I operated a Gold and Silver Refinery many years ago in CA.

[ΩPhoenix]

Hi Fellow Refiners
Steve here,

I'm glad I finally got the nerve to show up here
and see what I can learn and contribute to our
community. I am not a chemist or metallurgist
and my knowledge just scratches the surface of
what I see available here.
Back in the mid 1970's thru the mid 1980's I operated
a family owned refinery that processed up to 25,000
troy ounces per month of silver to 999.8 Fine silver
at the peak of the silver bubble in 1980.
If you ask me a question I don't know I'll tell you
and if I have the answer you probably won't have
to dig up a chemistry book to translate it, because the
chemists and metallurgists I worked side be side with
were intelligent enough to explain everything that I
need to know in easy to understand words.

I've started piecing togerther what I have
kept in writing and remember from those times.

http://goldandsilverrefinerysupplies.blogspot.com/2012/04/hi-my-name-is-steve-looser-id-like.html

Look forward to meeting all of you. 8)

ΩPhoenix

 

[goldsilverpro]

Steve,

Very interesting. We very well could have crossed paths over the years. I spent about 20 years - 60s, 70s, 80s - in the gold/silver refining industry in CA. Mainly in L.A. but, for a short period, I had a refinery in San Jose. In about 1975, I helped build Zenith Refining in Hong Kong (Kowloon) and acted as the interim general manager for about 7 months. Zenith was later bought out by Heraeus.

Anyway, welcome to the forum. Always nice to have someone with your experience.

Chris Owen

 

[ΩPhoenix]

Steve,

Very interesting. We very well could have crossed paths over the years. I spent about 20 years - 60s, 70s, 80s - in the gold/silver refining industry in CA. Mainly in L.A. but, for a short period, I had a refinery in San Jose. In about 1975, I helped build Zenith Refining in Hong Kong (Kowloon) and acted as the interim general manager for about 7 months. Zenith was later bought out by Metalor.

Anyway, welcome to the forum. Always nice to have someone with your experience.

Chris Owen

Well Hello Chris,


Thank you so much for your kind welcome.

Sorry I didn't get respond to you sooner. I just found your post today!

I've been a bit overwhelmed by the vastness of this forum and somewhat lost.



It's true that we could have crossed paths and amazing if we didn't considering that we were practically neighbors, especially you being in Kowloon and I on the other side of Lion Rock Mountain in Shatin, New Territories! Also when you operated out
of San Jose, CA, I operated just 90 miles away in Modesto, Ca. What was the name of the refinery in San Jose if you don't mind me
asking? I would love to hear your stories and maybe pick your brain and I want to thank you for

your constructive criticism


I have to say it's a great pleasure to meet you Chris. You are providing a great opportunity for many.
There have very few occasions in my life when I have had the chance to glean knowledge and wisdom top professionals like yourself and the other moderators here in this forum. I wish that I had a small fraction of your business and technical experience and look forward to digging through your work and thoroughly enjoy it.

I have been unemployed for quite some time now and this gave me some time to gather my refining notes that I jotted down when I was in Hong Kong. I've wanted to get that done for years now.

It seems ironic with the price of gold and silver so high that I am unemployed. I have been looking in all the wrong places for years and now realized that refining is something I can do well and that I should redirect my attention to it.




Thanks again Chris




Steve

ΩPhoenix

 

[goldsilverpro]

Steve,

From what I've read, I think you know more than you think you do. Certainly enough to make a decent living at this. On your website, I saw no glaring errors. It seemed obvious that you were experienced. You just need to get back to physically doing it. Like riding a bicycle. Piece of cake.

 

[Palladium]

I've enjoyed reading your post! You seem like an alright kind of fellow. Welcome to the forum Phoenix.