# CHALLENGE : DESIGN A REFINERY. TEST YOUR I.Q.



## aflacglobal (Apr 27, 2007)




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## goldsilverpro (Apr 27, 2007)

I have been involved in the design and building of at least a dozen refineries in my 40 years in the business. Some were very small and, at least 2 were huge. Although I feel very capable of helping design your refinery without compensation, your request seems to cross the ethical line. I may be interpreting your post wrong (if I am, I apologize) but, that's the way I see it.

Welcome to the forum and good luck with your venture.


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## AuMINIMayhem (Apr 27, 2007)

goldsilver.. ahem, yeah I was on the same frequency (I'm thinking you're going "how long before it shows up as a how to book for sale on Ebay"?).. hate to be a skeptic, but this _IS_ the internet after-all. :lol: 

Perhaps a little too early, let some people figure out who you are, etc?.. just a thought.  

Cheers and welcome to the forums!

Derek


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## Harold_V (Apr 27, 2007)

Chuckle!

First off, Welcome aboard, Ralph. 

Well, to be perfectly honest, there are two guys here that have refined for a living. I'm one of them. I'm self taught, and ran a commercial refinery operation for more than ten years full time, and as a side business for almost as long. All in all, I have more than 20 years of standing at a fume hood. My experience with the platinum group metals is limited-----I've processed only platinum and palladium. I specialized in karat gold refining, and have very little experience with electronic scrap. I have adequate experience in processing silver, including running a parting cell. 

The other guy, GSP, has far more experience than I do-----and as has already been stated by him, he's set up several refineries. 

What's my point?

There isn't a doubt in my mind, having conversed with GSP on several occasions, that any refinery I set up that suited me would, in all likelihood, be unacceptable to GSP. It's not that my effort would be necessarily of bad design-----more so that each of us have evolved methods that we prefer-----and they don't necessarily agree with one another in many instances. 

From this you can conclude that if I was to design a refinery for you, you may very well hate what I designed. If you have any experience in the professional refining field, you should be the one to design your refinery. If you do not have any experience in the refining field, let me give you a bit of advice, and please take it in the spirit in which it's offered. Learn to walk before you try to run. If you start a commercial refinery and have no experience, by the time you've learned on the customer's dollar, you'll have created such a negative reputation that your chance of success will be zero!

It takes a lot of exposure to gain the confidence of customers. Don't do anything stupid to put a bad taste in their mouths. 

Harold

(Oh yeah------------ please lose the "ALL CAPS". We can all hear you. No need to shout)


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## Noxx (Apr 27, 2007)

I totaly agree


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## catfish (Apr 27, 2007)

Harold

Well said.


Catfish


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## goldsilverpro (Apr 27, 2007)

> There isn't a doubt in my mind, having conversed with GSP on several occasions, that any refinery I set up that suited me would, in all likelihood, be unacceptable to GSP. It's not that my effort would be necessarily of bad design-----more so that each of us have evolved methods that we prefer-----and they don't necessarily agree with one another in many instances.



No, No, No, Harold, you've read me all wrong. I guess I haven't expressed myself the way I meant to do. I honestly have infinite respect for your methods and the way you did things. I wish I could have been as focused as you. Your way was very successful and you can't argue with that. You basically had the ultimate Hoke refinery and, you can't argue with that. I'm a perennial curious student. I want to know it all about every aspect of precious metal scrap. You focused on several aspects of the business and mastered them. I can't tell you how much I have learned from you in one month. 

I love this forum


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