Hi everybody,
As a CPU collector I found this forum years ago during my never ending search for information. When I started reading I was hooked. As a CPU collector I had thrown away hundreds of boards and other items that had no value for me at that moment. Oh if I could go back in time I know what to do with the leftovers.
Now even the collection of CPU’s is not increasing at all for two reasons. First, the CPU’s I get are all the same and not even zo beautiful as the ceramic ones for example. Second, these days in Holland e-waste is overregulated that more and more devices are collected by certified recycling companies instead of give these devices to the collector. At my work even the mouse will be send to an certified company.
So instead of hunting for CPU’s I work hard to collect any device that has an board in it. I try to focus on PC’s and servers but even I take printers. I also see in the last few years the gold content declining. An Core2Duo board has one epoxy filled bonded BGA and the newer board even have only flip chip BGA chips on board. This will have negative impact on my new hobby.
I spend years of reading this board and now it is time to contribute. I found some interesting stuff that I will share in the correct chapters. The safety section has my special attention because at the time I was young I did a lot of chemistry experiments and worked already a lot with nitric acid and hydrochloric acid but was no too much aware of the dangers, so a big thanks for the contributors of the safety section. One experiment I remember was recovery the silver from developer that was waste from the darkroom at school.
I collect at this time one items for future recovery and refining. No chemistry now. I collect gold fingers, IC chips, BGA, Flatpacks, gold plated pins and connectors, leds, (plastic) transistors (3 legs), silver contacts and so on. I try were possible to separate the items in a way that I will process the in the future. I collect a lot of information about the way every item need to be processed and read Hooke from time to time.
Let me thank all the contributors over here for sharing their knowledge and their mistakes for people like me to learn and have a good start from the beginning.
Bob
As a CPU collector I found this forum years ago during my never ending search for information. When I started reading I was hooked. As a CPU collector I had thrown away hundreds of boards and other items that had no value for me at that moment. Oh if I could go back in time I know what to do with the leftovers.
Now even the collection of CPU’s is not increasing at all for two reasons. First, the CPU’s I get are all the same and not even zo beautiful as the ceramic ones for example. Second, these days in Holland e-waste is overregulated that more and more devices are collected by certified recycling companies instead of give these devices to the collector. At my work even the mouse will be send to an certified company.
So instead of hunting for CPU’s I work hard to collect any device that has an board in it. I try to focus on PC’s and servers but even I take printers. I also see in the last few years the gold content declining. An Core2Duo board has one epoxy filled bonded BGA and the newer board even have only flip chip BGA chips on board. This will have negative impact on my new hobby.
I spend years of reading this board and now it is time to contribute. I found some interesting stuff that I will share in the correct chapters. The safety section has my special attention because at the time I was young I did a lot of chemistry experiments and worked already a lot with nitric acid and hydrochloric acid but was no too much aware of the dangers, so a big thanks for the contributors of the safety section. One experiment I remember was recovery the silver from developer that was waste from the darkroom at school.
I collect at this time one items for future recovery and refining. No chemistry now. I collect gold fingers, IC chips, BGA, Flatpacks, gold plated pins and connectors, leds, (plastic) transistors (3 legs), silver contacts and so on. I try were possible to separate the items in a way that I will process the in the future. I collect a lot of information about the way every item need to be processed and read Hooke from time to time.
Let me thank all the contributors over here for sharing their knowledge and their mistakes for people like me to learn and have a good start from the beginning.
Bob