# cell question



## rsbubba3 (Aug 9, 2010)

hello everyone.. i have a question regarding the liquid lightning solution in my cell i have deplated about 310 grams of gold plated neckleses i have let the cell settle for24 hours as per steves video. the thing is i have no powder or settlement on the bottom of my cell. the liquid lightning is verry dark i can see alot of gold flakes floating all thru the solution but it will not settle any help please thank you bob


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## lazersteve (Aug 9, 2010)

Get a separate container and carefully pour the acid out of the dish.

You'll see the powder if any is there as the last of the acid is poured off. You will see a dark black sediment in the corner of the dish as the last of the acid is poured out. Be sure you don't pour any of the gold off with the acid, stop pouring when it gets close.

If you don't see any sediment then you will need to try the fiberglass filter set up that Irons mentioned in a recent post. 

Don't expect a lot of gold from the 300 or so grams of plated scrap. I would run at least 5 or 10 pounds of plated scrap before I cleaned out the cell if I were you. It takes the same amount of work to process the tiny button as it does for the large button, just more up front time in the stripping phase.

Steve


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## joem (Aug 9, 2010)

Hi steve
just curious what would be your gold return on 5 or 10 lbs?
I know there is no direct answer but just based on your experience


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## lazersteve (Aug 9, 2010)

Typically less than a gram per pound of average plated jewelry. Of course, there are exceptions to this. 

Steve


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## rsbubba3 (Aug 9, 2010)

lazersteve said:


> Get a separate container and carefully pour the acid out of the dish.
> 
> You'll see the powder if any is there as the last of the acid is poured off. You will see a dark black sediment in the corner of the dish as the last of the acid is poured out. Be sure you don't pour any of the gold off with the acid, stop pouring when it gets close.
> 
> ...


thank you steve for the reply..this is my first try with cell.i would hate to ruin 10 lbs are you thinking i wouldnt get any gold out of my 300 grams i was hopeing to just try a small lot to start with


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## joem (Aug 9, 2010)

lazersteve said:


> Typically less than a gram per pound of average plated jewelry. Of course, there are exceptions to this.
> 
> Steve



Here in Ottawa there are a lot of gold buyers and competion is fierce. A small timer like me finds it hard to compete BUUUUUT there seems to be no buyers of plated or gold coloured scrap jewelry.
So $2.00 per pound of plated and $1 per pound of scrap could make me money once all is avaraged out.
Thoughts?


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## dtectr (Aug 9, 2010)

joem said:


> lazersteve said:
> 
> 
> > Typically less than a gram per pound of average plated jewelry. Of course, there are exceptions to this.
> ...


 For me, joem, after buying muriatic, sulfuric, bonide stump out, & peroxide ( i made my own cathode from fishing weights i'd collected 5+ yrs ago metal detecting, i stole my wife's pyrex loaf pan, & my neighbor works at a sheet metal shop - got me 2 stainless strips, 2 stainless welding rods & 2' of SS wire for free, i didn't ask) if i have to pay for scrap, i break even. break even doesn't even buy my AM coffee. 

But if you have another income, & your time has little or no value (not being smart-ass, but after 10 yrs self-employment, i have to figure what my time is worth. if i average $20/hr when working, but a task takes me 45 min, does it cost more than $15?)

currently my time is worth $0/hr. so i can spend more time (its free) but PAYING for scrap, for me, now, is a definite NO! that cuts into profit. only you know what your time is worth, & only you can decide what your return needs to be. 

hope this helps

jordan


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## jimdoc (Aug 9, 2010)

I have only bought scrap long ago,at an auction.I bid about 50 cents
per tower and got a lot for that bid.I have since only picked up items
for free,and a lot of stuff delivered to me.Considering the time involved and chemical cost buying material to process wouldn't cut it.

There does seem to be a lot more competition now,and people have heard that there is gold in their old computers on the news,and now don't want to give them up for free.Still I think you have to consider all scrap purchases carefully so you don't lose.Sometimes collecting the stuff for free you end up losing with your time and expenses.

I collect enough to make it a decent hobby.If I was in this as a business,I would have to pick it up a notch and get a lot more
material coming in to cover the overhead.

Jim


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## joem (Aug 9, 2010)

I don't pay for computer scrap, I only offer to pick up for free.
I do work as a teacher so I work full time from Sept to End of may and have the summers off and since it's unionized I'm paid all year so my summer time is already paid. I was only thinking about scrap jewelry. My buyer turns away any plated or filled so I thought there might be an opportunity to profit from this.
My thoughts: Steve says : recover maybe a gram per pound.
if this gold is a conservative 18k and my buyer pays $21 a gram (70% let's not get started on price ok?)
then if I pay 2$ a pound. then there is a profit. 
Now not taken into consideration is supplies but I have already bought or got for free my set up so my first few runs will be a loss but profits after that.

Your thoughts?


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## jimdoc (Aug 9, 2010)

I guess you should step in lightly.Buy enough that you can process a batch for yourself and get your own numbers of your results.That way if you over pay this time,you can adjust before you lose too much.
It will be a learning experience.I am saying don't jump in and buy lbs and lbs of the stuff before you know what your results will be.If it is a jeweler you know maybe offer a deal to process the stuff for a percentage.
Everything is not plated equally,so averages are just that.You may get
lbs of very thin or worn plating that will not come anywhere near the averages.

Jim


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## joem (Aug 9, 2010)

Jim
Your thoughts are true.
If you dive into a river you could break your neck, if you walk into a river you could step on a treasure.
I like testing anyway, it keeps my mind sharp


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## jimdoc (Aug 9, 2010)

joem said:


> I like testing anyway, it keeps my mind sharp



Everybody should love testing.Its the only way to know what you have.
And only when you know how to test.So practice testing is always a good thing.

Jim


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## joem (Apr 14, 2011)

I know there are many cell threads so I just decided to post here.
I picked this up at the government auction for $65 it seems it might work great for a cell as well and other plating usages since it can be taylored to most currentss and volts required, what do you think?
Is it usable for a cell or or not and I resell it at a profit?


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## element47 (Apr 15, 2011)

It's usable for a cell, but only a modest sized one with its 2 amp capacity....judging by the right meter, which is how we judge these things. With plating /electrolysis supplies you need pretty low single-digit volts (and indeed you can adjust yours down) but you also need a little higher current. You are likely to pop the breaker (actually called a "crowbar" when it's an electronic circuit vs a fuse...don't ask) which will nondestructively and protectively shut that puppy down if you overcurrent it. You can try it. If it shuts down, it shuts down. You'll have to turn off the AC power and turn it back on again to reset the crowbar.


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## Oz (Apr 15, 2011)

Unless element47 can see a decimal point that I can’t, I would say good score for a 20 amp unit in good condition.


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## stihl88 (Apr 15, 2011)

Looks like a 20 amp to me. 

Good score, now your cooking!


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## shyknee (Apr 15, 2011)

joem 
let me know before you sell what you would like for it.
money or trade for something .
If your not selling that is ok ,but next time remember us and pick up two more :mrgreen:


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## joem (Apr 15, 2011)

shyknee said:


> joem
> let me know before you sell what you would like for it.
> money or trade for something .
> If your not selling that is ok ,but next time remember us and pick up two more :mrgreen:



I had bid on two and won one of them. I was also able to find a supplier here for the exact same power supply steve uses in his video


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