Torch Song

By Daniel Ballard

Whether using a Torch or Electricity to melt your precious metal, you need to know the pros and cons of your melting method.

Gases used in melting precious metals run the gamut of flammable compounds. Many are derived from the hydrocarbon family of compounds. These gases need a boost of oxygen gas or compressed air, usually delivered via a torch, to get hot enough to melt gold. And remember: All flammable gases are dangerous if mishandled!

All torch melting depends on the experienced eye of the operator to regulate temperature and metal flow. You can use an immersion pyrometer to check the metal's temperature, but very few jewelers do. Without a pyrometer, you need to be a very good caster to get consistent results. A good caster can "tend" the melt various ways, including proper fluxing and adjusting of gas pressures, gas balance, and heat.

This is the craft of casting.

No matter what gas you use, the heat energy is coming from the reaction of elements. The ultimate goal with torch melting is complete burning, without getting the torch too hot (usually visible as a short, hard blue oxidizing flame) or too cool. Whenever the torch gets too hot or too cool, you create unwanted compounds such as copper oxide, or run into problems from the carbon in these hydrocarbon compounds.

Incomplete combustion also creates troublesome, even lethal byproduct compounds. Soot is one of these byproducts--Look at an acetylene flame before the oxygen is added and you'll see the shop filling with floating bits of carbon. Another important example, familiar to us from our homes: Natural gas appliances that do not have adequate air flow and venting can result in the tragedy of carbon monoxide poisoning.

In some areas, such as the cold Northeast, the content of the natural gas you receive can vary with the season or the availability to your city source. In addition, the supply pipes have their own problems, including rust, varied pressure, and condensed water in the line. You must also be certain to have excellent ventilation for safety.

Volumes of books exist about combustion physics. We'll spare you the science in favor of practicality.

Natural gas

Sometimes called "city gas," natural gas is a mixture of several hydrocarbon family compounds, primarily methane and ethane. This gas is a bit weak on heat, but there is a natural (forgive the pun) safety advantage-the gas comes from the city pipe as needed, so there is not a tank of explosive gas sitting in the room with you. You are, however, still stuck with that tank of oxygen. In some areas such as the very cold northeast, th content of the gas you recieve can vary with the season or the avaiability to your city source. This is the most commonly used gas in small to medium capacity shops. Natural gas is also the only gas commonly used in blow furnaces, which are found in many large silver casting houses. For large melting jobs, a forced-air blow furnace offers a great reducing atmosphere limiting the formation of oxides.

Hydrogen

This is by far the cleanest gas you can use. Hydrogen is a simple element, with no bound-up carbon at all. The byproducts of burning hydrogen are heat and water--hence the clean burn, a very practical advantage. Hydrogen is also the only gas recommended for melting platinum alloys. All the other flammable gases (compounds all not elements) provide hydrogen with another attached element, such as carbon.

Hydrogen is a high heat gas and very, very explosive. (High heat and explosive potential always come together.) Hydrogen is extremely light, so it rises away from you quickly. The gas molecule is so small it will flow through almost any opening in the ceiling or roof material, which usually allows it to disperse harmlessly. If hydrogen becomes trapped, however, it is extremely hazardous, so adequate ventilation is essential. You'll use far less oxygen to boost the heat with hydrogen than with other gases. Less oxygen is universally a plus whenmelting precious metals, since fewer oxides will form.

Propane

Propane is a hydrocarbon family compound commonly used in areas where natural gas is not available. This gas burns fairly cleanly but it needs plenty of oxygen to boost the heat. It tends to be a bit hard on the metal, since with higher oxygen use, oxidation becomes a proportionally greater problem. This gas is stored in a small pressurized tank in a liquid state. Regulators are simple and inexpensive, and refills are as close as the nearest gas station that sells propane to the RV and barbecue crowd. A safety caution: Propane is extremely heavy and explosive, so be sure to ventilate properly.

Butane. For our purposes here, butane is the same as propane, although refills are harder to find than propane. I run across this gas very rarely. Butane. For our purposes here, butane is the same as propane, although refills are harder to find than propane. I run across this gas very rarely. Butane. For our purposes here, butane is the same as propane, although refills are harder to find than propane. I run across this gas very rarely. Butane. For our purposes here, butane is the same as propane, although refills are harder to find than propane. I run across this gas very rarely. Butane. For our purposes here, butane is the same as propane, although refills are harder to find than propane. I run across this gas very rarely. Butane. For our purposes here, butane is the same as propane, although refills are harder to find than propane. I run across this gas very rarely.

Acetylene. This gas is the dirtiest gas I see being used in the jewelry industry. Acetylene is what they use at the local muffler shop to weld steel. Acetylene offers lots of heat--and lots of carbon soot as well, making it very hard on your gold. In addition, acetylene can react with copper and silver alloys, making it less than ideal for use in jewelry manufacturing. Acetylene tends to stay in pockets rather than dissipate, and as with all the flammable gases, acetylene can explode if it builds up. It is also shock sensitive, so cylinders must be handled with extreme care. Acetylene is one of the least expensive gases to refill, and the regulators for it are similar to hydrogen regulators in cost.

Making Electrons Work for You

Electricity is the energy source for both induction and resistance melters. Both types of machines are relatively safe, clean, and quiet, and like everything else that is technology based, they have been much improved in the last couple of years. Jewelers generally find fewer restrictions on electric melting than on gas melting from both land lords and fire departments. This is at least partly due to the fact that in electric melting, the heat is contained in a very small area.

In addition, the idea of having ranks of explosive, high pressure gas in thesame room with people worries some landlords and firefighters. (An explosive controversy?!)

If your shop shares space with a retail showroom, you also run into stricter f-ire safety rules imposed on public spaces. Any non retail shop in an industrial area will have an easier time using processes, such as torch melting, that can present a safety hazard. Public areas face tougher safety regulation, for very good reason.

All electric melters depend on a thermocouple to regulate the heat. The more accurate the thermocouple, the more consistent your results will be. Herein lies the source of many problems.

Most of the troubleshooting calls we get at PM. West have to do with temperature control.

One easy and fast way to check your thermocouple's performance is to melt some fine silver. This melting temperature is constant at 1,762F so you can calibrate accordingly. Alternatively you can call an electronics technician for a more "professional" (i.e., expensive) adjustment.

Electric melters also generally have a tough time isolating gold from oxygen in the air, which causes oxidation. A neutral "gas cap" like argon is the most common solution to this problem. A more aggressive method is using a reactive cover gas such as hydrogen, perhaps mixed with inert nitrogen. This mix is commonly known as "forming gas."

Resistance melting

Resistance melting is best known in the small, lower capacity machines, such as Kerr's Electro-Melt or Memco Electro-Vac casting machines, although some continuous casting machines also use resistance melting. All resistance melters use some kind of high temperature wire (like the wire in light bulbs) wound into a spiral outside the crucible. When electricity moves through, the wire offers resistance to the electricity and becomes hot enough that heat radiates through the crucible to heat the metal. Resistance melters are safe to use and very simple in construction, which makes maintenance easy. They're also relatively inexpensive, especially compared to induction systems, and safe to use. A complete casting machine is usually less than $10,000, and a small dedicated melter runs about $800. Crucibles can be delicate and a bit expensive, ranging from $35 to $60.

Induction melting

Induction melting is becoming much more common in our trade. This powerful technology used to be reserved for the large scale caster or melter, but not any longer. As platinum casting, stone in-place casting, and mass merchandising of light goods have become more common, they have encouraged more firms to up-grade to induction melting. The induction method uses radio frequency energy at medium frequencies (6 to 12 kilo-cycles) or high frequencies (300 to 500 kilo-cycles) to "induce" heat directly into a special part around the crucible, the crucible itself, or the metal. Different frequencies have different qualities and produce different results. For example, medium frequencies offer the major advantage of actually stirring the molten metal. The current trend is away from high frequencies, but both t)rpes have their adherents. Despite many phone calls to machine makers and visits to shops, I've never found a consensus on which type works best and why. Many shops that have a new induction melter make the mistake of overheating the metal at frrst. Because the induction method is so powerful and the timing is quirk)I, many folks "overcook" the melt, just as many of us have done to dinner with a new microwave oven. Keep in mind that timing is very important in induction casing. When the induction coil shuts down, the temperature of the gold falls quickly--much faster than most thermocouples can measure.

There is even a new ultra-high-tech type of pressure/vacuum caster that has variable frequencies. This variable setup solves the control problems associated with time delays inherent in thermocouples, as well as the myriad inconsistencies caused by the differences in one melt versus another.

Another variable to consider when using induction melting is the differing rate of heating between the crucible and the alloy. This is addressed by data access and artificial intelligence software, such as that found in the Neutec J-5 and the Romanoff / Yasui casting machines. With the advent of scene-in-place casting, many induction-melting casting machines are also showing up with pressure vacuum capabilities. Induction melting requires lots of juice. Often you need to install special high voltage circuits to feed this energy hungry animal. In addition, these melters need a supply of cool water to pump through the "induction coils" (really the antenna for the radio energy) so that they do not overheat.

The cost for induction melting systems can vary widely. The range is from about $5,000 for a dedicated melter without casting attachments to $70,000 for a pressure/vacuum casting system featuring induction melting and artificial intelligence software. In addition, with all this technology maintenance can he a big part of operating costs.

A less expensive level of induction melting costs roughly between $15,000 and $30,000. Memco, Inresa, Erschem, and other suppliers offer a wide variety of these machines. These induction melters are usually part of a complete casting machine. They can be bought as separate devices, bur problems with open-air oxidation reduce the advantages of separating melting from the casting machinery. The solution for oxidation problems is a neutral gas cap such as argon or nitrogen, or even a reactive gas like flaming hydrogen.

A disadvantage with the "all in one" casting machines is you cannot alter the speed of the pour during the cast, as you can with a torch and hand pour. 'The precise casting equipment setups are too varied in detail to discuss here, but all attempt to melt rapidly to protect your precious metals from oxidation, and they all automate as much as possible to ensure consistency. These machines can isolate you to a greater degree from your processes, which can he a good or bad thing, depending on your management philosophy The advantages of isolation include consistent results during repeated castings of similar type, some additional safety features, and fewer problems when personnel turn over. A perceived advantage is a lower pay scale in the casting room. The disadvantage is that when anything goes wrong or you change the casting process, whether it's changing to a different karat gold or moving to stone-in-place casting, there's no one there to teach the machine and the operator what the differences are. The machine can hardly teach the crew!

A common misconception is that if you buy a highly automated machine, the person who runs it does not need to be highly skilled. Some will disagree with me here, but I believe that the more skilled the person, the better the results month in and month out--regardless of the machinery's sophistication. There is no substitute for highly trained and experienced people-with all that implies, including a good salary.

Besides casting, the most common use of electricity is to melt metals for a bar or ingot. In this case, the metal is either extruded (continuous casting style) or poured into a steel or graphite mold. When choosing an induction unit, be very specific and tell the salespeople exactly what you will melt, and what kind of crucible you will use. The sales and technical folks can advise you about how much power you need and what frequency range is most suited to your needs. Flask sizes can be important for efficiency and crucible types are varied and have their own material and design criteria. The sales rep can help you sort through all these variables and find the machine that's right for you.

If you’re considering adding a new process like casting to your shop, be thorough in your research. When you understand the tools available as completely as you understand your shop's needs, you'll make the best choices.

This article ran in the October Issue 1997 of AJM Magazine

Dangling a Karat

For AJM Magazine- August 1999

Karating your own gold offers an alternative to stocking large

volumes of gold casting grain, saving you money.

By Daniel Ballard

Los Angeles is a rough and tumble market. Labor charges in finished 14k gold jewelry can be less than $1 per gram beyond the cost of the actual per-gram gold content. I once saw a list of prices "offered" to subcontractors for setting that was $.08 per stone. Yes, you readcorrectly: eight cents per diamond prong set. In our neighborhood, cost cutting is king. As a result, you can count on LA mounting houses touse every cost-saving trick they know.

One essential trick is to karat your own gold. Karating means changing the karat of existing gold to another karat. For example, when we add karating alloy to 24k to make 14k we call this "karating down." You can do your own karating up or down from whatever karat gold you have to whatever karat you need.

Whether you use a torch or an electric melter, karating will save you money and make for better results. One reason for the cost savings is stocking just 24k gold leaves you much more able to precisely match gold inventory to orders. I find it frustrating to have 14k white gold in stock, then receive an order for 18k yellow. If I stock 24k and the right karating alloys, I can make what I need as I need it.

An essential element to making this method work is to get 24k gold from your refiner and karating alloy from a specialist. Most refiners do notmake alloy, although some alloy makers refine. Look for a company that refines, makes karating alloy, and casts product to prove the mix. Speak to the alloy manufacturer, not the reseller. The manufacturer can guide you to the best karating alloys for your exact needs. In fact, alloy makers who also cast and roll out product for sale may be the best possible source of technical support.

Be sure you stock the appropriate karating alloys at all times. Alloy is inexpensive at a buck or three per ounce, especially when compared to most other supplies, particularly gold.  Another important facet is how you deal with your refiner. If you take your results back in cash, you pay the refining fee. Then when you spend the money later with your refiner/gold supplier, you’ll pay another fee. (No one sells gold without a profit margin!) The smart way might be to take your refining back as 24k gold, then karat strictly as needed, saving one full level of markup. Another advantage of in-house karating is that when you add gold or

alloy to your old tree, you "rejuvenate" your old gold for re-casting. Ideally, of course, we’d never need to re-cast old gold. As someone said to me, when you add new gold to old, "you’re contaminating the new gold, not rejuvenating the old!" That person is obviously better funded than most. In an ideal world, we’d use only new metal, never squabble with family, and already have won the big lotto prize! The reality is that most shops must re-use their old gold to remain competitive. However, as you have seen if you cast, you must add new metal to the mix each cast or the quality really suffers. Here we have a delicate balancing act. Too much new gold and your profit suffers. Too little new gold and the quality suffers, raising recast and repair costs beyond profitability. The prevailing opinion is that 40 percent old gold is an acceptable ratio, although I have seen good (not great) results with far higher old metal ratios. Those of you who have cast gold to death know who you are!

In essence, by making and adjusting your karat gold as needed, you reduce refining costs, you work with newer metal, and you purchase less gold over the long haul.

A How-To Karating Guide

By now, I hope I’ve convinced you why a small shop might consider doing its own karating. So, you ask, how do you do it?

First the basics: Be sure to use only gold marked 99.9 percent or 99.99 percent pure for initial karating purposes. Remember, not all gold is created equal for karating purposes! A common misunderstanding: Krugerrand coins are not 24k. They contain 1 troy ounce pure gold, but have copper added for strength and durability. (That’s why they weigh more than a troy ounce!) Careful examination of a Krugerrand coin will note the lack of the imprint "999."

When you add new gold to old, be certain of the karat of the old gold.  (The really smart and careful among you will assay used gold.) If it is too high, or worse, too low, you’ll get an unknown karat out of the final mix. Garbage in means garbage out!

To convert any karat to its decimal equivalent, divide the karat by 24.

For example, 14 divided by 24 = 0.58333. To express as a percentage instead of a decimal, move the decimal point two places to the right:

0.58333 equals 58.333 percent, which is the U.S. standard for 14k gold.

Once you have the decimals, the math goes easier.  To increase the karat of the gold, find the raising factor at the intersection of the "karat wanted" and "karat on hand" in Table 2 at the bottom of this article..

Multiply this factor by the weight of the karat gold you’re starting with. This will give you the weight of 24k gold you must add to reach the correct karat.

To reduce the karat, find the reducing factor at the intersection of "karat wanted" and "karat on hand" in Table 3 below. Multiply this factor by the weight of the karat gold you’re starting with. This will give you the weight of the karating alloy you must add to reach the correct lower karat.

For example, let’s presume you have 100 dwt of 14k gold that you want to karat down to 10k. Looking at Table 2, you see the reducing factor for 14k to 10k is 0.40. Multiplying 100 dwt by 0.40 gives you 40 dwt of karating alloy to add to your gold.

100dwt 14k + 40 dwt karating alloy = total weight 140 dwt.

If you multiply 140 dwt by .416 (the amount of gold by weight for 10k, given in Table 1 below), you get 58.33 dwt of 24k gold. Notice that this exactly matches the original gold content in the 100 dwt of 14k.

Do this math on a calculator and verify several times before beginning your melt! Mistakes can be expensive.

Like anything else in our trade, there are different methods to calculate karating metal weights. There are also karating charts available in most jewelers reference books.

Ready to Begin

To prepare grain, or shot, you’ll need the following equipment in addition to your regular casting tools and machinery:

* Extra crucibles to handle the different karats and colors of gold.

* A water barrel to pour the molten gold into. We use a 30 to 55 gallon barrel, since this provides adequate water depth to solidify the molten shot before it hits the bottom of the steel bucket.

* A stainless steel bucket or container to catch all the poured shot inside the water barrel, for easy retrieval.

* A long piece of wire bent into a hook shape to retrieve the steel grain bucket.

At our company, PMWest, we use the following procedure:

Use a hydrogen/oxygen mix with a "rosebud" tipped casting torch and set the pressure on the tank regulators at about 50 lb. psi on both gases. Put the karating alloy and gold grain in a good, clean crucible. That crucible should be reserved for working only that particular karat and color of gold. Too often, if we mix crucibles, we find small beads of metal in the crucible after we cast. A small bead of white gold can cause problems when it gets into yellow gold, and we really don’t want lower karat beads mixed into an 18k cast.

Put the stainless steel bucket in the barrel to catch the gold grain. The bucket should be suspended 12 inches to 18 inches below the water level, as measured from the bottom of the bucket. Watch exactly where the bucket settles. You may not be able to see it while you are pouring your shot, and if you don’t know exactly where the bucket is, you will spill karated gold around the bucket and onto the bottom of the water barrel. You’ll have to retrieve the gold by reaching in — and reaching down to the bottom of a 55 gallon barrel of cold water on a cold morning is no fun at all!

Light your torch, adding minimal oxygen by adjusting the valve on the torch. Bring the temperature up slowly, gradually increasing oxygen pressure so you do not blow any metal out of the crucible. Add minimal flux as needed to ensure a clean melt — just a small pinch! If you add too much flux, some will wind up in your castings, appearing as large, black, sometimes glassy voids.

Keep the flame on the gold at all times to keep oxygen from reaching your gold and causing oxidation. The gold should be a bit hotter than when you cast: karating temperature is normally 100°F above casting temperature.

Stir vigorously with a quartz rod in both directions at least 15 times each way, clockwise and counterclockwise. Be aggressive in stirring the molten metal. Do not use graphite rods! Graphite rods have a way of breaking down slowly, leaving little fragments behind that will cause no end of trouble.

Take the torch and crucible together to the barrel of water. Again, be careful not to allow air to oxidize the gold in the crucible by keeping the torch hovering directly above the crucible. Pour the molten metal slowly through the flame into the water directly over the steel bucket.

Shut down the torch, reach into the barrel, and retrieve your bucket of gold shot.  Drain off the excess water, taking care not to spill the grain out as well. If the shot is large, re-melt and pour again more slowly. The grain will, of course, be soaking wet. For our safety, we use a hot plate and Pyrex (heat safe) jar to gently heat the shot and dry all the water out before re-melting for casting. You avoid "poppers" — a.k.a. "caster killers" — this way. Use whatever you have to gently dry the shot — blow dryer, oven, whatever. For drying shot, set the oven at 200°F to 250°F and place the gold in a heat safe container. However you dry your gold, be sure to use gloves or allow the container and the shot to cool before you handle them.

This process is essentially the same if you’re using an electric method of melting, such as resistance or induction. Remember to raise the metal temperature to 100°F above the casting temperature for karating. (Karating temperatures are higher than casting temperatures to ensure a good mixing of the alloying metals.) Then pour into a water barrel as described for the torch method. Many of the commercial casting machines come with graining barrel accessories that eliminate the need for a water barrel. Check with your machine maker to see what’s available for your machine.

Karating Caveats

Karating and alloying gold is really much easier than casting. There are fewer variables, and once you are clear on the math, you can have confidence in your results. Karating will also help you gain a better understanding of how different karated golds behave.

To be successful with karating, keep these few caveats in mind:

• I don’t want to be repetitious, but I do want you to be! Always triple check your math and weights before putting metals together.

• When in any doubt, get an assay. Assays cost $15 to $25 — very inexpensive compared to the cost of shipping out gold in the wrong karat. Overnight delivery services will get your sample to a qualified assay source in 24 hours, and you can ask the assayer to fax you the result for rapid peace of mind.

• Always take care to minimize the molten gold’s exposure to air. This helps prevent oxidation.

• Keep careful track of your scrap and buttons. Use whatever means work well for you to mark them with their karat and color.

• Be sure to use a clean crucible when you karat. Keep a stock of new crucibles on hand, and replace your crucibles regularly.

• For safety’s sake, always dry your grain before applying the torch! As an additional precaution, begin the melt slowly to prevent grain from "popping" out of the crucible and onto your skin. If you’ve ever burned your hand frying food, you can imagine how much worse molten gold burns!

Always use appropriate safety gear.

Once you’ve mastered karating, you will have the basic skills in place to modify your gold with pure base metals or special karating alloys. For an experienced caster, the confidence this experience provides pays off in the long term. For example, with due care you can even push the color in a desired direction: If you want to make a very small batch of 14k green or rose gold, for instance, you can add the right element (silver or copper) with 24k, and still make use of buttons from previous castings. Complimentary skills make for higher quality at lower cost.

Now there is an ideal we can all agree with!

Definitions

The following are definitions of terms used in this article: some are also generally used within the refining community.

Karating: The deliberate changing of gold content within a metal from one percentage of gold content to another percentage. Another common but less specific term is "alloying." Alloying can be the mixing of almost any metals or trace ingredients.

Graining: Pouring molten metal into a water barrel to achieve a granular form. This differs from pouring metal into a mold to create bars for rolling or into a flask for casting.

Grain: The result of graining, this is the form the metal takes after it has been poured into water. Also called "shot." Karating alloy: A metal with no gold content that is formulated for mixing with gold or gold-containing metal. It is usually a combination of at least two elements, such as copper and silver. Some folks also use "alloy" to refer to gold-containing metals, but I have avoided that use in this article to keep confusion to a minimum. Also called premix, compo, or master alloy.

Rosebud torch: A gas-fueled torch with multiple holes in the tip to spread the heat energy over a melt.

Induction melter: An electric device that uses high or medium frequency radio waves to generate enough heat in the crucible to melt and combine karating alloys and gold.

Resistance melter: An electric device that melts metals with a coiled wire heated to a high temperature by electricity flowing through the wire.

Casting shot: Sometimes simply referred to as "shot." Another term for grain.

**For more on melting gold, see "Torch Song," in this section or get the back issue of AJM October, 1997.

Table 1

Karat	Gold % by weight	Alloy % by weight
10k	.4166	.5834
14k	.5833	.4167
18k	.75	.25

Karat Raising  factors- Table 2

To raise karat: Find raising factor at intersection of "Karat on Hand" and "Karat Wanted".

Multiply the weight of your karat gold on hand by the raising factor.

This will give you the weight of 24kt you must add to reach the correct higher  karat.

  Karat Reducing factors- Table 3

To reduce karat: Find reducing factor at intersection of Karat on Hand & "Karat Wanted".

Multiply the weight of your Karat gold on hand by the reducing factor.

This gives you the weight of alloy you must add to reach the correct lower karat.

Jewelers and armed security..

An opinion article written by Daniel Ballard for the Jewelry trade and the self defense advocacy folks. NRA/ILA, CRPA and the San Fernando Valley NRA Members Council.

Those of us in the Jewelry business find we are a microcosm or the political world. We have our gun control advocates (The Jewelers Security Alliance policy is no Jeweler should keep a gun in the store for defense). We also have our defense rights advocates like yours truly. If we set familiar, almost cliché arguments aside for a moment, we see the practical "where do we go from here" sort of thoughts. I've boiled the process down to some of the key issues / questions. These come in a set of 4 levels. Planning, Implementation, Use & Aftermath. No matter what security systems you have, you go through the first two levels. If you have a criminal incident, you go through the last two.

I. Planning- Consider store & home layouts & travel routes. Examine Insurance implications for each facet of your security. As a plus, insurance requires safes, alarms, etc. Consider this, if the night alarm system is very good. then the determined criminal might try a smash & grab or shoplifting type of thing. If the showcases are hardened material, & the staff well trained, the next option for the bad guy is a armed attack of some sort. I'm not saying to stop using burglar alarms.' I just want you to understand that the directions the bad guys take & why. Consider this when deciding about armed security guards or keeping a gun for defense. Most areas prohibit the use of deadly force to protect property on to protect life can lethal force be used. Of course, the guard or the gun increases your liability due to the risk of a accident or error. You, the owners are responsible for the actions of any one you have on the job..

Implementation.-- You spend money. You install the equipment Alarms, safe, special showcases & perhaps special equipment like cameras. You contract with a security guard service. Your staff must be trained to use the locks, alarm systems, & anti fraud/shoplift procedures. They must practice these skills or they fade away. Then you hire the guards (if any) & train them in your needs. If you have a gun! plan on extensive training & regular practice. (unless you already have been shooting a very long time) Ask any sport shooter bow long it took him/her to get good at shooting.

3. Use- This depends on the situation. Every day the staff disarms the alarm, opens the safe, puts out the goods & at the end of the day reverses the process. Changing video tapes, logging in & coordinating with the guard are all easy routine tasks. When an incident occurs, using the resources properly is a necessity. The guard is no good if he is away for lunch. Do not settle into patterns with security measures. Let the bad guy get the surprises, if any. If the bad guy is not satisfied with a theft, and starts shooting or beating people, then your armed guard , or the police must be very good & very timely. (What is the police response time in your area:') If you keep a gun, this will be the time to use it. Remember, only in defense of life or limb!

Is the gun accessible fast enough? Are you a good enough shot to hit only the bad guy? While you face the ultimate pressure of a lethal threat? When we look at target scores in practice, then at a contest, scores plummet. Why? Competitive pressure of course! This is still no pressure at all when compared to a real shooting.

4. Aftermath- No matter what crime occurs in your home or store law enforcement is going to be involved. If any but the smallest items are stolen, you’ll be talking to a claims rep from your insurer. If the incident is violent, then people will need paramedics at least, a coroner at worst. If you or your guard uses any but the smallest amount of force, you will need legal representation. Combat trainers teach that your body reacts many ways to violence including memory problems & physical shock symptoms. They insist that you need an attorney during the investigation that the police will start and finish. There are many documented cases of people not correctly stating the description of a criminal, or even the number of shots fired at him !

One guy I know fired 14 shots at an armed, shooting criminal and told the officers that he had fired only "a few shots, maybe as many as five or six. He made a terrible tactical error. He ran out of ammo & did not realize it. Then the police counted his 14 empty brass casings around the cash register. This guy never hit the crook. All the shots missed. Imagine the police officers thoughts after being told of a few shots & finding the 14 spent brass casings. No one was hurt in this shooting.

Lets review: Your insurance requires steps that escalate the bad guy's confrontation with you. You spend the resources, & implement them accordingly.

Hopefully, you’ll never need them. Someday a crime may take place in your home or store. Will you be ready to do the right thing? I advocate that our right to self defense not ever be infringed by laws or "one size fits all" policies. These are promulgated by organizations that don't face the reality of day in day out business. But, this calls for a huge responsibility to fall on the defender. Take the time, study all your options. then when you decide what all to do, act with intelligent.. practiced ease. Every one (staff customers, family) depends on you acting correctly.