gizzmo,
Welcome to the forum!
Everything you need to know to recover and refine precious metals can be found here on the forum.
The first rule is to be safe in everything you do. Before you jump into any of the processes you see discussed here, be sure you understand the potential hazards and do everything you can to minimize the risks. It takes a lot of study but it's incredibly rewarding!
I strongly encourage all new members to follow the
Guided Tour created by LazerSteve. It will provide an introduction to the forum and numerous valuable links. Be sure to follow the link to his web site as he has many outstanding videos, a collection of great reference documents, and he sells a lot of the supplies needed to get started including detailed instructional DVDs.
Second, download C.M. Hoke's book
Refining Precious Metal Wastes. You'll see this book mentioned repeatedly here on the forum for good reason. It is probably the best book ever written for the beginner who wants to learn refining. It is written in layman's terms and will provide a solid foundation that will help you understand everything you read here on the forum.
Finally, and I can't stess this enough, read EVERYTHING in the
Safety section of the forum. No amount of precious metal is worth jeopardizing your health or the health of those around you.
Once you understand the basics you can start to try some small scale experiments. If there's something you don't understand or you get stuck, there will be someone here to help you.
Best of luck,
Dave