# Processing Gold using Mapp Gas Torch



## Stan (Mar 3, 2014)

Hi everyone I am new here but would like some help. I have been reading about trying separate gold from other metals. I have tried a propane torch and got copper mixed with the gold. I looked though a loop and could see the two colors. I thought Boric Acid would remove the impurities. I am not talking about big pieces the biggest piece is about the size of my index finger nail. Can anyone help me with this before I go any further and make this harder than what it is? Also any safe ideas beside chemicals?

Thanks,
Stan


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## jimdoc (Mar 3, 2014)

Stan said:


> Hi everyone I am new here but would like some help. I have been reading about trying separate gold from other metals. I have tried a propane torch and got copper mixed with the gold. I looked though a loop and could see the two colors. I thought Boric Acid would remove the impurities. I am not talking about big pieces the biggest piece is about the size of my index finger nail. Can anyone help me with this before I go any further and make this harder than what it is? Also any safe ideas beside chemicals?
> 
> Thanks,
> Stan




You have a lot of reading to do. You found the place with the info.

Jim


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## bmgold2 (Mar 3, 2014)

Stan said:


> Also any safe ideas beside chemicals?
> 
> Thanks,
> Stan



If there was any easy way to refine the gold besides chemicals we would all be using it. You're going to have to do a lot more research.

Here's a good place to start.

http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?p=6873#6873

You'll also need to read Hoke's book.

Printer friendly version http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=54&t=17706#p179081

Screen readable version http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=54&t=19798


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## Stan (Mar 3, 2014)

bmgold2 said:


> Stan said:
> 
> 
> > Also any safe ideas beside chemicals?
> ...



Wow that is alot of information. I am not in the business of doing this and I would most likely trash everything I have. I think once the gold is refined it equal about 4 to 5 grams. Maybe I should just try to send it to a seller? Any comments or suggestions? Oh forgot to mention, I have collecting these parts for years. A friend checked them and said they 24k on the outside.


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## jimdoc (Mar 3, 2014)

Your attempts with a torch likely made things more difficult.
Maybe if you post a picture of what you have someone here may give you an offer?

Jim


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## bmgold2 (Mar 3, 2014)

jimdoc said:


> Your attempts with a torch likely made things more difficult.
> Maybe if you post a picture of what you have someone here may give you an offer?
> 
> Jim



I once melted some nice gold plated circuit boards and ended up with a lump of copper/gold. I mailed it off to one of those "We buy gold" places and they sent it back to me with a note that they don't buy that kind of gold. Like Jim said, post a picture and explain what you started with and what you did to it and see if someone on this forum is interested.

If nobody is interested and you really have 4 to 5 grams of gold, you'll probably have to process it yourself. Even if you can't (or don't want to) get it back to pure gold, if you can get it to be mostly gold you should be able to sell it somewhere.

Here's another link you might want to check out specifically the smelting part. I don't know if the Mapp gas torch will do it but it is something to consider.

http://webpages.charter.net/kwilliams00/bcftp/bcftp.htm


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## necromancer (Mar 3, 2014)

Stan.....

you are in the right place, stick around do a bunch of reading & in no time you will turn your frustrations into a hobby.

we all at one time were daunted by the same things as you, we all were wondering if we could do this over night & fill our bank box with gold but if everything was easy they would have built Rome in one day.

spend some time learning & dont rush, welcome to the forum be safe & have fun


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## Stan (Mar 3, 2014)

Sorry for the confusion on the weight I posted it is most likely 4 to 5 ounces of gold once refined. as I said some of the pieces are gold colored all the way through, I took a set of cutters and went through it. Once again sorry for the confusion, and thanks for the support on all my 1st grade questions but I would rather ask them then end up killing myself!!

Stan,


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## cmiller92 (Mar 3, 2014)

All your first grade questions can be answered with the search bar at the top of the page. Maybe you should start with search terms such as “process for ...” I put ellipses (spelling?) in there because you have not even hinted at what you are trying to process. This is important because certain materials (Gold filled, Electronics, and Karat Gold) require different processes, or at least some work easier than others. 
Now I am not saying don’t ask questions, once you have reached the higher level questions, let’s say high school, then you will get some more precise answers.
It would be wise to read all the material that is presented before you, things make a lot more sense then.


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## philddreamer (Mar 3, 2014)

Stan, where in the US are you?

Phil


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## kurtak (Mar 4, 2014)

Stan said:


> Oh forgot to mention, I have collecting these parts for years. A friend checked them and said they 24k on the outside.



Stan - what are these parts you have been collecting? --- are they the pins from electronics?

In another post you mention that when you cut them they look like gold all the way through

Your friend says they are 24K on the outside

many pins from electronics (if that's what you collected) are made of brass --- brass is yellow - just like gold is yellow

The gold is a "very" fine layer plated on the surface of the pins

The very best pins which come out of military & medical equipment can run as high as about 3 grams of gold per pound of pins - also older telcom & industrial equipment along with some of the very old consumer electronic can run on the high end of heavy gold plating (2 to 3 grams per pound)

Most consumer electronics will run around 1.5 grams gold per pound (more or less depending on age)

So - if - you are talking about pins from electronics you can figure that there is 448 grams per pound & at the very best of 3 grams gold per pound of pins (the rest is brass - which is yellow like gold) you can now figure based on the over all weight about how much is gold there is - if it came from the very best of pins 

And no - you can not separate the gold from the brass by melting - all you end up doing is melting them together making an alloy that is more brass then gold --- the only way to separate the gold from the base metal (brass) is to do it with chemicals

Before you melt them they are something that can be identified (gold plated material) so its easier to sell it for what it is --- after you melt it is harder to sell because you can say its gold or has gold in it - but ?????

The point I am trying to make here is you can't just go guessing at what you think you have &/or go about doing things that you think will work &/or start asking questions when you don't know what to ask --- you have to start by learning - leaning what you have - how to identify things - how to test things & how to process things so you can ask the right questions

That requires that you take your time to do research & this forum is the place to learn it all --- you may decide that processing is not for you but you will learn what has value & where & how to sell those values --- so start by spending at least a couple weeks reading & studying the information you will find on this forum - then start asking some question that we can help you with

Kurt


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## nickvc (Mar 4, 2014)

Stan I think you may be in for some disappointment as regards your plated scrap unless you have very big volumes. The best material I ever,ever processed ran at 1.15 ounces a pound and that was for a very specific purpose that demanded that level of plating. As the guys are pointing out the average for computer plated parts is much, much lower. If its plated jewellery it's even lower usually as its flash plated and usually karat gold at that.


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## kurtak (Mar 4, 2014)

nickvc said:


> The best material I ever,ever processed ran at 1.15 ounces a pound



:shock: Woof Woof Woof - I will roll over - play dead - fetch a stick - bring you your slippers for some of that :mrgreen: 8) 

Kurt


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## Geo (Mar 4, 2014)

There was a guessing contest on the forum a couple years ago where a little over a pound of pins yielded over an ounce of gold.


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