# My first crystals



## mikeinkaty (Jan 23, 2013)

Got it going. Running 6 amps and 3 volts. I'm using a variac and can adjust the voltage until I get the optimum current. But, knowing the optimum current is difficult to calculate. My anode is a 4 ounce bar of dropped silver and the cathode is a 3" x 7" piece of stainless steel. I'll just have to play around with it till I find what works best.


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## mikeinkaty (Jan 24, 2013)

It took 5 hours to consume the 4 oz bar. The bottom of the vessel is now littered with crystals. The amps got up to about 6.5 and the voltage went down to 2.4 after about 1 hour. I used the variac to adjust the current back to 6 amps. Tomorrow I will get another cell going. By the way, I'm using about 1' of nichrome wire to connect to the anode. The resistance in the wire is 0.8 ohms per foot. I think that was helping to keep the voltage to the cell more constant. I had a 20 amp fuse in the variac but switched it out for a 10 amp fuse. Crystals almost grew to the bag on one occasion. I wound up using 140 grams of silver when making the 2 liter electrolyte solution.

Mike


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## nickvc (Jan 24, 2013)

Mike one of the best small cell set ups I have ever seen was posted by palladium, I'm useless with computers or links but I'm sure you will find it if you search, it was an excellent set up, cheap, neat and easy to operate.


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## tek4g63 (Jan 24, 2013)

Nick,
Is this the topic that you were recommending?

http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=11677&p=141635&hilit=stainless+steel+bowl#p141635

I hope so, because I really like this setup.


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## mikeinkaty (Jan 24, 2013)

nickvc said:


> Mike one of the best small cell set ups I have ever seen was posted by palladium, I'm useless with computers or links but I'm sure you will find it if you search, it was an excellent set up, cheap, neat and easy to operate.



Yeah, I had seen that cell. Walmart had a 1 gallon glass container for $7.00. This enables me to see all around the sides and down from the top. Part of the fun of this is watching the crystals grow.

To make the connection to the bar I drill a small hole in the top center and put in a long SS screw. The drill bit shavings are saved for the next electrolyte batch. The nichrome wire is attached to it then a muslin bag is tied around it and then suspended from a stick laying across the top of the container. The cathode was cut from a thin SS serving tray found at the Goodwill store that cost 99 cents. I found a good SS bowl there for $1 for drying the crystals.


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## mikeinkaty (Jan 24, 2013)

How many 4 oz bars can I expect to put through this first 2 Liter electrolyte solution? When it fizzles out do I just add more solution or make a new batch? If the latter, then how do I recover the silver out of the first batch? Drop it with copper?

Mike


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## nickvc (Jan 24, 2013)

tek4g63 said:


> Nick,
> Is this the topic that you were recommending?
> 
> http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=11677&p=141635&hilit=stainless+steel+bowl#p141635
> ...




Yes that's the one I had in mind excellent cell.


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## nickvc (Jan 24, 2013)

mikeinkaty said:


> How many 4 oz bars can I expect to put through this first 2 Liter electrolyte solution? When it fizzles out do I just add more solution or make a new batch? If the latter, then how do I recover the silver out of the first batch? Drop it with copper?
> 
> Mike



Mike how much you can put through your cell depends on the amount of contaminants in your silver feedstock, the colour of the crystal darkens as the base metals build up and then it's time to change it. The darker crystal makes a good material to make a new electrolyte and your old one can be cemented with copper and fed back through the cell.


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## mikeinkaty (Jan 24, 2013)

nickvc said:


> mikeinkaty said:
> 
> 
> > How many 4 oz bars can I expect to put through this first 2 Liter electrolyte solution? When it fizzles out do I just add more solution or make a new batch? If the latter, then how do I recover the silver out of the first batch? Drop it with copper?
> ...


Well, this is all bars created from copper dropped sterling silver after the nitric disolve. After 8 ozs through this cell the crystals are still bright and shiny. I expect my bars are in the 980-990 range. I'm not getting any trash or gunk in the muslin bag. Getting a few silver crystals in the bag and that is all. The solution is still blue and clear.

Mike


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## goldsilverpro (Jan 24, 2013)

mikeinkaty said:


> It took 5 hours to consume the 4 oz bar. The bottom of the vessel is now littered with crystals. The amps got up to about 6.5 and the voltage went down to 2.4 after about 1 hour. I used the variac to adjust the current back to 6 amps. Tomorrow I will get another cell going. By the way, I'm using about 1' of nichrome wire to connect to the anode. The resistance in the wire is 0.8 ohms per foot. I think that was helping to keep the voltage to the cell more constant. I had a 20 amp fuse in the variac but switched it out for a 10 amp fuse. Crystals almost grew to the bag on one occasion. I wound up using 140 grams of silver when making the 2 liter electrolyte solution.
> 
> Mike


Very Good.

6A @ 5 hours should dissolve about 6A x 5 hours x 4g/amp-hour = 120 grams = about 5 oz. Right on.

Nichrome is very resistive. I would try stainless or aluminum. If aluminum doesn't dissolve, it would be the best. If both dissolve (I doubt it), use anything, but keep the top part of the bar (and wire) out of the solution.


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## mikeinkaty (Jan 24, 2013)

goldsilverpro said:


> mikeinkaty said:
> 
> 
> > It took 5 hours to consume the 4 oz bar. The bottom of the vessel is now littered with crystals. The amps got up to about 6.5 and the voltage went down to 2.4 after about 1 hour. I used the variac to adjust the current back to 6 amps. Tomorrow I will get another cell going. By the way, I'm using about 1' of nichrome wire to connect to the anode. The resistance in the wire is 0.8 ohms per foot. I think that was helping to keep the voltage to the cell more constant. I had a 20 amp fuse in the variac but switched it out for a 10 amp fuse. Crystals almost grew to the bag on one occasion. I wound up using 140 grams of silver when making the 2 liter electrolyte solution.
> ...



I want the resistance. As the curent goes up the voltage drop across the nichrome increases and vice-versa. Same principle as putting a light bulb in the circuit.

I had the great idea of using my wife's old nylons as the catch bag. Tried a test piece in a beaker with a little nitric. Oops! there went that brilliant idea! The muslin bag works good. I need to get some thats not as thick though.

Mike


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## mikeinkaty (Jan 24, 2013)

Don't understand something -

My 1st bar weighed 126 grams. I recovered 107.6 in crystals and drilling out the hole for the connecion plus the little stub left behind after electrolysis weighed 8 grams. That leaves 10.4 grams that must have stayed in the solution. I noticed the recovery on the next two bars were also shy. I can undestand loosong 2% but not almost 10%. What do I not understand?? Is the solution slowly getting saturated with silver?

Mike


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