A
Anonymous
Guest
So I am new to all of this and I have read many a thread, and run some searches, but I find I am still at a loss as how exactly to start.I feel the best way I can get the answers I need is this way. So I'm sorry if the questions I've asked are ones already asked & answered before. I go to school and work full-time and haven't had time to really sit down and read endless threads looking for my answers. Though I am close to graduating, so I will, hopefully, be able to sit down and read through those threads so y'all can impart some much needed wisdom on me =D
Q) How, exactly, would I go about collecting scrap jewelry from jewelers? Is it as easy as walking into a jewelry store and asking them if they have any scraps they want to sell? My brother told me he had an "in" on getting processors from his job, but is now dragging his feet, so I'm taking a more pro-active approach.
Q) What are the materials I will need once I get 'said' scrap jewelry? I know about Crusibles and Ingot Molds. I'm guessing I would have to build my own little furnace too, correct? Of course the saftey materials: Gloves, glasses/goggles, long-metal tongs for the Crusible. Anything else I'm missing? I keep hearing about a "Fume Hood". Can anyone explain what that's function is?
Q) Next to materials used to melt/cast the metals, what about the refining process? I've seen a lot of mentioning of Borax as a flux to pull out impurities to, it is my assumption, make the metal (lets say gold) go from 90% pure to 95% pure, correct? I've also seen many remarks about different chemicals and such as well as there being different methods to achomplish this. Can anyone give me the abridged version of these methods, and the uses of the proper chemicals/flaux/etc, until I can sit down and do futher research on my own?
Q) What else am I missing from the whole process: Collecting scrap PMs-to-casting PM ingots?
I thank you all for your eternal patience in my learning curb. I hope to be able to share my wisdom with others who are new, as well as share the fruits of my success, thanks to you all of course, with y'all sometime soon. Also, any reading material you all would suggest I would appreciate too. My mother keeps asking me what I want for Christmas, so these books could make the list =D
EDIT: Upon further reading, I found this link from lazersteve: http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=60&t=5604
I haven't clicked all the links, but should I assume that this thread will answer 99% of my questions?
Q) How, exactly, would I go about collecting scrap jewelry from jewelers? Is it as easy as walking into a jewelry store and asking them if they have any scraps they want to sell? My brother told me he had an "in" on getting processors from his job, but is now dragging his feet, so I'm taking a more pro-active approach.
Q) What are the materials I will need once I get 'said' scrap jewelry? I know about Crusibles and Ingot Molds. I'm guessing I would have to build my own little furnace too, correct? Of course the saftey materials: Gloves, glasses/goggles, long-metal tongs for the Crusible. Anything else I'm missing? I keep hearing about a "Fume Hood". Can anyone explain what that's function is?
Q) Next to materials used to melt/cast the metals, what about the refining process? I've seen a lot of mentioning of Borax as a flux to pull out impurities to, it is my assumption, make the metal (lets say gold) go from 90% pure to 95% pure, correct? I've also seen many remarks about different chemicals and such as well as there being different methods to achomplish this. Can anyone give me the abridged version of these methods, and the uses of the proper chemicals/flaux/etc, until I can sit down and do futher research on my own?
Q) What else am I missing from the whole process: Collecting scrap PMs-to-casting PM ingots?
I thank you all for your eternal patience in my learning curb. I hope to be able to share my wisdom with others who are new, as well as share the fruits of my success, thanks to you all of course, with y'all sometime soon. Also, any reading material you all would suggest I would appreciate too. My mother keeps asking me what I want for Christmas, so these books could make the list =D
EDIT: Upon further reading, I found this link from lazersteve: http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=60&t=5604
I haven't clicked all the links, but should I assume that this thread will answer 99% of my questions?
