Wisconsin Here

[PhillipJ]

Hi there all you gold diggers. Good to be here and read all this valuable information. Awesome site!

So I had my Harley torn apart in the living room, giving it a make over and it needed more chrome. So I decided to do it myself & bought a kit. Somwhere along, I needed some nitric acid to prime aluminum before copper plating. Found some of the chemicals to make my own on Ebay, along with the directions to use it for gold refining also. That's what got me started about 2 months ago in refining gold. Now the Harley just sits there waiting for me while I make gold.

By trade, I am a heavy equipment mechanic temporararily on exile as a garbage man because of the loss of a CDL liscense. It's ok sometimes because I find cool junk and a stash of electronics on occasion.

Have no clue about chemistry, but seem to mess with it quite a bit lately. Now it bothers me because of my lack of knowledge about it. Age 51.

I have been Using all acids for mt recovery / refining. Pins & such went in nitric 1st. Then AR. I twice refine with AR.

The nitric for pins is not the answer. I can tell, because my acid mix likes to get chrystalized from the copper. Lazer's tutorials are really good, and I am going to try that out as soon as I gather up all the supplies. I have been wondering & kinda looking for a good electro recipe.

To date I have refined about 10 grams or so, and have a little mud in the coffee pot, ready to melt.

Hoping to come with a good "gold plating solution" recipe so I can plate some more monkey teeth.

Regards to all.
Phillip

 

[lazersteve]

Is the skull from a real monkey? Nice teeth!

The reverse plating electrolyte is just sulfuric acid and a touch of glycerin.

To plate gold you need to have auric chloride in the solution (gold chloride). I have a tutorial that shows how to make this from the gold powder as well. Use a gold anode (positive) and the piece to be plated as the cathode (-). You should plate a layer of nickel over any base metal before you plate it with gold. I'm sure Chris (GSP) can help you with a more detailed description.

Steve

 

[PhillipJ]

Tis a real monkey skull.

I used a store bought plating solution for the tooth. Silver paint for conductivity. Then acid copper, nickel, and gold. Used a stainless anode for the gold is in the solution

I tried plating with some of my AR gold solution, but all I got was black on the work / cathode. And that rubbed right off.

 

[lazersteve]

Chris (GSP) is most likely your best bet on plating if you need any help. Sounds like you have it down to me.

Steve

 

[goldsilverpro]

Plating solutions have very critical formulas. Most people think that about any gold solution will work but, that's far from the truth. Most anything will plate but, not pretty and adherent, as you've discovered. Most of the decent plating is done from proprietary, commercially made solutions. The is one area that you don't want to try and reinvent the wheel. I guarantee that you will end in frustration. The good gold plating solutions are made from complicated cyanide formulations. The one you are using most likely contains cyanide. Be careful with it and respect it. Keep it clean and don't contaminate it with anything. You did an excellent job plating the tooth. All types of plating are much more difficult than people think.

 

[PhillipJ]

Thanks GSP. Good to know not to reinvent. I have enough headache on a normal day.

It's Caswell's solution. Says cyanide free. It went on really nice & easy. I wish their chrome plate was as easy.

 

[goldsilverpro]

Caswell sells to hobbyists and they try to only sell safe solutions. Do you know if it's real chrome or fake chrome? What are you having trouble with?

Try to get hold of this free mag and free book. It's the plater's bible. On the application form, don't let them know you're a hobbyist. Fudge a little. Get the printed magazine version. Check all the blocks at the bottom of the application unless you want a lot of mail and emails. Maybe you do. It might be interesting stuff. Item #18 on this link:

http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=294