# Help! Friend wants to refine gold in his apartment...



## odoylerules (Jul 28, 2011)

So my friend has recently decided he wants to start getting into amateur gold refining, after seeing some videos on youtube.. mainly extracting from computer parts and other electronic scrap. When he first told me about all this I thought it sounded pretty neat and told him I might be interested in getting in on it as well. But I've gotta be honest the more I read the warier I get about the whole idea. To begin with he wants to do this in his apartment, on the balcony (hazardous vapors, anyone??), and we really have nowhere else to store all the toxic wastes this is going to produce. And that's just one of my reservations about doing it. Also neither of us have any significant background in chemistry beyond basic college material. It's hard to find specifics on a lot of stuff still, but my main question is, would you say that refining in an apartment (either with sodium cyanide OR with hydrochloric and nitric acids) is definitely something you should NEVER do? That's the idea I'm getting, but my friend remains as determined as ever to see this thing through.. :|

Any advice or information would really be appreciated. Thanks!


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## 4metals (Jul 28, 2011)

It certainly isn't something I'd jump into blindly. There is much room for error. The best member to comment would be a member, can't remember the spelling now, but he entered the contest in the general chat section, detailing his, in the spare bedroom, setup. 

But on a balcony without exhaust, I wouldn't do it.


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## odoylerules (Jul 28, 2011)

I guess you mean emmjae, who posted pics on the first page of this thread?:

http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=60&t=9722


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## callicom (Jul 28, 2011)

i`ve just started doing this, i`m sitting on 4 acres and when i see the brown gazes drifting away it bothers me to think it might bother the neighbor, in an appartement i wouldn`t do it un less i had some real special equipment. try a small batch outside with no one around and imgine being in your apartment, the stuff is poison. you should find a safe place it seems like to me, good luck


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## goldsilverpro (Jul 28, 2011)

I guarantee that you and anyone else around will be extremely unhappy people if you attempt to do this in your apartment or on the balcony of your apartment. Don't be stupid!


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## jeneje (Jul 28, 2011)

goldsilverpro said:


> I guarantee that you and anyone else around will be extremely unhappy people if you attempt to do this in your apartment or on the balcony of your apartment. Don't be stupid!



People never stop amazing me with a lack of common sense. Where do they come from??????

Edit for comment; If you get overtaken by the nitric gas... 911 want help you. DON'T BE A MORON. USE A LITTER COMMON SENSE HERE.


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## odoylerules (Jul 28, 2011)

It's not my apartment, it's my friend's. I myself would never attempt something like this where I lived. The only reason I posted this was so that I'd have something specific to show him as evidence. Nothing I've said has swayed him so far.


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## jimdoc (Jul 28, 2011)

If he isn't going to invest into learning safety, he should probably just sell on Ebay.
Most of the stuff on there sells for over the gold content anyway, without the work,
cost of chemicals, equipment and of course the hazards.

Jim


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## odoylerules (Jul 28, 2011)

jimdoc said:


> Most of the stuff on there sells for over the gold content anyway, without the work,
> cost of chemicals, equipment and of course the hazards.



Yeah but I don't think that would apply in the case of obsolete computer hardware like what he was planning to focus on. The cost of someone having it shipped to their place alone would cancel out any potential profit from the small % of gold content inside. I haven't checked though, so who knows..

I'm with you on learning safety first. I would say my friend would also agree, but then he seems to get the idea that there MUST be a "safe" way to do this on his own apartment balcony and I don't agree with him on that.



> Edit for comment; If you get overtaken by the nitric gas... 911 want help you.



Well right now he's leaning more toward the use of cyanide FWIW :|


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## jimdoc (Jul 28, 2011)

Some people gotta learn the hard way. 
Sometimes they end up dead and didn't learn a thing.

Jim


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## jeneje (Jul 28, 2011)

Well right now he's leaning more toward the use of cyanide FWIW 

ummmmmmm..... :roll: They are borned everyday.... Now he going to kill the neighborhood out.

Ken

ps. what state do you live in....hope not Tennessee


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## odoylerules (Jul 28, 2011)

Well I'm going to be seeing him again on Sunday. I'll just show him this thread and tell him to reply himself, because I know he's still going to come up with some reason to keep saying "there must be a way..."

It'll be an interesting conversation after that, if nothing else. :lol:


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## odoylerules (Jul 28, 2011)

I'm in Texas, Ken.


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## jimdoc (Jul 28, 2011)

odoylerules said:


> Well I'm going to be seeing him again on Sunday. I'll just show him this thread and tell him to reply to this thread himself, because I know he's still going to come up with some reason to keep saying "there must be a way..."
> 
> It'll be an interesting conversation after that, if nothing else. :lol:




Hopefully he studies the forum good to find alternative methods and safety advice.
And hopefully he won't be able to find any cyanide.

Jim


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## jeneje (Jul 28, 2011)

odoylerules said:


> I'm in Texas, Ken.



West or East, hope the wind blows west..... :lol:


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## odoylerules (Jul 28, 2011)

jeneje said:


> odoylerules said:
> 
> 
> > I'm in Texas, Ken.
> ...



That part will be our special surprise.


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## jeneje (Jul 28, 2011)

odoylerules said:


> jeneje said:
> 
> 
> > odoylerules said:
> ...



Odoylerules, I can't believe he is even thinking about using something like cyanide. I really hope he studies this board and learns alot more about what he is undertaking before he kills himself or someone else with what I call gold fever.....

Ken


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## Palladium (Jul 28, 2011)

*Ring Ring !!! Ring Ring !!! *

911 what’s your emergency?

Yes mam, I would like to report something funny going on next door to the apartment where I live.

What seems to be the problem mam?

I’m not sure. I just walked outside and noticed a chemical smell. Then I noticed my neighbor out on his balcony with somebody else. I also noticed they were doing something with what looked like beakers or maybe mason jars. Then I noticed these vapors coming up from whatever they were doing. I have kids and there are other kids around here and I was just concerned. Could you send somebody to check it out please?

Chances are someone who lives there will call the police and report a meth lab. All the police need to hear is chemical smell and visible vapors.


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## odoylerules (Jul 28, 2011)

^^^ LOL

I thought about that too, but didn't bother mentioning it to him. I think he'll take stuff like this more seriously when he reads this thread and hears it from the "experts".


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## Palladium (Jul 28, 2011)

Oh i'm serious. I've had my visit from the sheriff already. Made a good friend from that visit to. Come to find out one of the task force guys was into collecting gold and silver coins. 8)


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## odoylerules (Jul 28, 2011)

Haha nice... were you in a house or an apartment back then?


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## jeneje (Jul 28, 2011)

Palladium said:


> Oh i'm serious. I've had my visit from the sheriff already. Made a good friend from that visit to. Come to find out one of the task force guys was into collecting gold and silver coins. 8)



I have had mine too, when I had the fire in my front yard over tv's. althrough he was cool about it and comes by on regular basis to chat and see what i'm doing. He has even brought me some scrap rings I brought.

Ken


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## floppy (Jul 28, 2011)

With the meth problem these days neighbors take things very seriously and rightfully so. I am lucky I live on a five acre lot in my small town with no neighbors too close. But if people think your playing with chemicals they will call the law.


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## Noxx (Jul 29, 2011)

Cyanide is nasty stuff. You need a good chemistry background to understand how to use it properly and good equipment. Definitely not doable in an apartment. HCN will kill you instantly and goes through most gas mask cartridges.


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## goldenchild (Jul 29, 2011)

This idea sounds bad all around. Tell your friend that if he insists on trying to recover/refine material to rent out a place far away from everyone. This way if he is intent on killing himself he does just that. Kills only himself. Sorry to be so macabre but that is the reality if he is going to jump into this feet first with no knowledge of anything. Especially with cyanide. Jeeesh.


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## Lambskin (Jul 29, 2011)

I guess I can offer a little advice on this subject because I live in an apartment at the moment. Seeing as your "Friend" is just starting out he should first and foremost read everything he can about operating safely. He should get a copy of Hoke's book which can be found on this forum. He should study the book as much as he can. While studying the book he could slowly start to acquire some of the equipment he will need. Since in an apartment is not the right place to perform chemical experiments he could start collecting e-scrap that has PM content. Reading the topic "Where to find scrap” contained in this forum is very useful for this purpose. Just starting out it will take a while to collect enough scrap to make refining worthwhile anyways. While performing these time consuming task he could be looking for a place to perform his chemical experiments. Maybe a relative or friend that has some land or he should acquire his own land to do so. The most important part about being successful in any scientific experiment is not to half fast the experiment. 

Best of luck,
Ken


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## metatp (Jul 29, 2011)

If he doesn't listen to reason, it might be better for all if you report him. I would not want his neighbor's potential illness or injury on my conscience. When you live in an apartment, you have to think of others as well. If he is only being self-centered, he will not learn.


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## odoylerules (Jul 29, 2011)

Lambskin said:


> your "Friend"



Don't even... :roll: 

Thanks though. All I'm really trying to do is get enough people here to confirm the conclusion I came to myself, that you should never do this in an apartment. When I told him I thought this before, it didn't seem to faze him on the idea so I knew I'd need some backup. Most likely I'll get him to respond here too, once I see him on Sunday.


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## Palladium (Jul 29, 2011)

How old are you and your friend?


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## gold4mike (Jul 29, 2011)

One of my good friends is the head of the "D.I.C.E." team (Drug Interdiction) at our local Sheriff's office. He stopped by to say hello a few days ago and I showed him my lab. He told me he was glad I showed it to him because, at first glance, it looks very much like the meth labs he investigates regularly. (He did say I was better organized) 

Many of the chemicals in my lab are also used in making meth and with the proximity of neighbors it is only a matter of time until he is called to investigate me.

I would rather have him see my setup this way than have him show up with the whole team, in full gear, responding to a tip from a concerned neighbor.

I can't imagine ever trying to do what we do in an apartment. A visit from law enforcement is virtually guaranteed.


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## odoylerules (Jul 29, 2011)

Palladium said:


> How old are you and your friend?



Both in our late twenties.


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## floppy (Jul 29, 2011)

I don't even like the word cyanide! :shock:


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## Sodbuster (Jul 29, 2011)

Just to make a point. Go out and find a road kill or a dead fish or something similar and hide it on his balcony. :evil: 

See who complains first, him or the neighbors. Hopefully he will smell it first from within his own apartment, and when he goes on the hunt as to where its coming from you could point out how fumes migrate. You could also point out how he may have been dead at this point, or maybe his neighbors two year old sleeping in his crib in the next apartment.

Let him try to justify that.

Ray

PS:  
Personally I wouldn't have the balls to drop a dead fish on some ones balcony, but if thats what it took to change his thinking, I could change mine. What ever it takes to save the neighborhood.


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