E-scrap pins

[crudpuppy]

I harvest pins for gold coating but noticed when trying to pick up droppings with magnet that there is virtually no magnetic field so what is makeup under the gold(non-magetic I know) that is also apparently non-magnetic as steel etc is very reactive to a magnetic field and thats what I thought I was dealign with here really.

 

[silversaddle1]

Unobtanium!

 

[crudpuppy]

Um, Was looking for a real answer...lol....Alot of metals non-magnetic are good things to get/collect keep/sell hehe..

 

[lazersteve]

Maybe copper?

 

[crudpuppy]

doesnt appear the right color under the gold for that...appears move silverish colored.

 

[lazersteve]

Zinc?

 

[silversaddle1]

Um, Was looking for a real answer...lol....Alot of metals non-magnetic are good things to get/collect keep/sell hehe..

Yea, I know. I harvest pins as well.

Scott

 

[Harold_V]

Pins are known to be made of brass, but generally have a barrier plating of nickel beneath the gold, which prevents migration of the gold plating to the base metal. That would explain the white color you may have seen. Clip a pin with side cutters, then etch the clipped end with a drop of dilute nitric. You can expect a little fizzing, along with a blue solution reaction. That will better define the color of the base metal. In order for pins to have the necessary rigidity, they are cold formed. Copper alloys work harden.

Harold

 

[silversaddle1]

Harold,

We are blessed with your knowledge and your willingness to share it.

You are a good man.

 

[crudpuppy]

Um, Was looking for a real answer...lol....Alot of metals non-magnetic are good things to get/collect keep/sell hehe..

Yea, I know. I harvest pins as well.

Scott

DERN nice collection of pins there Scott...lol

 

[crudpuppy]

Thanks guys...not knowing annoys the hound out of me and also without knowing what that is never know what I'm doing away with after getting cleaned of gold...hehe dont like to throw out money!

 

[Harold_V]

Harold,

We are blessed with your knowledge and your willingness to share it.

You are a good man.

Thank you! 8)
Just trying to pass along to the readers those little things that can really make a difference. Most problems can be solved if you have enough information.

Pins, such as those that have been shown, are very best stripped, assuming one is interested in maximizing profit. Once stripped, they have sale value as scrap brass. The real bonus comes from stripping instead of dissolving the entire pin. Those sulfuric stripping cells definitely have their place.

Harold

 

[crudpuppy]

Yeah I just decided the other day to build one as I've been using crockpot and after seeing speed of deplating versus crockpot and the fact I end up with scrap metals to sell off after definalty made me realize much better to use a cell!