Precious Metal Estimate Worksheet

[Labslip]

We don’t do any metal casting here in the lab anymore. We get our gold crowns milled and we’re pretty happy with them. I get calls from customers who are on the fence about whether to do a gold crown or a zirconia crown because of the metal cost. Sometimes they need to know the difference between a noble and a high noble gold crown.

In Exocad, using the measurement tool, I can find out the volume of a designed crown in cubic millimeters. I can then multiply that by the density of the alloy to come up with a metal volume that I can multiply by the cost of the alloy and end up with a very close estimate of the metal cost. But wait, there’s more.

Exocad gives me the crown volume in cubic millimeters. My milling center gives me the metal density in grams per cubic centimeter, but then they sell me the metal by pennyweight. There’s a lot of transposing going on.

I want a worksheet that I can punch my numbers into to get the desired result. I’m not a strong math guy and I’m struggling a bit. I’m also lazy enough to turn to you good folks to ask, Has anyone worked this out and would you be willing to share your worksheet?

 

[doug]

I uploaded this in 2014. Use your own numbers. John Collins gave this out years ago.

 

[sidesh0wb0b]

We don’t do any metal casting here in the lab anymore. We get our gold crowns milled and we’re pretty happy with them. I get calls from customers who are on the fence about whether to do a gold crown or a zirconia crown because of the metal cost. Sometimes they need to know the difference between a noble and a high noble gold crown.

In Exocad, using the measurement tool, I can find out the volume of a designed crown in cubic millimeters. I can then multiply that by the density of the alloy to come up with a metal volume that I can multiply by the cost of the alloy and end up with a very close estimate of the metal cost. But wait, there’s more.

Exocad gives me the crown volume in cubic millimeters. My milling center gives me the metal density in grams per cubic centimeter, but then they sell me the metal by pennyweight. There’s a lot of transposing going on.

I want a worksheet that I can punch my numbers into to get the desired result. I’m not a strong math guy and I’m struggling a bit. I’m also lazy enough to turn to you good folks to ask, Has anyone worked this out and would you be willing to share your worksheet?

we generally just give a weight range based upon average gold crowns in the past. since alloy prices change every time we purchase gold its hard to nail it down. though that calculator helps! while we aren't making as many gold crowns as a decade ago, we still do a fair amount. but we also hand cast as ive been doing that for 30yr and its faster and more cost effective since the equipment was long since paid for.

 

[Labslip]

I KNEW somebody would have done this already. Thanks for posting it and thanks to John Collins for putting it together. Now I'm guaranteed a merry Christmas!