# Pin Boards/Wire Wrap



## rainmaker (Sep 17, 2007)

I have just obtained several Wire Wrap/Pin Boards and would like suggestions on the best way to process them. I have tried to pull the pins, but they always break off. How do I get the sockets the pins are inserted into out of the board?

Rainmaker


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## macfixer01 (Sep 26, 2007)

rainmaker said:


> I have just obtained several Wire Wrap/Pin Boards and would like suggestions on the best way to process them. I have tried to pull the pins, but they always break off. How do I get the sockets the pins are inserted into out of the board?
> 
> Rainmaker





As I said in another thread here someplace....
For the wirewrap boards with press-fitted pins I have a decent method. Those holes all in a row weaken the board, and that's why those boards are generally made thick. I start the board breaking at each end of a row of pins using a pair of end cutters. I work it along and crack off that sliver of the board. Then most of the pins just drop out of the broken holes. As the board gets smaller each time and I lose leverage, I eventually clamp the other end of the board in a vice to hold it. 

macfixer01


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## NobleMetalsRecovery (Oct 28, 2007)

Once you have a few pounds of the pins what would be the best way to recover the gold. Also, does anyone have any info as to the yield range on this type of pin?


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## macfixer01 (Oct 29, 2007)

Noble Metals Recovery said:


> Once you have a few pounds of the pins what would be the best way to recover the gold. Also, does anyone have any info as to the yield range on this type of pin?





Well there is the "Crock Pot" method to consider. That is, just dissolving away the base metals in heated Hydrochloric Acid over several days. I think the best way to process pins seems to be using an electrolytic cell to de-plate the gold from the base metals. You'll see many references to using a cell here in the forum, and there are some good videos at the parent website: www.goldrecovery.us

macfixer01


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## NobleMetalsRecovery (Oct 29, 2007)

O.K.

Does anyone have any info on the yields on wire wrap pins?


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## lazersteve (Oct 29, 2007)

Steve,

My experience with many types of pins is that they yield between 0.25 to 4.0 grams per pound. The typical yield being 1 gram per pound. 

The large range of yields is due to the fact that their are so many types and grades of pins out there. It's hard to be specific to a particular type due to varing plating thicknesses and partial plating. 

The best batch of pins I personnally ever ran was nearly 3 pounds of pins that I plucked from a bag of headers. The bag was labeled 'Honeywell Gemini Project'. I assumed these were left overs from the early space program. The pins yielded about 11 grams of very nice gold.

Steve


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## NobleMetalsRecovery (Oct 29, 2007)

Steve,

Thanks for the info. That 11 grams was great.

I have a number of old, NASA wire wrap boards that I would like to process.

All my attempts in the past have been very poor.

Also, have you seen the old memory boards that have a grid work of wires for the actual memory. These are double boards that have two full length rows of gold plated connectors, pins and sockets, running down two edges of the boards to connect them together. 

Is the cell your preferred method for these types of items?

Steve


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## lazersteve (Oct 29, 2007)

Steve,

I've seen the memory you mentioned but I don't have any yield information on them.

Typically I have processed my bulk pins (>1 pound) with ferric chloride. It's messy but works fast and cleans the pins pretty throughly. It's has problems when it comes to partially plated pins and pins that are not plated over copper base metals.

AP will work but slowly. AP will absorb some of the gold usually. 

I have also used the cell, but the speed of the cell in it's current configuration leaves a lot to be desired. I hope to build a tumbler cell variation of the cell when I get some time. I think a tumber would drastically speed up the stripping of larger batches of small pins. The rectangular cell is great for large plated items, but is not the fastest way to get gold from small plated items. Even when using the copper mesh the pins don't fully deplate without repeated stirring and the mesh lets pins fall thru into the cell.

I have nearly a hundred pounds of assorted clean pins I want to process when time permits. I really need to work on the tumbler project...

Steve


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## NobleMetalsRecovery (Oct 29, 2007)

Steve,

I have used ferric chloride. I don't mind the mess.

Are you saying with fully plated pins on copper type base metals that it will strip the gold, and leave most of the copper intact?

Steve


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## lazersteve (Oct 29, 2007)

Steve,

Yes, depending on the coating thickness and base metal of the pins. The reason it doesn't fully dissolve the pins is because it saturates with copper and no longer will dissolve any more. If your pins are really heavily plated it doesn't pentrate them as quick. 

It will leave the gold foils intact so the 'haystack' of pins will need to be flushed several times with dilute HCl or water to get all your foils out.

Rinsing the foils requires several washes of diluted HCl to remove all the ferric and copper chloride residues. 

Of course the foils will need to be redissolved for refining when the washes are done.

Steve


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## vincent (Jan 4, 2008)

I have a question about pins. i have been using a heat gun to remove pins from the boards but they still have some solder on them will this affect how i should process them? Would it be better to cut the soldered ends off loosing a little gold each time or leave the them whole? I thought I remember reading in this forum getting solder into the mix causes problems. One more ? if you dont mind.... sometimes the black plastic used to support the pins for soldering melts onto the pin can these be processed in acid with the plastic? or will it make it a mess? I assume it could be filtered out but i have been seperating them regardless. what have you folks done? this site has helped me greatly i have been experimenting with all different computer components and having a good time. Thanks for all of your input.
Vince


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## 8619greg (May 30, 2014)

I have no idea where to start breaking down this tangled mess, boards too thick to break up, do I need to remove wires first and if so HOW?


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## joubjonn (May 30, 2014)

Find your self a couple dvd's or Netflix movies, sit on the couch with some pliers. That's probably the best way to get it done. What I usually do for a box of pins in connectors


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## Geo (May 30, 2014)

8619greg said:


> I have no idea where to start breaking down this tangled mess, boards too thick to break up, do I need to remove wires first and if so HOW?



I would suggest taking all components off and running the whole board, pins, wire and all, through AP. You will have loose foils and loose wires. The AP will dissolve the ends off the wires.


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## butcher (May 30, 2014)

Nice wire wrap board.
I would be tempted to hang that board on my wall as a work of art.

Some of these types of boards the pins are just pushed into place on the board,through holes in the board that hold the pins tightly in place, and the pins can be punched punched or pull out of the board fairly easily. with some electricians diagonal wire cutters or some other tool to pull the pins out of the board (using the cutter to grab the pins, and using the angle of the tool as a fulcrum to the pin loose like a wedge or seesaw, (harder for me to explain than it is to do).
With some types of wire wrap boards this could be done with most of the wire still attached to the pins cutting some of the wire as needed.

You could cut the wire and unwrap it from the pins if you choose to process wire and pins separately.
A knife can be used to easily cut the wire, using the knife sliding it under the wire down a row of pins, using the board as a wedge lifting the handle of the knife and cutting the wire between the row of pins, or using some other tool to cut the wires like a good pair of wire cutters...

There are many ways to tackle a circuit board, depending on the board and how it is made, just a few examples of other types of boards, like shearing off the pins with a scraper blade in a sawzaw with a scraper blade https://www.google.com/search?q=sawzall+with+scraper+blade&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=u6-IU8fnOoXsoATi-4K4CA&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAw&biw=1024&bih=607, a heat gun, or other method to melt solder, as components are pulled or knocked loose from the board...


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## glondor (May 30, 2014)

I have found, the best way for me is a 90 degree pair of needle nose pliers. ( 6 inch size is good) I sharpen the tip so it will slip UNDER the wire at the pin base, Kind of like a claw hammer claw slipping under the head of a nail to pull it out. 
With a gentle squeeze, ( not enough to grip the pin, just enough to stay under the wire coil) rock the pliers on their curve and the wire slides right up and off. You are still going to need a movie ! 

Sharpen the tip like this [\/]


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## glorycloud (May 30, 2014)

That is a beautiful wire wrap board that may be an easy sell to a collector on ebay. 8)


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## wrmahaff (May 30, 2014)

8619greg said:


> I have no idea where to start breaking down this tangled mess, boards too thick to break up, do I need to remove wires first and if so HOW?



I've always wondered how many pounds a board like that will yield in pins. I've got a few of them sitting in the warehouse. Also have 3-400 pounds of connectors that I could pop the pins on at some point I guess.


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## jason_recliner (Jun 1, 2014)

glorycloud said:


> That is a beautiful wire wrap board that may be an easy sell to a collector on ebay. 8)


I concur. There are people who will pay bucks for such a magnificent specimen.


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