Gold Vintage Patch Panel Connectors

[powerbuy]

Interesting scrap here. These connectors are from a vintage-looking military telecom patch panel (no date or models/part numbers, so unsure of age). After dismantling I ended up with over a pound of this gold scrap.... the odd thing is that I can't seem to determine the thickness of the gold plating. I used several different types of erasers to see if I could remove the top layer, and even used a file and a sharp razor knife to try to get an idea of the thickness of the plating. Under a magnifying glass it still looks like gold in all spots that I tested.... can't make out any other metals underneath.

I have been on this forum long enough to know that there really are no parts that are solid gold and would be no reason to make anything other than plated parts in computer and telecom equipment. Any suggestions on determining gold plating thickness short of actually processing with acids? (Photos following).

 

[goldsilverpro]

Measuring and calculating the surface area of the pins, counting out a number of pins (say, 100 or more), very accurately recovering and refining the gold from them, and then calculating the thickness is about the only way. Equipment is available to measure the gold thickness directly, but it's quite expensive. The eraser method is not accurate at all, unless you have something with known thickness to compare it with. Even then, it could vary depending on the hardness of that particular gold plating. I use it mainly to determine if something is gold plated, or not.

I assume you tried the eraser method to get an idea of the value. Besides actually refining the pins, the most accurate way would be to have several samples fire assayed.

 

[powerbuy]

Thank you! I have used the eraser method effectively in the past for plated jewelry and such, but this plating must be extra hard or thick. I will post results when I get around to refining.

 

[goldenchild]

Thank you! I have used the eraser method effectively in the past for plated jewelry and such, but this plating must be extra hard or thick. I will post results when I get around to refining.

Thats a healthy bag of scrap you have there. Could it be brass underneath? That would give the illlusion that the plating isnt coming off. I would say cut one up into a few pieces and put it into a bit of nitric. That will give you an idea of how thick the plating is. But like GSP said you would have to process some to get an idea of their yeild.

 

[samuel-a]

Thats a healthy bag of scrap you have there. Could it be brass underneath? That would give the illlusion that the plating isnt coming off. I would say cut one up into a few pieces and put it into a bit of nitric. That will give you an idea of how thick the plating is. But like GSP said you would have to process some to get an idea of their yeild.

i can't tell what's the trick of making it look so shiny, but i remember this type of pins when i operated my stripping cell.
they ware the one's that striped the fastest, less then a sec and the gold was gone.
educated guess is that they are flashed plated...
then again, i might be worng.

good luck