1st. post
- Thread starter flatbed
- Start date
Help Support Gold Refining Forum:
Hey flatbed,
Welcome to the forum! First things first, you should do some reading before you attempt any refining. A good place to do that is to download http://tinyurl.com/mfnyhs Refining Precious Metal Wastes by C. M. Hoke. It is written for the person new to refining and chemistry.
Secondly, I hope you understand that we cannot guide you to where to get dangerous chemicals without your parent’s knowledge. I have a niece about your age that lives in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. I would not want someone giving her access to these things without her parents knowing. This is not a bad reflection on you or your ability to do this, as my niece is more sensible and educated than some adults I know and you could be too.
Have your parents contact me through Private Message, you will see the “pm” button with 2 people on it under my reply to you on this forum. If your parents agree, I will help you if you will have their permission and supervision.
Welcome to the forum! First things first, you should do some reading before you attempt any refining. A good place to do that is to download http://tinyurl.com/mfnyhs Refining Precious Metal Wastes by C. M. Hoke. It is written for the person new to refining and chemistry.
Secondly, I hope you understand that we cannot guide you to where to get dangerous chemicals without your parent’s knowledge. I have a niece about your age that lives in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. I would not want someone giving her access to these things without her parents knowing. This is not a bad reflection on you or your ability to do this, as my niece is more sensible and educated than some adults I know and you could be too.
Have your parents contact me through Private Message, you will see the “pm” button with 2 people on it under my reply to you on this forum. If your parents agree, I will help you if you will have their permission and supervision.
joem
Well-known member
oz get a phone number - pms can be fake
I assure you that I will have a lengthy phone conversation with the parents explaining the potential risks of what their daughter wishes to do. Any suggestions from me concerning access points to chemicals will be given to adult parents so they have control over what access is provided by them and under what circumstances.joem said:
Thanks for the prompt replies.........HOWEVER......that is not a picture of me, but is of my 14 year old grand daughter. I am 67 years old and the picture was taken while on our annual trip to the San Juans to collect minerals, crystals, and gold/pyrite ores. We have two grand daughters that we are very proud of and try to stimulate their appreciation of the history and many interesting things to be found OUTSIDE rather than playing video gamess while on summer break.
Back to my original question, does anyone know of a chemical supply company in my area?
I am attaching a pic of myself so there is NO confusion......
Back to my original question, does anyone know of a chemical supply company in my area?
I am attaching a pic of myself so there is NO confusion......
Attachments
Flatbed you can see we try to be a responsible forum and encourage new members to read and learn as much as possible before attempting any processes or buying any chemicals.
This serves two purposes it saves us much time in trying to recover messes that informed members wouldn't have created and it allows new members to work out exactly what they need which saves them money, time and much frustration!
Oz,s advice is still spot on whether your 14 or 67, read Hoke and follow up with the forum handbooks, read the safety section and have a look around Lazersteves site where there's some instructional videos which you can watch with your grandchildren and maybe gain a helper or two :idea:
Be aware that many of the processes and chemicals we use are dangerous and the reactions can cause further dangers to which the uninformed are unaware and as you can see we take the safety of members, their families and neighbours and the environment very seriously!
Take your time and learn, your gold isn't going anywhere, if it takes you months well you can add to your stash and have a larger button to show your grandchildren.
This serves two purposes it saves us much time in trying to recover messes that informed members wouldn't have created and it allows new members to work out exactly what they need which saves them money, time and much frustration!
Oz,s advice is still spot on whether your 14 or 67, read Hoke and follow up with the forum handbooks, read the safety section and have a look around Lazersteves site where there's some instructional videos which you can watch with your grandchildren and maybe gain a helper or two :idea:
Be aware that many of the processes and chemicals we use are dangerous and the reactions can cause further dangers to which the uninformed are unaware and as you can see we take the safety of members, their families and neighbours and the environment very seriously!
Take your time and learn, your gold isn't going anywhere, if it takes you months well you can add to your stash and have a larger button to show your grandchildren.
Please take note that this is a free forum where no one gets paid and advice is freely given by some of the worlds greatest experts who understand the complexities and dangers of refining precious metals and who kindly help the rest of us.
Do you know how to refine, could you run the processes from start to finish without help, what processes do you intend to use, what do you want to refine, have you a chemistry background? All these things make a difference as to the type of advice and help we can give to help you.
Perhaps if we had a little bit more background then more help would be forthcoming from our US based members.
Do you know how to refine, could you run the processes from start to finish without help, what processes do you intend to use, what do you want to refine, have you a chemistry background? All these things make a difference as to the type of advice and help we can give to help you.
Perhaps if we had a little bit more background then more help would be forthcoming from our US based members.
Please do not be discontent.
Anyway, your question can be solved by some time on google or simply by calling any one of the numerous refiners in that fine city!
In Houston, I know of one place that caters to hobbyists:
Scientific Equipment of Houston which is supposedly located in Navasota. I'm sure there are several closer by.
In case you're not already aware, it is necessary in the Great State of Texas to register any glassware you purchase under the auspices of their (near unconstitutional) laws against illicit clandestine chemistry. You must register your glassware with your local county officials; a followup visit by a deputy is common from what I've been told. While noble in its cause, I think it may hamper those with nothing to hide.
http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/criminal_law_enforcement/narcotics/pages/chemicalsapparatus.htm
Anyway, your question can be solved by some time on google or simply by calling any one of the numerous refiners in that fine city!
In Houston, I know of one place that caters to hobbyists:
Scientific Equipment of Houston which is supposedly located in Navasota. I'm sure there are several closer by.
In case you're not already aware, it is necessary in the Great State of Texas to register any glassware you purchase under the auspices of their (near unconstitutional) laws against illicit clandestine chemistry. You must register your glassware with your local county officials; a followup visit by a deputy is common from what I've been told. While noble in its cause, I think it may hamper those with nothing to hide.
http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/criminal_law_enforcement/narcotics/pages/chemicalsapparatus.htm
AuMINIMayhem
Well-known member
flatbed said:
Flatbed, don't take offense. The forums aren't like a tight "click" or anything, we're all just a bit cautious because no one here wants to be the one responsible for someone winding up in the hospital with fluid in their lungs because they were unaware of the dangers of breathing in certain fumes, etc.. sounds overly dramatic, but the chemistry involved in these processes here within can have some significant environmental, health and safety consequences if not followed closely.
Welcome to the boards, take some time and look around, you'll see there is an abundance of information on here. I would certainly start with the link to C.M. Hoke's book and read, then re-read it, then take notes and re-read it again. 8)
If you're new to this and serious about wanting to do this, don't put the cart before the mule is all any of us are saying. There's some very serious safety issues you need to address before getting started.
We certainly welcome new members, but as you'll notice if you stick around long enough, gold refining is gaining in popularity and this is one of the few forums out there. So we get a lot of people who want "quick answers" and this is just not that sort of forum.
Many of our members are professionals who have been in the field for years and are doing a HUGE service to those of us who haven't had that experience by sharing some of their trade secrets. So I would encourage you to not be impatient and respect the reasoning behind such caution. They've worked their tails off to gain the knowledge you're asking them to share, if you stick with it and pay attention to the information provided to you, I have no doubt that you will be succesful. However, if you are impatient and disrespectful, I have no doubt you will fail.
Again, welcome to the boards! :mrgreen:
Derek
AuMINIMayhem
Well-known member
Lou said:
yep... doesn't take much for Johnny Law to mistake your home refinery for a "Meth Lab", same basic chemicals and equipment. The biggest difference is we tend to have the majority of our teeth left. :lol: :mrgreen: (sorry, bad meth-head joke, couldn't resist!)
OK..... I do apprciate everyone's concern for my well being and safety is a top priority for me also.
One of you responded by saying that I should provide a little more information about myself.......so...........I have been reloading my own ammunition for 20+ years and handling the components ( some of which can be extremely destructive ) with utmost respect and safety a 1st. priority. Also, I melt and alloy lead and other components in the casting of bullets for my various firearms, again keeping safety as a 1st. priority as mishandling can bring devastaing results also.
My goal in refining is to take the ores consisting of pyrite, gold, and other materials and extracting the gold from them. I have read articles from USGS and other reliable sources that pyrite ores from the San Juan area of Colorado, can contain anywhere from 10% to 40% gold. Also, I understand from those articles that the gold in these ores can very well be locked up in Tellurides. I WANT THAT GOLD.
One of you responded by saying that I should provide a little more information about myself.......so...........I have been reloading my own ammunition for 20+ years and handling the components ( some of which can be extremely destructive ) with utmost respect and safety a 1st. priority. Also, I melt and alloy lead and other components in the casting of bullets for my various firearms, again keeping safety as a 1st. priority as mishandling can bring devastaing results also.
My goal in refining is to take the ores consisting of pyrite, gold, and other materials and extracting the gold from them. I have read articles from USGS and other reliable sources that pyrite ores from the San Juan area of Colorado, can contain anywhere from 10% to 40% gold. Also, I understand from those articles that the gold in these ores can very well be locked up in Tellurides. I WANT THAT GOLD.
I had a feeling that was your aim to refine ores hence my caution in giving advice.
They really are the hardest things to get right due to the complexity of many of them and acid refining in many cases is a total waste of time and money. I think it's fair to say we have very few members who have seriously cracked them.
Before you buy anything it might pay you to read Rick the Rockmans , Richard 36 if i remember correctly,posts and add photos of the material you wish to recover on his threads ( note the use of the word ) and see if he can give you some guidance to recover your values first and then we can help you to refine them.
I know we may seem grumpy but we have to be careful what we advise and in his case I hope we have saved you from maybe wasting a lot of money buying acids and equipment that will not be of any use and may well have caused you real problems.
I wish you luck but strongly advise you to do a lot of research before committing you or your money to this enterprise.
They really are the hardest things to get right due to the complexity of many of them and acid refining in many cases is a total waste of time and money. I think it's fair to say we have very few members who have seriously cracked them.
Before you buy anything it might pay you to read Rick the Rockmans , Richard 36 if i remember correctly,posts and add photos of the material you wish to recover on his threads ( note the use of the word ) and see if he can give you some guidance to recover your values first and then we can help you to refine them.
I know we may seem grumpy but we have to be careful what we advise and in his case I hope we have saved you from maybe wasting a lot of money buying acids and equipment that will not be of any use and may well have caused you real problems.
I wish you luck but strongly advise you to do a lot of research before committing you or your money to this enterprise.
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2007
- Messages
- 8,360
Whoa, big fella! You might wish to rethink what you just said.flatbed said:
I have personally processed a telluride gold ore that assayed over 300 ounces per ton. That is an exceptionally high assay---although higher have been known. You likely understand that ore that yields a troy ounce of gold per ton is considered high grade. Keep that thought as you read on.
300 ounces per ton is only 1%-----so the chance that you'd find ore with a fourth of that content is highly unlikely. For that matter, the chance that you'd find ore that was commercially viable is highly unlikely. Gold sells for more than $1,300/ounce for good reason. It is not commonly found in economical quantities. Many huge operations are processing deposits that are as low as .10 ounce per ton. That should help you understand the significance of my comments.
Further, unless you are prepared to dedicate a huge amount of time to research, then build or buy the required equipment, you have no chance of making a recovery on a commercial scale. Ores can be very difficult to process. Yes, you could process a few pounds, given enough time, but unless the quality was very high, it would be a losing proposition.
Not trying to discourage you---but if you think you can process ore with acid, you will have a huge amount of unhappiness in your life. It rarely is successful because the gangue consumes the acid without yielding the desired results.
Please do yourself a favor and lose the gold fever, then concentrate on learning more about refining. If you jump in blindly, guaranteed, you will have regrets. Start by reading Hoke's book, which you can download from the links in lazersteve's sig line---plus if you're really interested in ores, you'd be well served to procure a copy of Rose's The Metallurgy of Gold. He discusses gold ores and processes, which will help you understand the complexity of recovering values from ores.
Harold
AuMINIMayhem
Well-known member
Flatbed.. you may want to give this a read as well..
Periodic bioleaching of refractory gold-bearing pyrite ore
http://www.springerlink.com/content/hl98g523777813r2/
Be careful, man.. that's all we're saying. Don't forget, you hear "pyrite" and get excited, but most people with little experience forget about the "arseno" part of the pyrite.. yes, there can be straight pyrite ores, but if it's "arsenopyrite" then you have the added hazard of arsenic.. :shock: among other HIGHLY toxic chemicals within the ore. It's heavy duty stuff, which is why you generally only see large corporations working ore anymore.
Short of panning in a stream or maybe running a sluice, drywasher, etc I'd really just stay away from liberating gold from rocks. These days "urban mining" is the way to go.. ie: refining gold which has already been mined and put into use in some other form. (jewelry, dental scraps, circuit board plating, the list goes on..) Think of these things as your "ore" these days and let the big conglomerates deal with getting it out of the rocks for us. They have the funding for dealing with the massive expenses of equipment, labor, licenses, safety regulations, etc. etc.
Take a quick look at the boards here and you will see that a very small fraction of the boards has to do with liberating gold from ore.. there's areason for that. 8)
I partially agree with Harold on this.. I wouldn't say "lose the Gold Fever" entirely, I would just highly suggest you redirect that fever towards a more feasible (and profitable) venture.. or do some panning. That's always fun too. :mrgreen:
:idea: One other suggestion... if you have the mineral rights to that land you are finding these ores on, or you know the person who does, you might even be able to profit by pointing a large mining outfit in that direction. You get a survey done showing how much potential gold is there, you find a mining company and say "hey, I have this area I found, I'll sell you the info and the rights to it for a reaonable fee.. perhaps even a % of the yield.." 8) (kind of a good position to be in actually..)
Best of luck to you! :mrgreen:
Derek
Periodic bioleaching of refractory gold-bearing pyrite ore
http://www.springerlink.com/content/hl98g523777813r2/
Be careful, man.. that's all we're saying. Don't forget, you hear "pyrite" and get excited, but most people with little experience forget about the "arseno" part of the pyrite.. yes, there can be straight pyrite ores, but if it's "arsenopyrite" then you have the added hazard of arsenic.. :shock: among other HIGHLY toxic chemicals within the ore. It's heavy duty stuff, which is why you generally only see large corporations working ore anymore.
Short of panning in a stream or maybe running a sluice, drywasher, etc I'd really just stay away from liberating gold from rocks. These days "urban mining" is the way to go.. ie: refining gold which has already been mined and put into use in some other form. (jewelry, dental scraps, circuit board plating, the list goes on..) Think of these things as your "ore" these days and let the big conglomerates deal with getting it out of the rocks for us. They have the funding for dealing with the massive expenses of equipment, labor, licenses, safety regulations, etc. etc.
Take a quick look at the boards here and you will see that a very small fraction of the boards has to do with liberating gold from ore.. there's areason for that. 8)
I partially agree with Harold on this.. I wouldn't say "lose the Gold Fever" entirely, I would just highly suggest you redirect that fever towards a more feasible (and profitable) venture.. or do some panning. That's always fun too. :mrgreen:
:idea: One other suggestion... if you have the mineral rights to that land you are finding these ores on, or you know the person who does, you might even be able to profit by pointing a large mining outfit in that direction. You get a survey done showing how much potential gold is there, you find a mining company and say "hey, I have this area I found, I'll sell you the info and the rights to it for a reaonable fee.. perhaps even a % of the yield.." 8) (kind of a good position to be in actually..)
Best of luck to you! :mrgreen:
Derek
joem
Well-known member
My miniscule knowledge on this topic leads me to this advice for you...
Talk to Rick "The Rockman" on this forum and see what he can do for you before you venture into a hazzardous area.
Talk to Rick "The Rockman" on this forum and see what he can do for you before you venture into a hazzardous area.
A bit of advise also Flatbed, just be careful when posting pictures that reveal ones specific identity.
It might pay to erase the number plate on your vehicle and re-post the picture. Especially if your
posting pictures of large returns later down the track.
I'm certainly not saying that you can't trust any of us here but i suspect that we get some shady characters passing through from time
to time and being a forum dedicated to Gold Refining this may appear to be a potential source of income for these shady characters.
Regards
stihl88
It might pay to erase the number plate on your vehicle and re-post the picture. Especially if your
posting pictures of large returns later down the track.
I'm certainly not saying that you can't trust any of us here but i suspect that we get some shady characters passing through from time
to time and being a forum dedicated to Gold Refining this may appear to be a potential source of income for these shady characters.
Regards
stihl88
rusty
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 15, 2010
- Messages
- 1,782
stihl88 said:
Shady characters that's a fact, the lure of easy gold attracts all kinds.
A licence plate, who would have thought, the IP from an email header, telephone reverse directory - Paranoid people should unplug their modem and stay off the Internet.
We need some sunshine with warmer days so that you guys can get back to work.
Regards
Gill
