# Electrolytic Recovery Part 3. c.: Wash-n-Weigh



## lazersteve (Mar 4, 2007)

Hello Everyone,

I've prepared a short slide show to welcome Noxx back from the woods.
I titled this post Electrolytic Recovery Part 3: Wash-n-Weigh
It covers the steps I use to get the gold from the filter to the crucible.
Part 1: Setting Up the Cell and Part 2: Stripping Scrap (a short video) will soon follow.

I jumped to Part 3 because a lot of you guys are posting about having trouble with this step. Part 4: Melting the Gold is also on the drawing board as we speak. Without further ado here's the link to the slide show please enjoy:

http://img118.imageshack.us/slideshow/player.php?id=img118/1386/1173028808vyw.smil

The gold in the slideshow is from my rinse water after 1 month of accumulation. I 'm excited to see what I end up with in the main cell if the rinse has that much in it! I'll be posting that cell clean up process in the near future.

As usual I invite all suggestions, comments, and criticisms.

In closing, I would like to ask everyone who views this post to post a new topic of their own sharing something you have done with the forum.

I look forward to seeing your posts!

Have fun,

Steve


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## Noxx (Mar 4, 2007)

This is really good ! I don't know much things about electric cells so it's the time to learn for me 
Thanks !


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## TBox (Mar 4, 2007)

Great slide show, it shows good step by step and attention to details can't wait for the sequel. Do you save the extra filters and use them each time you finish a batch until they get saturated enough to weigh and melt them down?


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## lazersteve (Mar 4, 2007)

Welcome to the forum,

Thank you for the post.

I keep the left over filters until I accumulate several ziplocs stuffed full. I then burn then down into a small pile of ash. From that point I just do the standard smelting process on the resulting gold.

The filters are still slightly damp with a very small amount of residual acid when they get stored. This residual acid causes them to decay over time. When I get around to burning them they are all pretty much a big bag of moist mulch.

I look forward to seeing more of your posts.

Steve


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## gb10101 (Mar 5, 2007)

Steve,

Wow... Very intriguing to say the least. Having started with a rather general set of instructions, which by the way did not elaborate on the handling or preparation of the filters at all, what you have prepared in your slide presentation is very helpfull to say the least.

I had been just taking my filters, and attempting to dry them by placing them on plywood or masonite. What I found was that they would not dry, as they seemed to rehydrate as the relative humidity would increase. What I ended up doing was to add an additional step in the process to burn them and store the ashes in a separate container. Additionally,by attempting the air dry technique, it becomes somewhat impossible to separate the filters so i ended up with entirely too much paper.

I had not thought of the immediate separation, folding or hair dryer... Duh! I look forward to filtering my next batch now.

As I have stated and will continue... Thank You!

Gary


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## lazersteve (Mar 5, 2007)

Gary, 

Thank you for your active participation in the forum.

I'm glad the slideshow helped.

This is a good example of how something that seems straight forward to one member may be not have occured to others. This is why I encourage all of our members to post their own personal techniques, no matter how trivial, so that we may all benefit.

The filters won't dry because of the residual acid in them it is not volatile at room temperature and it spontaneously absorbs H2O from the air. That's another reason why the first slide is so important, to flush as much of this acid out of the gold, before processing, using a gentle H2O rinse until the filter turns white. If you go to heavy on the rinse you will push your product thru the filter holes. The acid is what turns the filters to mush. 

Steve


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## Anonymous (Mar 5, 2007)

Yes excellent slideshow, I can't wait to see the next one!

Keep up the great work!


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## lazersteve (Mar 5, 2007)

Chris,

I'm glad you enjoyed it.

I'm working a video tour of my Electrolytic Recovery bench tonight. It's been filmed I just need to do a little editing to it and I'll post it when it's ready.


Please share some of your work with the forum in a new topic post if you can.

See You Later,

Steve


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## socorban (Mar 5, 2007)

When are ya gonna do the smelting process? Im anxious to see your method, like your signature the proof is in the pudding. Anything to make life easier on smelting would be great.

I just went out today and bought a real torch set up, acetaline (doubt i spelled that right) and all.

The 2 tanks full, hose, regulators, smaller version torch head, adapters, goggles and cart ran me about 289$ I though it would be more, a benifit to living in the middle of no where i guess.

Anyway im gonna melt down the rest thats solid in my couple with this baby tonight, ill see if the greater heat will make the gold bead more easily. 


P.s. for steve, i commented in abother post reply about the mold that just arrived today, what do you use to melt the gold and pourinto the mold? I was debating a small smelter but am going to hold off, you seem full of good ideas so i'll wait to see what you have to input.


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## lazersteve (Mar 5, 2007)

Socorban,





If you are not familiar with the use of an Oxy/Act rig please check this link first:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxyacetylene

I have responded to your other post.

Be Careful,

Steve


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## socorban (Mar 5, 2007)

Oh im used to it alright, in my normal life outside Gold, I am a stae certified auto technician. My current job i am the shop co forman of tobias speed, which makes sprint cars and build race engines. Im more than at home with a torch. I just need to get used to using it to melt gold now.


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## Noxx (Mar 5, 2007)

Over here I can buy this torch with all the necessaries for 70$


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## PRECIOUS METALS (Mar 5, 2007)

my rig is sweet ,i use mapp gas its a cleaner gas
last forever,8 dollers in home depot


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## Noxx (Mar 5, 2007)

Yes Mapp last forever. I bought two bottles one year ago and I only used the half of my first bottle lol


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## PRECIOUS METALS (Mar 5, 2007)

home depot sells a set for 50 bucks with oxygen and torch ,the oxygen runs out in 10 min ,so i rig small up to the knees oxygen tank

works great


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## ThePierCer (Mar 10, 2007)

how do u get the gold off the cathode?? I think i missed a step here somewere?? Also, by weighing the cathode before you use it in the cell, then again when ur finished, will that give u an accurate estimate of how much gold you have?

p.s....... thank you soo much for all ur help!


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## ThePierCer (Mar 10, 2007)

how do u get the gold off the cathode?? I think i missed a step here somewere?? Also, by weighing the cathode before you use it in the cell, then again when ur finished, will that give u an accurate estimate of how much gold you have?

p.s....... thank you soo much for all ur help!


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## NaNO3 (Mar 10, 2007)

The gold drops to the bottom of the container.
The gold is washed off the cathode wen you are done for the day.


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