Jon, not giving up is an admirable trait. Just be aware that there are all sorts of toxic nasties in just about any electronic components. While they are relatively safe as they are packaged, as soon as you start
any process, you can release them into more dangerous forms.
Consider something as harmless as electrical contacts. They are totally safe as contacts. But many contain cadmium as part of the silver alloy and/or as part of the solder used to hold them on the bus bar. A process as simple as heating them to melt the solder and separate the contacts from the bus bars can release
deadly cadmium fumes.
Gold plated brass pins are also harmless. But once you start dissolving them with HCl or vinegar, you create solutions containing ionic copper, a very toxic substance. Copper acetate is a permeator, meaning if you get a drop on your skin, it starts to be absorbed into your body and it can carry other toxic substances with it. Copper chloride is poisonous to almost every form of life.
My point is that it's OK to experiment as long as you study every process you plan to try, understand all possible risks, and do everything you can to minimize them. Hoke's book recommends such experimentation in her getting acquainted exercises, but under controlled conditions. We have lost several good members over the years because of the toxic nature of what we do. We don't want to lose any more.
If you haven't done so already, take a read through the
Why Can't I Ask a Simple Question and get a Simple Answer? thread. They are real life experiences of some of our members, some with years of experience under their belts.
Keep gathering scrap. Keep studying. Keep experimenting, but it's best to learn from the mistakes of others rather than repeating them yourself.
Stay safe in everything you do,
Dave