Hello from NW Indiana

[heliman4141]

Ive been haunting this super awsome forum a while & now feel comfortable posting a bit.
Figured id start out by saying that ive really enjoyed all ive read so far & am learning at an exponential rate now, thanks to the endless information to be accessed here with just an easy search.
I have always been interested in anything Science related & Alchemy has my interest at the moment. My main hobby beyond refining is Astronomy. Needless to say one cannot own too many telescopes( time machines really as light has to travel 186,000 a mile a sec to reach my eyepiece so im looking at the past in light yrs.) Gold originates in the heart of a super nova, so we all are made of stardust as is the earth so to be able to extract & refine Gold & Silver stardust gives me the utmost of pleasure as I look to the heavens at night.
Im 55 and self employed. Can not go thru life any other way as an employee. Maybe cause im a Taurus I dunno ...LOL.
I started out watching videos of many fools doing acid refining indoors on youtube vids, shock was my first reaction........This is a power vent or outdoors event period. No gray area there Black & white far as safety goes. I then stumbled onto this forum thru a Google search & its been the best bookmark I have . The sheer knowlege base and learning curve is daunting, it will take yrs. to read all the old posts let alone the new info always coming in, however its become invaluable to me for the refining that im doing which is pins, plating, & Gold filled jewelry which poses some really interesting base metals issues. The learning cure is endless & now I see why everyone keeps saying read, read, read, then................read more. And yes Hokes book.
I don't want to bite off more then I can chew so im doing small batches at a time & memorizing the results for future larger batches. Id hate to loose a batch & so far I haven't. I devised my own simple acid reactor using a 2 gallon glass jug with a plastic lid that runs a 1/2" plastic tube into a secong 1 gal. water jug filled 3/4 with water & urea. Both jugs are in 5 gallon pails with the acid reactor immersed in 6" of water to control the heat. Almost no fumes at all during the entire process as it all bubbles into the gallon jug. I let this sit 24 hrs. pour off & do again with Nitric just to be sure all base metals are consumed. Its safe to walk away from also because I have no children & my yard is completly fenced in by a 6" wooden fence I built & I place the 5 gal lids on loosely. Only downside is the weather, Winter puts a stop on everything, so im building a 12" X 16 shed this summer with a hood vent that will hold my reactor then I can recycle all yr. long with the shed heated & safely vented. Going to be a long hard Summer of work at my age as im also party crippled badly on my entire right side, my pride won't allow me to get on SSD so id prefer chronic pain & keep my self esteem working, money is far better working then milking the sys anyway. (struck by a car while on a bike as a young man) but this hobby is worth it. I feel extremely lucky ive not lost a batch as I see that sadly has happened a lot to beginneres & its hard to fix a real mess of toxic soup.
I am doing Gold and Silver as part of my retirement portfolio as I do not trust fiat currency to last forever, the federal ponzi scheme of endless printing of paper currency is not money its currency bonded by faith, when that faith is gone only Silver & Gold will have sustained value when the new World currency evolves. Its not IF its simply when...........Can only go so many trillions in debt before a Government falters due to inflation gone wild by stockholders of the Feds.
Anyway, this is my goal, so far I have all the Silver I feel comfortable with so now my focus is Gold. Just picked up an Oxy/ Acl micro jewelers torch & tanks & a regular torch so melting now will be a non issue & I have some new tools from this hobby now that can be used on my autos & work etc..Was using propane but the temps just couldn't melt the Gold. With the torch only seconds needed.
Word of advice: anyone buying a torch setup make certaing it has check valves and flashbacks installed. Some do not & that is very dangerious.
I doubt I can add much to the data base far as knowlege but I will if I can if I see a neewbee struggling. Good luck to my fellow refiners & remember no PM is worth your health ever so safety first. Better to go slow & let time do the work for you. I hope I haven't rambled on too much. Oldtimers has that effect..............LOL. :mrgreen:
Dave

 

[butcher]

Dave,
I am tired and, a long post, I enjoyed reading it, I look forward to your helping add to the forum with what you are learning, and reading more of your posts.

 

[artart47]

Heliman4141 hello !
I thought they broke the mold . Isen't it so cool to be in a bar watching a beautifull woman drinking a beer from an aluminum can and all you can think about is that her can was once eighty million degrees celcius on the way out of the core of the star that was destined to supply the future earth aluminum to recycle. Everyone else is only looking at her chest! From reading your first post, I think a very interesting human has joined our forum! Am looking foreward to this!
Welcome to the forum!
artart47

 

[heliman4141]

Dave,
I am tired and, a long post, I enjoyed reading it, I look forward to your helping add to the forum with what you are learning, and reading more of your posts.

Hello butcher,
Im humbled every time I read a post you make. You have a LOT of exp. there. Lots of serious refiners here on the board. Hope I didn't tire your eyes out too much with my long winded hello. :mrgreen:

 

[heliman4141]

Heliman4141 hello !
I thought they broke the mold . Isen't it so cool to be in a bar watching a beautifull woman drinking a beer from an aluminum can and all you can think about is that her can was once eighty million degrees celcius on the way out of the core of the star that was destined to supply the future earth aluminum to recycle. Everyone else is only looking at her chest! From reading your first post, I think a very interesting human has joined our forum! Am looking foreward to this!
Welcome to the forum!
artart47

Hi artart47,
Now you must realize that im ONLY 55!
In my mind im still 21...........On the outside tho, science wins out.........sigh.
I can always look at a beer can, but a beautiful woman is a piece of art that is hard to pass on. 8) Actually im more a leg man myself when im not peeking into an eyepiece.
It is funny tho that most people have little time in their fast lives to really consider that we are just a tiny blue ball racing thru space, insignificant really to the scheme of the universe. But everything is so intense in our own little World.
Ive taken photos thru my scopes that I feel have more value to me then the Gold I just made. They were extremely time consuming too! LOL.
Variety is the spice of life so don't spend too much concentration on the sub atomic structure of beer cans in the bar next time. :twisted:
Dave






















Dave

 

[Smack]

Dave, one note on the Nitric Acid, if your not heating it you might be losing out on some money there. You should get further digestion of the base metals if heated. Great first post and welcome to the forum.

Smack

 

[heliman4141]

Dave, one note on the Nitric Acid, if your not heating it you might be losing out on some money there. You should get further digestion of the base metals if heated. Great first post and welcome to the forum.

Smack

Hi Smack,
Yes, in the Summer I was heating my beaker outside with a watchplate over it, when I wasn't doing just muratic & fingers. I melt & make low carat material, then make shot, then use heat with the nitric. This Winter tho has been brutal for the entire Country. I made a new setup that uses self contained vessels within plastic 5 gallon buckets for secondary safety, Ill be adding scalding water to the reactor side during metal consumption instead of my hotplate which the acid fumes had pretty much destroyed anyway. but,...............im at a standstill until it gets warm out. My garage is attached & unheated so no way am I going to mess with it for several reasons. Wish I had a heated garage/shop unattached from my home..............Those that do are fortunate to recycle all yr. long.
If I didn't know better one would think im living in Alaska.....................Will this Winter never end?
Dave

 

[Smack]

I have 2 Dayton hanging furnaces in my shop and still don't do chemical reactions in the winter, at 900 CFM the fume hood fan sucks the heat out of the shop right quick.

 

[Pantherlikher]

heliman4141
Welcome and hope to see more of what you learn. Through the eyes and minds of others we have much to learn and experience.

For instance, you have already begun to help the forum by hinting at your natural obsticles and still managed to create a working set up for you.
Perhaps you can shed some pictures and information on your setup. This will help us with ideas as well as we can send you ideas to help you with your system.

B.S.

 

[g_axelsson]

Heliman4141 hello !
I thought they broke the mold . Isen't it so cool to be in a bar watching a beautifull woman drinking a beer from an aluminum can and all you can think about is that her can was once eighty million degrees celcius on the way out of the core of the star that was destined to supply the future earth aluminum to recycle. Everyone else is only looking at her chest! From reading your first post, I think a very interesting human has joined our forum! Am looking foreward to this!
Welcome to the forum!
artart47

Hi artart47,
Now you must realize that im ONLY 55!
In my mind im still 21...........On the outside tho, science wins out.........sigh.
I can always look at a beer can, but a beautiful woman is a piece of art that is hard to pass on. 8) Actually im more a leg man myself when im not peeking into an eyepiece.
It is funny tho that most people have little time in their fast lives to really consider that we are just a tiny blue ball racing thru space, insignificant really to the scheme of the universe. But everything is so intense in our own little World.
Ive taken photos thru my scopes that I feel have more value to me then the Gold I just made. They were extremely time consuming too! LOL.
Variety is the spice of life so don't spend too much concentration on the sub atomic structure of beer cans in the bar next time. :twisted:
Dave

You are talking about girls, nuclear synthesis and our place in the universe. I would buy you both a couple of rounds in a bar just for the joy of discussing with some older gents... I'm only 47 on the outside but a lot younger on the inside. I hope it isn't Alzheimer! :mrgreen:
Don't know why, but I just thought of this old video.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buqtdpuZxvk[/youtube]

And remember, any gold, silver or platinum was born in a super nova. Common stuff as carbon, oxygen and iron only need a simple star to form.

Welcome to the forum Dave, nice to have you here!

Göran

 

[heliman4141]

I have 2 Dayton hanging furnaces in my shop and still don't do chemical reactions in the winter, at 900 CFM the fume hood fan sucks the heat out of the shop right quick.

I can see that being a serious waste of energy very quickly unless your making at least an ounce a day of end product. Its one reason ive halted all my refining until its at least a steady 60 degrees outside. As bad as the weather is this yr. I understand shutting down due to heat loss venting. Hopefully next Winter will be a mild one like last yrs.
Looks like its going to come in roaring like a lion right up to Spring.


Dave

 

[heliman4141]

heliman4141
Welcome and hope to see more of what you learn. Through the eyes and minds of others we have much to learn and experience.

For instance, you have already begun to help the forum by hinting at your natural obsticles and still managed to create a working set up for you.
Perhaps you can shed some pictures and information on your setup. This will help us with ideas as well as we can send you ideas to help you with your system.

B.S.

Hi Pantherlikher,
I am learning a lot just reading posts from members, amazing forum. This isn't a regular hobby by any means. Its a deadly serious endeavour.................I had my best friend over the other day & he was looking at my setup & was asking questions. I could see the process as a whole scares the bejuses out of him. Once I explained the safety requirements & backup it has for any accidental foaming or spillage he bagan to understand it was, well................a manageable process outside of a lab. I told him learning to do the recycling process was akin to Mountain climbing, I mean would anyone with any safety sense just go buy some rope & head to Mt. Everest? I got a good chuckle from him using that analogy, he understands now that this has to first start with researching as much as possible before you do anything with acid or a torch.
When it gets warm outside Ill take a pic or two of my simple setup, its modest but im very comfortable with it being backed up by the 2 5 gal. buckets. It can start raining & I can still walk away from it with few worrys.
I am really enjoying reading here, its pretty addicting actually......................

Dave

 

[heliman4141]

Heliman4141 hello !
I thought they broke the mold . Isen't it so cool to be in a bar watching a beautifull woman drinking a beer from an aluminum can and all you can think about is that her can was once eighty million degrees celcius on the way out of the core of the star that was destined to supply the future earth aluminum to recycle. Everyone else is only looking at her chest! From reading your first post, I think a very interesting human has joined our forum! Am looking foreward to this!
Welcome to the forum!
artart47

Hi artart47,
Now you must realize that im ONLY 55!
In my mind im still 21...........On the outside tho, science wins out.........sigh.
I can always look at a beer can, but a beautiful woman is a piece of art that is hard to pass on. 8) Actually im more a leg man myself when im not peeking into an eyepiece.
It is funny tho that most people have little time in their fast lives to really consider that we are just a tiny blue ball racing thru space, insignificant really to the scheme of the universe. But everything is so intense in our own little World.
Ive taken photos thru my scopes that I feel have more value to me then the Gold I just made. They were extremely time consuming too! LOL.
Variety is the spice of life so don't spend too much concentration on the sub atomic structure of beer cans in the bar next time. :twisted:
Dave

You are talking about girls, nuclear synthesis and our place in the universe. I would buy you both a couple of rounds in a bar just for the joy of discussing with some older gents... I'm only 47 on the outside but a lot younger on the inside. I hope it isn't Alzheimer! :mrgreen:
Don't know why, but I just thought of this old video.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buqtdpuZxvk[/youtube]

And remember, any gold, silver or platinum was born in a super nova. Common stuff as carbon, oxygen and iron only need a simple star to form.

Welcome to the forum Dave, nice to have you here!

Göran

Hi g_axelsson,
I faintly remember 47......................at my age we call it Oldtimers & I do suffer from it just a tad. LOL.. You will find out soon enough yourself so that's all Ill say about that.
Your right bud, as a star consumes its Hydrogen it then has to start fission on a new heavier element helium and so on eventually stopping at Iron.........if it even makes it to that point, all the time fighting gravity in a balance, pretty cool physics to say the least. Told the wife ive seen man land on the Moon & all I want to see in my life now is a man on Mars before im gone. I hope I can make it!
The Summer we had here 2 yrs. ago had me thinking our Sun was turning into a red giant sooner then predicted with all the 100 degree days we had.
Couple beers sounds nice, thanks for the suggestion. Don't do that routine much anymore, but there was a time.............. 8)


Dave