Look at this mess

[Akragon]

Its very pretty though.. 18k plated watch... the face pulled out lovely flakes. But if you look closely at the band, it had silver and gold beads... i was assuming white gold... but looks like copper is the villain

 

[Martijn]

Akragon, thanks for following my advice as I stated in this post:

Akragon, the questions you ask and the (lack of) response to certain questions makes me believe you should not be dealing with chemicals and stop experimenting.
I hope it's that you don't understand the finesse of this field enough to respond properly, and it's not a matter of rudeness.
But you keep coming with specific questions you should not be bothering with at this point.
I understand your head must be spinning with all these processes and reactions with exclusions or small differences with big consequences. like mine when i started this.
first get your goal straight> why are you here? > you have some material and want to get the gold off of it.
now study the processes you think or are told are best suited for the task and stick to that process.
Get the basics right and build up from there. Once you have the experience, you can try changing variables to test something.

I think i gave this advice before: do not do anything with chemicals until you have discussed it with us.

Please stop and study hokes and perform her acquaintance tests to get a feeling how chemicals and metals react to each other under different circumstances.
Then test an alloy or a combined piece of metals.

be safe & have fun.

Martijn.

Good luck experimenting with things you don't understand.
I'm ignoring your post from now on.

 

[Akragon]

Akragon, thanks for following my advice as I stated in this post:


Good luck experimenting with things you don't understand.
I'm ignoring your post from now on.

Well thats a shame but so be it... i thought this was a subforum to "show off your gold, nuggets etc"... i thought it was pretty and "show offable"... and i've taken your advice. Pretty sure i've stated specifically i have a back ground in chemistry. And though i'm learning this i am in no way putting myself at risk.

I'll be your black sheep though... delete this post IF you deem it necessary

 

[Yggdrasil]

Well thats a shame but so be it... i thought this was a subforum to "show off your gold, nuggets etc"... i thought it was pretty and "show offable"... and i've taken your advice. Pretty sure i've stated specifically i have a back ground in chemistry. And though i'm learning this i am in no way putting myself at risk.

I'll be your black sheep though... delete this post IF you deem it necessary

We don't delete posts in this forum unless they are totally off topic.
I think he reacted on asking you to lay back and ask advice and suddenly you show a process in action.
The gallery are usually for refined and melted beads/buttons but there are no rules stopping you showing anything in the earlier phases.

 

[Akragon]

We don't delete posts in this forum unless they are totally off topic.
I think he reacted on asking you to lay back and ask advice and suddenly you show a process in action.
The gallery are usually for refined and melted beads/buttons but there are no rules stopping you showing anything in the earlier phases.

Honestly... i thought he was you...

Avatars are so tiny here... Im not used to it due to my forum

https://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/off_topic.php
sorry im not advertising... just sayin lol

 

[nickvc]

I mean no disrespect here but if your background in chemistry is theoretical rather than practical you may find a few shocks along the way, I’m in no way suggesting you can’t do this especially as you have a chemistry background but learn from those who have seen and done and know the pitfalls many end up falling into.
Over time we have had many members with scientific backgrounds some of who have failed , we have members who are recovery and refining chemists and we have dummies like me who had to learn the hard and expensive way.
The base line to this is listen to advice which is freely given and be sure any false or dangerous advice will be corrected quickly no one knows or all in this field it’s just so huge.

 

[Yggdrasil]

Nick is right, I do not know how your back ground has been, theoretical or practical and in which field.
But there is in Chemistry as in many activities we do professionally or in Hobbies, often a canyon between theory and practical application.
And as sometimes shown by people coming from Chemistry backgrounds doing the same mistakes most of us have done.
So I urge you to listen.

 

[Akragon]

i appreciate any and all advice im given... after all i did join this forum to learn. Again i just thought it was pretty, but perhaps this kind of post isn't appropriate here.... so my apologies

 

[Shark]

With all the left over base metals it seems your process 1- did not finish or 2- was ended to early. It may be because you’re newer and excited but most of us have come to look at pictures as being a job well done as much as just being pretty to look at.

 

[Akragon]

With all the left over base metals it seems your process 1- did not finish or 2- was ended to early. It may be because you’re newer and excited but most of us have come to look at pictures as being a job well done as much as just being pretty to look at.

There was no nitric involved, just HCl... so i expected a lot of junk to be left over. This is the second exposure to the acid, it just surprised me how bright it was, and the stark difference in colour between the gold and copper. The first round everything pretty much looked the same. i have no intention on going any further with this... it will be set aside until i can remove all the base metals

 

[Shark]

Put it back in HCl and leave it a week or two.

 

[nickvc]

With all the left over base metals it seems your process 1- did not finish or 2- was ended too here early. It may be because you’re newer and excited but most of us have come to look at pictures as being a job well done as much as just being pretty to look at.

There is no need to apologize for posting pictures , we get it , the thought of turning what is basically unwanted junk into nice bright shiny gold is what keeps us all doing this.
The one reason to listen to advice is to stop failures which if they happen too often you will give up by simply been bored with no results, we get lots of posts where members are gifted buckets , bottles and containers of semi processed material because the original owners couldn’t work out what they did wrong or what to do next to extract the values, too many YouTube videos and not enough study is the usual cause which is why we push members to read so they can learn the basics and can then move forward to success.
Keep up the reading and I will look forward to seeing you first button.

 

[Akragon]

Actually i already have three, though admittedly i cheated. I just melted some stuff. The tiny one went right into water so it was very pretty! Took me a while to get the top left together so it was a little messy, and the other was sterling silver. And a bit of garbage plated stuff i decided to try and melt. Went on a melting spree one night. I have those to keep me motivated. And believe me i read hokes book regularly... been through it a few times cover to cover already.

 

[Akragon]

Put it back in HCl and leave it a week or two.

Hcl doesn't dissolve copper very well... if at all... though theres traces of it in left over HCL clearly. Do you think an extended exposure will work? I have nitric being delivered as i type this... so

 

[Yggdrasil]

Hcl doesn't dissolve copper very well... if at all... though theres traces of it in left over HCL clearly. Do you think an extended exposure will work? I have nitric being delivered as i type this... so

No it does not. But if you bubble air through it it will, as it becomes a Cupric Chloride leach.

 

[Akragon]

No it does not. But if you bubble air through it it will as it becomes a Cupric Chloride leach.

amazing! I never even thought of that.... thanks man!

 

[nickvc]

Even leaving your beaker exposed to the air the HCl will absorb some oxygen hence the suggestion to leave it for a few weeks , HCl alone will dissolve some gold not much usually depending on the base metals present….
Im guessing that theoretical chemistry says that doesn’t happen but believe me it does.

 

[Shark]

The details are often the real “work horse” in refining. Adding oxygen to HCl improves its ability to dissolve copper way faster and more efficiently.

A nice picture next would be one of the same material after several days in your home made copper (ll) chloride leach. A simple fish aquarium pump works wonders in this case, just be sure to use a container tall enough to contain the splash from the bubbles bursting at the surface.

Good Luck

 

[Yggdrasil]

Even leaving your beaker exposed to the air the HCl will absorb some oxygen hence the suggestion to leave it for a few weeks , HCl alone will dissolve some gold not much usually depending on the base metals present….
Im guessing that theoretical chemistry says that doesn’t happen but believe me it does.

It is correct as you say.
I think that is the difference between theory and practical application.
When things get complicated stranger things happen.

 

[Akragon]

It is correct as you say.
I think that is the difference between theory and practical application.
When things get complicated stranger things happen.

Even leaving your beaker exposed to the air the HCl will absorb some oxygen hence the suggestion to leave it for a few weeks , HCl alone will dissolve some gold not much usually depending on the base metals present….
Im guessing that theoretical chemistry says that doesn’t happen but believe me it does.

Took your advice (see... i really do! lol )
put what's remaining in new HCL, and i just happen to have a machine that makes oxygen... i got it bubblin though it now...

lets see what comes of it shall we?