# photo lab filters



## mlgdave (May 13, 2013)

http://www.hallmarkrefining.com/product_details.cfm?id=24

i have a local guy letting me come in and recover his filters, just wondering if there are generic versions of these?

dave


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## Palladium (May 13, 2013)

Are you asking because you need to find generic versions for replacement or because you are wanting to refine them?


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## mlgdave (May 13, 2013)

Yes I am looking to replace the one that I took out. I found a place in Georgia that has them for $125. Now I just have to figure out how to refine the guts 

mlgdave


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## mlgdave (May 13, 2013)

I dont know why my brain was on "stoopid" all this filter does is cement the silver out using steel "mesh" (shreds), a simpler process than I thought and I just have to replace the "filters" (but the supplier to this photo lab would NOT talk to me, go figure!)

mlgdave


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## macfixer01 (May 14, 2013)

mlgdave said:


> I dont know why my brain was on "stoopid" all this filter does is cement the silver out using steel "mesh" (shreds), a simpler process than I thought and I just have to replace the "filters" (but the supplier to this photo lab would NOT talk to me, go figure!)
> 
> mlgdave




I used to work for a graphic arts supplier installing and servicing desktop publishing equipment. Generally our customers with film processors contracted with other companies that supplied electrolytic silver recovery units then came in regularly to harvest the silver. In certain locales where they had very tight regs on how much silver could go down the drain, they also used cementation filters similar in concept to what you have there. I never looked inside of one but was told they were just filled with steel wool. There are obviously other brands around but they typically would not have the quick couplers. They would more likely have hose barbs or threaded openings to screw the existing hose fittings into.


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## mlgdave (May 17, 2013)

Hey JoeM I got your private message, thanks! I tried to reply and it wont send but my email address is [email protected]

now to further the story, I have 3 of the old mesh steel wool units from dentists office and I opened them yesterday "on camera" and OMG, never seen 1 before so total surprise for TV which is great, i am however stumped on how to get the stuff out. The bottom of this first one is 71% silver, 0.08% au, 0.43% PD, 0.33% Rh and of course all the gooey and black gunk that I have no idea how to process. I have 3 of these that I paid $5.00 each for!

mlgdave


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## rusty (May 17, 2013)

mlgdave said:


> Hey JoeM I got your private message, thanks! I tried to reply and it wont send but my email address is [email protected]
> 
> now to further the story, I have 3 of the old mesh steel wool units from dentists office and I opened them yesterday "on camera" and OMG, never seen 1 before so total surprise for TV which is great, i am however stumped on how to get the stuff out. The bottom of this first one is 71% silver, 0.08% au, 0.43% PD, 0.33% Rh and of course all the gooey and black gunk that I have no idea how to process. I have 3 of these that I paid $5.00 each for!
> 
> mlgdave



You may come to regret opening that filter from the Dentist on camera. Your first step would be to run the contents through a retort to separate the mercury from the amalgam.


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## goldsilverpro (May 17, 2013)

rusty said:


> mlgdave said:
> 
> 
> > Hey JoeM I got your private message, thanks! I tried to reply and it wont send but my email address is [email protected]
> ...


The solutions that are run through those canisters are basically silver and hypo. There is no mercury in them.


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## rusty (May 17, 2013)

goldsilverpro said:


> rusty said:
> 
> 
> > mlgdave said:
> ...



The heavy metal filters that came from an old dental clinic had black stinky crude, bone chips, amalgam and other goodies so I assumed wrongly that he had the same type of filters. Changes in technology is impossible for me to keep up with.


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## mlgdave (May 17, 2013)

Yea ran the xrf on them and has zero hg. 

Mlgdave


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## joem (May 17, 2013)

I hope you did not go to a dentist's office that had old teeth in the film fix? LOL
I still have the silver recovery unit for sale that can be used for the old fix.
http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=58&t=15452


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## macfixer01 (May 17, 2013)

rusty said:


> goldsilverpro said:
> 
> 
> > rusty said:
> ...




It's not new technology. The only purpose the filters he has were used for is filtering the exhausted fixer solution from film processors and extracting any remaining silver from it before it goes down the drain. There should be nothing from the dental treatment rooms or other waste water going through it.

macfixer01


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## mlgdave (May 17, 2013)

yea, the filters I have were called "kodak" metal filters, i have 3 of them I think what I need to do is dissolve the steel wool (I can scoop the top stuff off as it has less than 1% AG) and get to the "brackish" material below (71% AG). I was thinking of trying to use Iron out to dissolve the iron and then rinse rinse rinse the sludge, shoot it with the xrf and see if its smeltable (should be)?

I will however before I try that research the forum for any steel wool threads!

This place is invaluable.

mlgdave
ps..........BY THE WAY GUYS! The episodes I am airing will little affect the forums members and the scrap I am doing, you guys will laugh your butts off from 2 of the episodes for sure and the stories I am doing are so so so so out of the ordinary that the general public will not be trying many of them except MAYBE cats and MAYBE jewelry store %$#P#$!


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