# Mil-Spec gold pins



## refinitman (Jul 25, 2011)

I have a fair amount of pins from Deutch and Bendix connectors. Can I tell the gold content by the colored rings? If so where do I find the key?


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## nickvc (Jul 26, 2011)

I think the only reply to that question in honesty is no, the only way to tell the content is either an assay or refining the material, be aware that assays are only as good as the samples taken and if the pins are different in any way shape, size or thickness the assays won't be accurate unless each type is assayed.
If you own the pins I'd be tempted to just refine them and all you need to know to do that is here on the forum.


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## Juan Manuel Arcos Frank (Jul 26, 2011)

Nickvc´s advice is excellent,those ring colour bands mean a number,for example,yellow,red,red mean "322" and so for.That number tells some measures,like diameter or length.

Gold plated film is variable,could be 0.000050 inches if those pins are for aviation connectors,or 0.000100 inches for military or space connectors,0.000030 and 0.0000010 inches for industrial connectors.Post a pic.

Manuel


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## refinitman (Jul 26, 2011)

They all come from Rolm Mil-Spec computers. These computers were used in Navy, Air Force, and Army programs for missile launch radar processors.. There were used to track and launch the Tomahawk Cruise and Trident Missile systems. The pins come from Bendix, Deutch, and ITT conectors. I'm being offered up to ~100lb for them from Abington Metals in Philadelphia. I'm not sure I want to mess with trying to refine them, although I do have access to many of the chemicals and chemistry apparatus needed to do it. I'm kind of on the fence about it not having done this before. I have been taking the mil-spec boards to them for scrap for a number of years now getting $6-7/lb for them.


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## Juan Manuel Arcos Frank (Jul 26, 2011)

Never buy any e scrap without making a previous assay.

e scrap dealers always say that their golden e scrap is the best of the world and most of the time the cost exceeds profits.

Manuel


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## refinitman (Jul 26, 2011)

Nothing was bought, these computers are end of life from my business. I took over the company Rolm in 1998 and have been supporting these computers ever since, but the party is over and have been scraping them.


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## goldsilverpro (Jul 26, 2011)

*What does the term Mil-Spec mean?*

I just searched for "mil-spec gold" on eBay and got 44 hits. This is one of my pet peeves so, please excuse my long rant. The term Mil-Spec, for gold plating, is often tossed around, erroneously, to indicate that the parts are of very high quality, as far as the gold thickness is concerned. That is absolutely not true. I'm not saying you're guilty of this, refinitman. I am curious, though, why you used the term and what you mean by it. 

It was put into place, originally by the Defense Dept., I believe, to standardize the plating call-out for particular parts as far as thickness, purity, and hardness of the gold plating is concerned (also, it includes such things as what metal and how much of it will be applied under the gold - say, .000050" of nickel). For example, if the designer, whether military or commercial, decides that only .000020" (20 microinches) of gold is required, he will call out the thickness as Class 00 (see below). Mil-spec call-outs are used industry wide, both for military and commercial parts. It's just a way to make sure the parts are plated the way the designer wants them to be plated - that's all it means, period. Although many military components are plated thicker, for higher reliability, the term mil-spec doesn't mean these parts were made for the military, and it certainly doesn't mean that the gold is extra thick.

*Mil-G-45204C Specifications*
Type I: 99.7% gold minimum (Grades A, B, or C). 
Type II: 99.0% gold minimum (Grades B, C, or D) 
Type III: 99.9% gold minimum (Grade A only). 

Grade A: 90 Knoop maximum. 
Grade B: 91-129 Knoop. 
Grade C: 130-200 Knoop. 
Grade D: 201 Knoop and over. 

Class 00: .00002" minimum thickness 
Class 0: .00003" minimum thickness 
Class 1: .00005" minimum thickness 
Class 2: .00010" minimum thickness 
Class 3: .00020" minimum thickness 
Class 4: .00030" minimum thickness 
Class 5: .00050" minimum thickness 
Class 6: .00150" minimum thickness

Actually, I believe that the Mil-G-45204C Specs are officially out of date, although they are still widely used in industry. I think the spec that is now officially used is ASTM B488 which, incidentally, starts its list at .000010" (10 microinches). Also, I believe that other thicknesses can be spelled out, other than those on the list, and it would still be considered mil-spec if the Type and Grade were spelled out as by the spec. For example, you could call out Type II, Grade C, .000005" (or .000025", or whatever) - still mil-spec.

*To summarize. The mil-specs concerning gold plating are simply an organized way for the manufacturer (or the military) to communicate to the plater, in a concise manner, the characteristics and thickness of gold they want applied to their parts - nothing more, nothing less.*

Besides gold, there are ASTM and Mil specs for all types of plating, anodizing, etc.

I have considered asking the eBay sellers that use the term mil-spec, in relationship to gold plating, to define what they mean by it. I'm sure I would get all sorts of weird evasive answers. Most would have no idea what it really means. Most probably use the term because it makes it sound military and would therefore likely to be of higher quality than commercial parts.

Chris


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## Palladium (Jul 26, 2011)

refinitman said:


> Nothing was bought, these computers are end of life from my business.





refinitman said:


> I'm being offered up to ~100lb for them from Abington Metals in Philadelphia.






refinitman said:


> They all come from Rolm Mil-Spec computers.





refinitman said:


> I took over the company Rolm in 1998.



Hugh :?:


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## Juan Manuel Arcos Frank (Jul 27, 2011)

refinitman:

If the scrap is yours then post a pic.At least,say the three colour band your connectors have.

Manuel


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## leeloo (Jan 9, 2015)

Where did he go?


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## JDT (Jan 24, 2016)

He probably figured out he could sell them for millions of $$$ to foolish eBay buyers. Its a shame that gold material of any kind is the one thing you can never get a deal on when shopping on eBay. I guess I should just be grateful that I can still buy my supplies there at a good price, sometimes anyway.


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