength gold alloys, it would be hit or miss. If you know a jeweler that works with platinum ask about a high strength high temperature gold/platinum alloy. Keep in mind platinum will decolor gold but you can have a pure noble metal dabber if you're just trying to ball or hell just get a pure platinum dabber.
People have been smoking off brass screens forever. Which, like I said earlier has a lower melting point than gold. Gold would be a totally viable dabbing tool. I would love to see one made, more power to the OP, getr done.
I use this little guy to dab my wax. keep it in my hoods draw string so it's always with me when I need to dab.
The gold would chip or melt depending on if it was dipped in gold or pure gold. But a gold dabber dipped in glass to protect the gold would be so sick.
Hi there! We found this thread while googling. It is an old thread, but here is what we have learned making gold and platinum cannabis accessories. I hope it is helpful. We have experience in making cannabis accessories, vaporizer surfaces, and pipe components in precious metals, specifically gold and platinum. We make 24k gold hybrid dabbing nails (our profile pic) and also 24K gold and platinum bucket inserts for the puffco peak and similar devices. We have also made custom vape surfaces and inserts in pure platinum for private clients. AVOID ALLOYS We do not use plated components or alloys in a dabbing surface, only the pure metal. By alloys we mean lower carat golds (10K, 14K, 18K). Our concern was that with repeated heat cycling (torch or electric), the metal might produce unwanted oxides from the alloy components (silver and copper are used in lower karat golds). These alloys are potentially toxic and impact taste. This is why you don't make dabbing nails out of silver, steel, brass or copper. AVOID PLATING With plating, an alloyed or pure gold is deposited on a metal surface in a process that puts a very thin coating (thinner than paint) of gold between your concentrate and the underlying metal. The purpose of plating is essentially to make a cheaper metal look expensive. Heat cycling, and the different expansion rates of the plating compared to the base metal will allow the base metal oxides to leak through cracks in the plating that will develop. Such a surface would stain easily and negatively impact health & taste. So this is why plated surfaces are bad for dabbing nails. My philosophy when I designed our 24K Emperor dabbing nail was that if someone is going to spend the money for gold, we might as well use the finest solid gold because it is the optimal for this purpose. These are not mass market products after all. The people who buy these products aren't really concerned about money, they just want the very best. Pure gold (24K, 9999 fine) Pure gold is the best metal to use for cannabis vaporizer surfaces and dabbing nails. It is completely non toxic and takes the torch gratefully, releasing heat gently and efficiently so your concentrate vaporizes perfectly. You can see what happens when you hit a 24K gold dabbing nail with a torch in this 10x slow motion video. Watch the heat flash across the entire nail quickly, faster than the eye can normally see. Titanium, glass, or ceramic would develop a hotspot first, and then slowly distribute the heat from that hotspot, which often results in localized burning or poor taste. I apologize, but this 7 second vid is hosted on twitter for now. It all happens in the first second or two: Common questions we get asked about gold cannabis accessories are: Doesn't a gold dabbing nail melt? No, because dabbing is done in the 200C range and fine gold melts at 1063C If you drop a 24K Emperor dabbing nail will it break? Bend? The nail is unbreakable. We designed it to take a 6 foot drop onto a wood floor without even dinging. Isn't gold a heavy metal? While gold weighs a lot, gold is not a toxic heavy metal. Pure un-alloyed gold is a precious metal and is non-toxic for cannabis accessories & medical use. Isn't it expensive? Yes, but it holds value and can gold can be resold anywhere, unlike used your used titanium, glass, or ceramic nails. How do you clean a 24K gold dabbing nail? You can use ISO and then a soft cloth like a microfiber glass cleaning cloth. Watch a gold dabbing nail in action here vaporizing a crystalline full spectrum extract (diamonds).. This is the skillet side of our 24K Emperor Dabbing Nail. A bowl is on the flipside of this nail. Thanks for reading, if you have any other questions about precious metals and cannabis accessories, drop me a message or even an email: info at tribe.ca, I'd be happy to answer them if I can. If I can't, perhaps a member of our team of cannabis goldsmiths can help. See what we do. Happy dabbing!
Do not use gold as a dab tool. You'll heat it enough to reform its shape super easily. You'll be risking inhaling vapors too.