First time using AP method

[Captobvious]

Thanx, Ed. I'll definitely take your advice and rinse well. I ordered 12 oz of SMB off eBay before I got a response from anyone on the forum and you're the second person that suggested Duda Diesel. $2.50 +3.00 shipping for 12 oz. I know it's probablly not the best price but I guess my impatience got the best of me. I won't see the stuff till Monday or Tuesday but I'll post my progress. Thanks again.

Amazon is pretty awesome in this regard too. Interestingly enough the SMB and Sulfuric I bought recently were arranged by Amazon to sell for Duda diesel lol but the rest of my order came from something like 4 other places. So yeah it was like a one stop shop and got the best deal of 5 different places without the hassle of checking 5 different websites, was very convenient!

 

[Captobvious]

I'm not the best with keeping the most detailed notes, but when I did my SMB drop I added more by feel to the diluted Auric Chloride (600ml solution, 1200ml water and ice and allowed ice to melt almost completely) As you saw (in my thread - (prepping to drop with SMB-http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=18092&p=182853#p182853) I ended up diluting quite a bit, might I suggest adding more water to your mix to dilute it and let settle, test with stannous chloride, chk for SO2 vapors has sulfur smell (I would assume that you're familiar with the odor while doing your earlier SMB addition) BE CAREFUL DOING THIS!!! SO2 fumes are DANGEROUS!!!

I would assume that if you get a positive stannous test and no fumes detectable (after diluting) to add more SMB and let the solution go clear. Then allow to precipitate and settle. But I would be tempted to say just diluting further might solve your problem and allow the reaction to succeed as it just sounds from your descriptions to be too thick for the SMB to work that's already there.

I guess others can confirm or deny this, feel free to chastise me if I'm wrong on this Vets

Hope this helps

 

[kane333]

My first button. Again, sorry about the pics, I'm using the 30x jewelers loupe in front of the cell phone camera to take these pictures.
It doesn't have the characteristic "pipe" so it's probably not as pure as it should be but it's my first and I'm very happy :mrgreen:
I've read that you can re-dissolve the buttons but I don't have nitric. HCL/CL would be a bear to try and re-dissolve a button. Could I maybe peen it flat to make the HCL/CL work? Any better suggestions?

 

[FrugalRefiner]

Congratulations!

If you want to redissolve it with HCl/Cl, you can hammer it flat to expose more surface area. That will help the process move along a little faster.

Or you can save it as it is and compare it to your next one to see how your technique has improved.

Dave

 

[butcher]

Good job, I save up those buttons I think need re-refining.
They are great for de-NOxing an aqua regia solution, or adding weight to that larger batch down the road.

 

[Captobvious]

Fyi Kane, if you plan to re-refine I would advise against making them into a button until after the 2nd refining, the powders tend to dissolve a lot easier than buttons is all.... that said I can TOTALLY understand wanting to melt that first button

 

[yar]

Congrats on your first button. I am still reading and learning and preparing for my first try with AP on fingers. Thank you for this well documented thread as I learn from what you have done.

 

[artart47]

Hi Kane!
You mensioned that it takes so many grams of SMB to saturate a certain amount of water..... You don't need to saturate you gold chloride solution in order to drop your gold. The gold drops because the SMB creates SO2 gas that disolves in the solution and the SO2 is what makes the gold drop out. about 1gram of SMB in enough to drop 1gram of gold.
If you think you sould have say, 6grams gold, add may-be 5-6grams SMB and then after it drops test with stannis chloride to make sure there is no gold still in solution.
Too much SMB can interfere with the test and make it more difficult fore your gold to drop. It suld drop very fast.
Hope this helped artart47


Edit
Sorry I just got in from work, diden" see page two of your post Ha Ha!
Hey! congrats on a job well done!

 

[steyr223]

Nice kane
Just because there's no pipe does not mean that it is not good
I have had many nuggets with no hole that were still
+98% .I believe the size makes a bit of difference,
It all depends on what you want to do with the recovered
Gold

Cash wise very little
Refine wise huge :lol:

Also to much smb does strange things like make your
Drop stay in suspention for ever
You said quick drop and thats excellent

Are you sure i mean i use 10 grams to much and i get
Smb all over the bottom of my beaker
From your pics that wasn't the case

Please someone correct me if i am wrong

Nice job kane
Steyr223 rob