Welcome to all Newbies

lazersteve · Jul 27, 2007

All,

If you are reading this then you are likely a noob. This is the 1cent tour post for those of you that are overwhelmed with the volume of information here.

The typical posts I refer newbies to.

and last but not least visit my website (link below), watch the videos, and read the documents.

Collect scrap while you are doing this and begin with a small batch to get acquainted with the testing, colors, gases, wastes, and time required to process the scrap you choose. If you run into problems on the small scale, or in the learning stage, post a question or comment and someone will help you out.

If you choose to ignore my instructions and take short cuts, everyone will know by the questions you ask. There is no such thing as a stupid question, but there is such a thing as a question that has already been asked too many times before. This is where the forum search features come in handy.

If you find a broken link along the way be sure to let someone know as we just moved from a different hoster and some of the links have not been repaired yet.

Enjoy!!

Steve

NobleMetalsRecovery · Oct 5, 2007

Thanks Steve, the other link works for me.

I just printed out the 20 step list for after the gold is dropped.

It's great info, very close to what I've been doing, but more precise.

I never filter dropped gold and only filter gold solutions very little.

Have you tried the plastic filter material I sent you. I used it today again, it's great stuff.

Steve

lazersteve · Oct 5, 2007

Steve,

I haven't got around to using any of it. I need to try it on some of my Platinum solutions and put it on the new DVD.

Steve

fajar · Mar 16, 2011

Yup.. thanks Steve...

I came from Indonesia.... i'm very-very newbie on computer gold refinery...
(Failed 4 times in these 2 weeks, my firts experiment was since 2 weeks ago)
Definitely without any good chemicals knowledge base... :lol:

It's a good advice Steve..
Maybe i must start from the zero again...
Learn so many things in here
and learn from so many seniors in here :lol:

thanks.

luckypyrate · Apr 2, 2011

Thanks, Steve! You have been most helpful and probably saved me from blowing myself up or melting myself down through mismeasurement or something, LOL. I have spent months reading this and other forums and reading Hoke's books, etc. Just got my first batch in the bucket now, following your process for the moment. I will experiment with others but as of yet your process seems the most straight forward, inexpensive, and sensible.

Thanks to Steve and all who have made us newbie's experience the best, safest, and most fun it could be!

Ever learning the arts of Alchemy...

Lucky Pyrate

Remuck · Apr 3, 2011

Thanks for the welcome Steve. I'll most certainly check out the links that you provided --- couldn't agree more with your take on "dumb questions" vs. the frequency of inquiries. I've far too much ore to process to get into IC recovery, but the latter seems fairly compelling.

Thanks again, Lance

jpdriver1 · Sep 29, 2011

Thanks -- just found this fountain of information. I've just started looking into gold/silver salvage as an addition to the regular alum and glass recycle I do to support the family. So far I've learned so much.

kevin

A Mild 29 · Oct 14, 2011

Thank you steve, your post is very helpfull for me, since i just started to be gold miner with using source from mobile phone and computer scrap.

Claudie · Oct 14, 2011

Welcome to the forum. I think they call it Urban Gold Mining....

dtectr · Oct 14, 2011

The "Industry" (to whom we are the black sheep of the family) call it "Digger Gold", as well. i have no idea what that means, exactly.

Who cares what They think - I've got my buttons to keep me warm ... 8)

jpdriver1 · Oct 14, 2011

I was curious -- so I looked it up --- wikipedia states "Digger gold is the common slang term for gold recovered from electronics components such as board fingers, CPUs, and connector pins. For the gold fingers on boards or circuits, often a stripping solution is used to remove the gold from the board material, nitric acid also works well in this regard as many gold components are soldered to boards with silver-based solders that are soluble in nitric acid (which gold is not). After dissolving all other metals in solution, the digger gold is recovered by dissolution of the gold in aqua regia and subsequent selective precipitation of the gold using copperas or another selective reducing agent such as hydrazine. Due to the cost required and the small amount recovered, digger gold is not necessarily cost effective."

jimdoc · Oct 14, 2011

jpdriver1 said:
Due to the cost required and the small amount recovered, digger gold is not necessarily cost effective."

Thats another way of saying it can be an expensive hobby.

Jim

lazersteve · Oct 14, 2011

jpdriver1 said:
I was curious -- so I looked it up --- wikipedia states ".... selective precipitation of the gold using copperas or another selective reducing agent such as hydrazine... ."

Hydrazine is not what I would consider a selective reducing agent. I caution all readers to do their due diligence in research prior to using information or methods gleaned from the pages of wiki. Wiki is a great source of general knowledge, but it typically lacks critical details relavent to the subjects of the articles.

Be safe.

Steve

jpdriver1 · Oct 15, 2011

lazersteve said:
jpdriver1 said:

I was curious -- so I looked it up --- wikipedia states ".... selective precipitation of the gold using copperas or another selective reducing agent such as hydrazine... ."

Click to expand...

Hydrazine is not what I would consider a selective reducing agent. I caution all readers to do their due diligence in research prior to using information or methods gleaned from the pages of wiki. Wiki is a great source of general knowledge, but it typically lacks critical details relavent to the subjects of the articles.

Be safe.

Steve

wiki is only for entertainment/quick info not for the proper info --- that's what this site and yours steve are for 8)

texan · Oct 15, 2011

Hydrazine is not for rookies...there are cheaper, safer procedures and compounds to use.

Texan

barnes8888 · Jan 18, 2012

lazersteve said:
All,

If you are reading this then you are likely a noob. This is the 1cent tour post for those of you that are overwhelmed with the volume of information here.

The typical posts I refer newbies to.

Must Read

Forum Rules- Things to know to keep you out of trouble when posting.

Introduce Yourself

Forum Guide Rough Draft

Reactions List

Common Chemicals

Basic Forum Skills

Forum Quick Search

Refining Precious Metal Wastes by C.M. Hoke

and last but not least visit my website (link below), watch the videos, and read the documents.

Collect scrap while you are doing this and begin with a small batch to get acquainted with the testing, colors, gases, wastes, and time required to process the scrap you choose. If you run into problems on the small scale, or in the learning stage, post a question or comment and someone will help you out.

If you choose to ignore my instructions and take short cuts, everyone will know by the questions you ask. There is no such thing as a stupid question, but there is such a thing as a question that has already been asked too many times before. This is where the forum search features come in handy.

If you find a broken link along the way be sure to let someone know as we just moved from a different hoster and some of the links have not been repaired yet. :wink:

Enjoy!!

Steve

the best forum ever and thanks steve and i will soon donate to you thanks again.

drifterguru · Jan 22, 2012

hey guys im so happy theres a community for this area ive been trying to manafest this idea of recycling e-wast for gold for a long time. i rushed into it thinking it was easy. if it was everybody would be doing it! lol so i started reading the book on basic lab safety and procedures and im already learing some new stuff! so thanks alot for the info.

butcher · Jan 26, 2012

Good job drifter, your on the right road.

lahoop · Feb 6, 2012

I hope is you are all right.
I have put all what I have collected scrap in Aqua Regia I did well
but the solution is green any one help me the seconds step how can I make the sokution yellow.
I hope to get rid of green
see a picture
http://www.4shared.com/photo/RgSTlcEs/IMAG0185.html

lazersteve · Feb 6, 2012

Looks like you may have had a little copper, iron, and/or nickel still in the gold when you dissolved it.

It doesn't look terribly dirty to me so I would proceed to denoxxing and SMB.

Clean the gold using Harolds clean up process for the powder and give it a second refining to see the nice yellow/orange solution you are looking for.

Steve

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