Just a Newbie thirsty for knowledge

[Watcher]

Hello everyone, thanks for allowing me to join.
Quick overview of what brought me here.
I'm a vintage watch buyer/repairer/re-seller.
I have a number of gold, gold filled, rolled gold watches and bracelets that I have been unable to resell for various reasons.
What I'm hoping to do with them is harvest the gold then sell the watch movements for parts and recover my costs with the refined gold and hopefully make some profit...
Thanks in advance
Steve.

 

[FrugalRefiner]

Welcome to the forum. The book in the links in my signature line was written for the type of material you have. It was written long ago, but it will get you get you off to a great start.

Dave

 

[Watcher]

Hello everyone, thanks for allowing me to join.
Quick overview of what brought me here.
I'm a vintage watch buyer/repairer/re-seller.
I have a number of gold, gold filled, rolled gold watches and bracelets that I have been unable to resell for various reasons.
What I'm hoping to do with them is harvest the gold then sell the watch movements for parts and recover my costs with the refined gold and hopefully make some profit...
Thanks in advance
Steve.

Thank you, where can I find the link?

 

[Watcher]

Welcome to the forum. The book in the links in my signature line was written for the type of material you have. It was written long ago, but it will get you get you off to a great start.

Dave

Thanks Dave, where can I find the link?

S.

 

[Yggdrasil]

Thanks Dave, where can I find the link?

S.

If you are on phone, turn it sideways.

 

[Watcher]

Found it thanks..

 

[Watcher]

Hi, I live in Canada and don't have access to nitric acid.
What I do have is one of those acid test kits from JSP containing four vials of 10k 14k 18k and 22k testers which main content is nitric acid.
Would I be safe using it for creating Aqua Regia?? THANKS

 

[Yggdrasil]

Hi, I live in Canada and don't have access to nitric acid.
What I do have is one of those acid test kits from JSP containing four vials of 10k 14k 18k and 22k testers which main content is nitric acid.
Would I be safe using it for creating Aqua Regia?? THANKS

Hard to say, but anyway it is not nearly enough.
Search this forum for poormans AR, it is basically a Nitrate added to HCl.

 

[Watcher]

Hard to say, but anyway it is not nearly enough.
Search this forum for poormans AR, it is basically a Nitrate added to HCl.

Thanks, I've actually got a bunch of gold filled watch cases soaking in a bath of muriatic and hydrogen peroxide, been submerged about 18hrs I'm seeing lots of gold flakes floating around. Should I be excited

 

[Yggdrasil]

Thanks, I've actually got a bunch of gold filled watch cases soaking in a bath of muriatic and hydrogen peroxide, been submerged about 18hrs I'm seeing lots of gold flakes floating around. Should I be excited

We really do not recommend using HCl Peroxide, since it may dissolve some of the Gold.
Better use HCl and air bubbling.

 

[Watcher]

We really do not recommend using HCl Peroxide, since it may dissolve some of the Gold.
Better use HCl and air bubbling.

I have it at 3 parts muriatic and 1 part hydrogen peroxide, it seems quite inert, I've been giving it a stair every couple of hours, should I do a new batch without hydrogen peroxide or just continue as is for another couple of days?

 

[FrugalRefiner]

Just let it run. If you add an aquarium pump to bubble air through it, it will save you the effort of stirring every couple of hours.

In the early days of the forum, "AP" was made using the 3 parts HCl and 1 part peroxide that you used. We've learned that this can dissolve a bit of gold as the copper chloride leach gets going. You won't lose the gold, but it will cement back out of solution as a fine, dark powder, so don't throw anything away.

Watch cases can take a while, so just be patient. Eventually, the base metals will dissolve and leave you with gold foils and dark, cemented gold powder. Then you can move on to refining the gold.

Dave

edited typo lose gold instead of lode gold

 

[Watcher]

Th

Just let it run. If you add an aquarium pump to bubble air through it, it will save you the effort of stirring every couple of hours.

In the early days of the forum, "AP" was made using the 3 parts HCl and 1 part peroxide that you used. We've learned that this can dissolve a bit of gold as the copper chloride leach gets going. You won't lode the gold, but it will cement back out of solution as a fine, dark powder, so don't throw anything away.

Watch cases can take a while, so just be patient. Eventually, the base metals will dissolve and leave you with gold foils and dark, cemented gold powder. Then you can move on to refining the gold.

 

[Watcher]

Thanks Dave, just ordered one from Amazon, I can just submerse the plastic hose/stone into the mix?

 

[Shark]

Thanks Dave, just ordered one from Amazon, I can just submerse the plastic hose/stone into the mix?

Some stones will break down but some don’t. It seems to happen at random. I have used pvc pipe with tiny holes drilled it to make a more permanent “air stone” that worked quite well. In small situations I have punched holes in drinking straws and sealed up the opposite end by heating with a lighter or inserting a plug in it. These may require a weight to even wedge them in place to keep them submerged.

 

[Watcher]

Some stones will break down but some don’t. It seems to happen at random. I have used pvc pipe with tiny holes drilled it to make a more permanent “air stone” that worked quite well. In small situations I have punched holes in drinking straws and sealed up the opposite end by heating with a lighter or inserting a plug in it. These may require a weight to even wedge them in place to keep them submerged.

Some stones will break down but some don’t. It seems to happen at random. I have used pvc pipe with tiny holes drilled it to make a more permanent “air stone” that worked quite well. In small situations I have punched holes in drinking straws and sealed up the opposite end by heating with a lighter or inserting a plug in it. These may require a weight to even wedge them in place to keep them submerged.

Good ideas tks

 

[Watcher]

Hello, so after a 3 day bath in muriatic and hydrogen peroxide this I what it looks like...
What should I do next . Thanks?

 

[Yggdrasil]

Hello, so after a 3 day bath in muriatic and hydrogen peroxide this I what it looks like...
What should I do next . Thanks?

What karat was the Gold?

 

[Watcher]

What karat was the Gold?

It's mostly rolled /filled 10k, 14k watch cases and bracelet clasps

 

[Watcher]

It's mostly rolled /filled 10k, 14k watch cases and bracelet clasps

from vintage watches, 10 or 20 microns.