Hello,
I am a NOOB here, but not to precious metals. Whereas, I have a solid chemistry background and I would feel comfortable setting up a lab to separate precious metals, time becomes a constraint. I am designated as the 2nd on the list of C.M. Hoke’s book… the dreaded “DENTIST”! I see that most of the forum does not fall in this category, and my kind seems to just throw away or haphazardly send out PM scrap with very little vetting of what we have and the true value of what we have (Easy or lazy scrap surrenderer). Middle men come to dental offices and give meal gift cards to front desk staff to take scrap, a trick i have witnessed among colleagues many times. These dentists aren’t stupid, but more overwhelmed with treating people primarily and running a fully staffed office rendering scrap metal an insignificant factor to think about.
Recently, I decided to turn in my scrap, which I know has a high volume of Au & Pd primarily followed by Pt & Ag. These large refiners, who want you to send scrap through the mail no matter the volume and trust it will arrive, and will NOT allow you to visit their facility I find questionable. I had nearly 20+ pounds of isolated scrap (No teeeeeth & very little porcelain), gathered over many years, that I knew was quite valuable. I personally weighed and and dropped off at a refinery that advertised 100% guarantee or you can receive your assay back at absolutely NO cost. After the scrap was rendered into a large assay (160 0z) and analyzed with a vacuum pin tube & Inductively Coupled Plasma machine, I was given my assay composition. Upon, telling me this I was surprised to hear the payout percentage. I inquired and was told the “Dentist“ payout was 66% but on my company account (which most dentists don’t have & they overlooked I had)) it showed 84%. Due to an immediate lack of trust, even though they acknowledged their mistake, I picked up my assay and am waiting to decide what to do moving forward. This really began my deep dive into refinery research and has left me quite confounded. I since have been quoted from a few refineries nationwide:
All metals: 95% & 90%
Also Varying % of metals: 97% Au, 88% PGMs
I was wanting the refineries to do an independent test of their own to evaluate the composition and volume of the assay so they were comfortable but wanted a firm agreement on me delivering and % of metals to be paid so I am not traveling haphazardly throughout the country to be told PGMs aren’t paid for. These refineries have either been reluctant to commit to % on paper, will not allow me to drop off and will not insure delivery. The assay % report indicated this assay to be worth $250K+. Let me just pop that in the mail and cross my fingers!
I am willing to invest in the separation of this metal assay into individual precious metals as I enjoy Chemistry, but want to see what everyone here in the forum suggests as per a refinery I can trust and will agree to simply allow me to drop off, watch their basic analysis and agree upon % paid out for all metals before engaging. Or render the process myself and sell to local mint I have a relationship with. Thank you for everyone’s time in reading and pondering this for me.
I am a NOOB here, but not to precious metals. Whereas, I have a solid chemistry background and I would feel comfortable setting up a lab to separate precious metals, time becomes a constraint. I am designated as the 2nd on the list of C.M. Hoke’s book… the dreaded “DENTIST”! I see that most of the forum does not fall in this category, and my kind seems to just throw away or haphazardly send out PM scrap with very little vetting of what we have and the true value of what we have (Easy or lazy scrap surrenderer). Middle men come to dental offices and give meal gift cards to front desk staff to take scrap, a trick i have witnessed among colleagues many times. These dentists aren’t stupid, but more overwhelmed with treating people primarily and running a fully staffed office rendering scrap metal an insignificant factor to think about.
Recently, I decided to turn in my scrap, which I know has a high volume of Au & Pd primarily followed by Pt & Ag. These large refiners, who want you to send scrap through the mail no matter the volume and trust it will arrive, and will NOT allow you to visit their facility I find questionable. I had nearly 20+ pounds of isolated scrap (No teeeeeth & very little porcelain), gathered over many years, that I knew was quite valuable. I personally weighed and and dropped off at a refinery that advertised 100% guarantee or you can receive your assay back at absolutely NO cost. After the scrap was rendered into a large assay (160 0z) and analyzed with a vacuum pin tube & Inductively Coupled Plasma machine, I was given my assay composition. Upon, telling me this I was surprised to hear the payout percentage. I inquired and was told the “Dentist“ payout was 66% but on my company account (which most dentists don’t have & they overlooked I had)) it showed 84%. Due to an immediate lack of trust, even though they acknowledged their mistake, I picked up my assay and am waiting to decide what to do moving forward. This really began my deep dive into refinery research and has left me quite confounded. I since have been quoted from a few refineries nationwide:
All metals: 95% & 90%
Also Varying % of metals: 97% Au, 88% PGMs
I was wanting the refineries to do an independent test of their own to evaluate the composition and volume of the assay so they were comfortable but wanted a firm agreement on me delivering and % of metals to be paid so I am not traveling haphazardly throughout the country to be told PGMs aren’t paid for. These refineries have either been reluctant to commit to % on paper, will not allow me to drop off and will not insure delivery. The assay % report indicated this assay to be worth $250K+. Let me just pop that in the mail and cross my fingers!
I am willing to invest in the separation of this metal assay into individual precious metals as I enjoy Chemistry, but want to see what everyone here in the forum suggests as per a refinery I can trust and will agree to simply allow me to drop off, watch their basic analysis and agree upon % paid out for all metals before engaging. Or render the process myself and sell to local mint I have a relationship with. Thank you for everyone’s time in reading and pondering this for me.