Has anyone ever tried to refine Gold?

I've been watching these videos for years, and i've actually figured out where to get the acids required to do this... i haven't tried it yet though...

Has anyone actually tried to do this?

You can recover gold from a lot of electrical connections, or just find cheap trinkets with gold in them



You can literally turn old crap into gold bars... as long as there is actually gold in the material



So has anyone ever tried doing this? i plan to one day... and i have a decent collection of... goldish material lol

Want me a gold nugget!!



Warning: Please keep in mind working with these materials can be very Dangerous!

Even Fatal

Your watching at least one of my favorites (and imho knowledgeable) refiners on YT, SREETIPS. And I love that he experiments with the different ways of pulling out and dropping gold/silver into solution. I've got the Muriatic Acid and even a container of 'Aqua Regia' stashed somewhere for when I'm ready to start experimenting myself

His Silver Cell video's to me are equally amazing and interesting.

The short answer to your original query is "no", I haven't tried yet... but it's on my bucket list.
Johnny

a reply to: Akragon

If this worked then the guy in the video would be a millionaire. All he would have to do is find old cell phones at the dump.

So first thing i would do is find out how rich this guy got off doing this. And I wouldn't just take his word for it ether.

a reply to: scraedtosleep

its really not about the money... its about the gold... which makes the money through viewers

Pure gold... and trust me these people have money.... but its not from the gold

Its from their channel... sreetips takes losses to refine gold

a reply to: Akragon

If ye want gold it might be easier and more fun to build or buy a small rocker box. Then find land where you are allowed to test some ground.

originally posted by: XipeTotex
a reply to: Akragon

If ye want gold it might be easier and more fun to build or buy a small rocker box. Then find land where you are allowed to test some ground.

not in suburbia...

plus Chemistry is fun

Very interesting but it seems there are a lot of ways to screw it up or to hurt yourself with some chemicals.

Recently I was wondering, with the current economy collapsing if someone wanted to trade with me in Gold, I would not even know how to check if its real or not.

a reply to: Akragon
I live in the California gold rush area, a very old miner friend ( long since passed) said the secret ingredient is borax. I've never tried it, and he could have been pulling my leg, as getting secrets out of old miners is challenging.
Mercury is so deadly, I would at least research the borax idea.

Do not use mercury. The mercury is more expensive then the gold you get. And it is dangerous to you and the environment.

Borax is safest if you don't mind working with molten metal. I have used it for years in brazing stainless steel.

When borax melts, it cleans and absorbs contaminants in metals that are melted with it or are in contact with it. It does not absorb gold.

The next problem is you need a cost effective heat source. A torch costs more in gas than you get for the gold. I almost have a forge made to experiment with.

I have a lump coal generator I made to make the fuel for it. That works very well and I have around 10 gallons of lump coal. I have been using that in a grill to cook with. You just need a small USB fan to keep it burning just like forging.

It takes a lot of time to get gold to bar form. Just remember, nuggets are much more valuable in raw form. Don't melt nuggets!

Cut down unwanted and dead trees. Process them as for firewood and let them dry out.

Gather and manually process gold scrap, panned gold dust, etc.. as clean as you can get it.

Put the dried wood into the coal generator and run it. Take the coal and use it for fuel in a small forge. In a cast iron pot or carbon crucible, melt the gold and add borax. When melted stir the mix then let settle. Dip off the floating borax. You can pour it into molds or let it cool in the cast iron pot. Be sure the molds and melting pot have a good smooth carbon coating inside for a smooth finish on the gold.

When cool, remove the gold and clean it. Do not use a wire brush on a power tool because you will loose gold. Scrape the surface with sharp metal tools or file the surface. Save the dust for next time. Polish with toothpaste on cloth rag for brightest shine.

I need to finish that forge.

originally posted by: misskat1
a reply to: Akragon
I live in the California gold rush area, a very old miner friend ( long since passed) said the secret ingredient is borax. I've never tried it, and he could have been pulling my leg, as getting secrets out of old miners is challenging.
Mercury is so deadly, I would at least research the borax idea.

He did use borax toward the end.
He also used Muriatic, sulfuric, and nitric acids, and bonide stump remover powder, which I presume was a base. I worked with all these acids at my job for many years. Neutralizing and disposing of the waste liquids can be an issue. In this video, Mr. Sreetips paid several hundreds of dollars for the clipped PC fingers, then invested in chemicals and lots of time. If anything, the guy is losing money. The final product is about 1/3 oz of gold button. Its pretty.
I too live in California, just west of the Golden Hiway. Our property is smack dab in the gold area. Many people were shot over gold within a couple miles of our property and thrown into the creek.

I have gold pans, sluice box, long crevice tools and a goldbug nugget detector, and have found many gold nuggets, and gold flake in Sutters Creek and Coyote Creek (Natural Bridges). Right now, I have a bucket of "paydirt" sitting out in my orchard, that my son and his friend removed from a gold mine area crevice. It looks real good, and probably has a lot of gold in it. My son found a beautiful antique gold ring embedded with nuggets while they were prospecting up there on Mokelumne Hill.

When creeks stop flowing, in a drought, you can get down into the dry creek bed, and dig down to bedrock, and reach into crevices with special tools and extract the pay dirt with nuggets and flakes in it. Thats the most fun. The sore back is almost worth it

originally posted by: visitedbythem
...... and gold flake in Sutters Creek and Coyote Creek (Natural Bridges). Right now, I have a bucket of "paydirt" sitting out in my orchard, that my son and his friend removed from a gold mine area crevice. It looks real good, and probably has a lot of gold in it. My son found a beautiful antique gold ring embedded with nuggets while they were prospecting up there on Mokelumne Hill.

Oh wow...

Had a claim on the "Mok" just off of Electra. Found a nice 7 gramer 'speci' and also a really well defined 17"x9" impression and a smaller 9"x4" in dried mud. And no, didn't get pics as were already weighed down with hoses, pumps, sluices, air, etc. (all which I assume your well aware of).

And Natural Bridges is the first cave/tunnel I swam through as a teenager. Always wanted to dive down into that center hole in the middle. I always envisioned it being the best 'trap' on the creek. Did have a buddy that claimed that further down he found some nice color.

Just remembered we used to call the road there being nicknamed 'horse-trough' road ( think...).

Anyway if none of this made any sense... then sorry,,, I blame my "sometimers disease"... some times I remember... some times I don't.

Johnny


**ETA**

If the above is ontrack... send me a PM please... Didn't want to detract from the OP's original query, "..anyone ever tried to refine Gold?"
My apologies to you Akragon. I will add that I watched recently a fairly new channel called "Prospector Tripp" and he sort of like this Mad Scientist/DIYer and has the art of refining outside down pretty well, (all without a Overhead venting hood and the like). But the guy is also pretty funny too like maybe a former hippie or musician?

originally posted by: JohnnyAnonymous

originally posted by: visitedbythem
...... and gold flake in Sutters Creek and Coyote Creek (Natural Bridges). Right now, I have a bucket of "paydirt" sitting out in my orchard, that my son and his friend removed from a gold mine area crevice. It looks real good, and probably has a lot of gold in it. My son found a beautiful antique gold ring embedded with nuggets while they were prospecting up there on Mokelumne Hill.

Oh wow...

Had a claim on the "Mok" just off of Electra. Found a nice 7 gramer 'speci' and also a really well defined 17"x9" impression and a smaller 9"x4" in dried mud. And no, didn't get pics as were already weighed down with hoses, pumps, sluices, air, etc. (all which I assume your well aware of).

And Natural Bridges is the first cave/tunnel I swam through as a teenager. Always wanted to dive down into that center hole in the middle. I always envisioned it being the best 'trap' on the creek. Did have a buddy that claimed that further down he found some nice color.

Just remembered we used to call the road there being nicknamed 'horse-trough' road ( think...).

Anyway if none of this made any sense... then sorry,,, I blame my "sometimers disease"... some times I remember... some times I don't.

Johnny

We used to go to Electra Road back in the 70s. I think there was a fire up around there recently.
Back in the late 70s my buddy camped out just north of the North of the large cave at Natural bridges. Using a dredge, he opened up a large crevasse that ran all the way across the stream and pulled ounces of gold out of there that summer. Somewhere in that area is where me and buddy hiked in with a chain hoist. We hooked it to a giant oblong boulder, and winched it out of the way, so we could get to a crevice beneath it. We packed out over 50 lbs of Ancient gray paydirt. I sluiced it in my back yard and let my ex-wife pan out the concentrate. It was full of oblong flat flakes of gold that looked like melon seeds. There were also small semi-precious stones that looked like rubies. There probably are. This was before there was a designated path going down there. I used to wear a 357 on my hip down there. There were some was pretty wild people down there sometimes back then. Country bumpkins and bikers, and naked women.
Sometime in the last 25 years or so they put in a pathway down, and an outhouse. Now there are families, and a lot of young people. I've taken dates there before. I swam in and set small tea candles in the wall so my girlfriend could see better as we swam through. I took a high-powered spotlight and vaclocked it in plastic and spotlighted the bottom of that big cave under water. I found a pocketknife. There were all kinds of things, and German Brown trout swimming around.

As you drive along Parrots Ferry Road, near the Natural Bridges, look across the canyon, way up near the ridge on the west side. You will see where, somehow, the ancient creek bed was catapulted up there on the side of the mountain due to land movement. It must have taken one hell of an earthquake to put it up there. Im sure there is plenty of gold up there as well. There is also an ancient, abandoned apple orchard up on that side. It appears to be from back in the gold rush days.

In the northeast side of the large cave, you will find the miners names and dates from the gold rush carved into the stalagmites. They drained the cave back then and completely mined that cave out. Good prospecting to you!

a reply to: JohnnyAnonymous

My apologies to you Akragon.

its all good brother... the stories are very interesting

I've always wanted to try hunting for gold... panning or otherwise. Apparently ontario is a hot bed for gold up north so thats on the bucket list... just gotta get me a bucket lol

refining with chemicals sounds like a lot of fun too though... but im a little apprehensive with letting some acid boil away in my back yard... i'll figure it out one day

originally posted by: visitedbythem

We used to go to Electra Road back in the 70s. I think there was a fire up around there recently.

Yes...Unfortunately I know, it was that fire that wiped out our claim. The PG&E fire started on Electra and about 500 feet from our spot and took out a lot of equipment we had secured up there.

There were some was pretty wild people down there sometimes back then. Country bumpkins and bikers, and naked women.

Yep.. thats probably why a bunch of us teenagers (also in the 70's) would hike down there to the big cave. It was a welcomed journey and just a short drive from Stockton.

Did you ever go to Moaning Cavern's? I was fascinated with that whole area too and the archeological significance to the Indians. I always wanted to take the underground river tour they had.

Those red stones you found in the Ancient pay layer were more than likely Garnets. Found many of those in and around that area. Found one the size of a marble and had been shaped/faceted by hand and had been made into a necklace bead. I had broken through a 'false-bedrock' area and so knew that I was in area that hadn't been worked for a long time. Had a Historian/geologist claim that it was more than likely made by a local tribe. That was on Woods Creek (Jamestown).

As you drive along Parrots Ferry Road, near the Natural Bridges, look across the canyon, way up near the ridge on the west side. You will see where, somehow, the ancient creek bed was catapulted up there on the side of the mountain due to land movement. It must have taken one hell of an earthquake to put it up there. Im sure there is plenty of gold up there as well. There is also an ancient, abandoned apple orchard up on that side. It appears to be from back in the gold rush days.

Now that was something that had eluded me and now of course, our yakking about it makes me want to go back up and check it out.

So do you by chance still get out there and look for the 'color'? I know that my back would 'yell' at me for several days if I were to try and do what I use to do for my 10 cents of gold... lol. Now-a-days I've been working on gold-recovery designs for nano and small flour sized 'specs' (flypoop).

Did you folks attend any of the Sonora Gold and Treasure Shows at the fairgrounds? They were put on by the Mining Club I'm associated with and I was the MC for a number of them (imagine that). Also did some events for AMRA.


** Akragon**
You had said; "its all good brother... the stories are very interesting "
Thanks as I'm trying to stay on topic yet being drawn because of the subject matter it's bound to get off-track.

If you want to try your hand at panning.. it's a great way to practice finding the little pieces of gold (at home) for not a big expense. The GPAA (Gold Prospectors Association) has some deal every other month (it seems like), where they'll offer the pan, a snuffer bottle and a small bag of concentrates to work with for not a lot of money.

If your interested shoot me a PM (or here) and I'll send you a link to get you started (if you so desire).

Johnny


**ETA** That guy 'Prospector Tripp' just did a Gold-drop in solution video (synchronicity?)
Gold Refining.. with a Huge AU Surprise!

**ALSO**
If you want to read a great story (supposedly true) about a miner named "Hermit Pete" that lived up and mined for gold around Mariposa California, then you'll enjoy this as it will suck you into the mindset of the Ol' Timers. I've probably read & re-read this tale maybe 20 times and it never gets old (to me). Have to warn you though.. you may very well get sucked into the story as I did.

The Many Lost Treasures of Mariposa, CA (Photos Added)

a reply to: JohnnyAnonymous

that would be pretty cool... somehow i doubt they deliver to Canada though

originally posted by: Akragon
a reply to: JohnnyAnonymous

that would be pretty cool... somehow i doubt they deliver to Canada though

Actually they ship worldwide and I took this link just to see what the online options were and in the drop-down list, Canada is on there.

I like these guys, they stand behind their products and I have yet to be disappointed. Just speaking outloud of my own personal experiences here (and I'm not a spokesperson.. or getting reimbursed.. or whatever other conspiratorial spin somebody wants to toss a spin on).

Here's a package that might fit your experimentation without a lot of investment.
6-Piece Gold Panning Kit

My only suggestion when you decide to pan at, always try to always have some form of a "catch pan/bowl even the top of a garbage can lid (if you had to). Or simply anything large enough to catch what you'll be reducing you concentrates down. In fact that's what your going to be doing a lot of... concentrating down the concentrates. The catch pan lets you be able to 'go back through what you were washing away. You know.. something like rinse, wash, repeat.

But it's great form of meditation for me and I believe that at times I get into some form of panning hypnosis (and not in a bad way either). X-Files aficionado's would probably call it something like 'missing time' (cue music).

You in Canada have Two of the largest YouTubers on the subject of Mining, Dan Hurd and Pioneer Pauly. And I think if you look it up I'm pretty sure that Dan Hurd sells his own paydirt for panning.

... and of course I had to look it up myself, Yes Dan Hurd does sell Panning bags
Gold related category at Dan Hurds Website
If I recall correctly even before he became a YouTube star he was teaching mining and how to DIY mining equipment.

Again.. I;m not a paid spokesperson.... yada, yada, yada


Johnny

a reply to: JohnnyAnonymous

I haven't done much panning, though I do plan on it. Ive just recently retired. We own property above the Yuba River, near Poorman's creek, and Tent city. I think there is likely gold on our property, but briefly searched with my Goldbug Pro. It's amazing how small of metal pieces it detects. My previous detector, Whites Eagle Spectrum was good for finding black sand and square nails in crevasses to dig out and pan. I got that one at the Sonora treasure show long ago.

Yes, I have been down in the moaning caverns. Its nice and cool down there on a 100-degree day.


You are naming a lot of places I'm familiar with. We may very well have crossed paths.

I worked at a couple restaurants in Stockton in the 70s. The Hatch Cover, and Ottos Diner

Heres a song for the road on the way to gold prospect.

originally posted by: visitedbythem
a reply to: JohnnyAnonymous

I worked at a couple restaurants in Stockton in the 70s. The Hatch Cover, and Ottos Diner

Heres a song for the road on the way to gold prospect.

Thanks for the tune... Aquachigger is a blast to watch.

Wasn't the Hatchcover on the Marina?

It is quite possible our paths crossed, but will admit that things were moving pretty fast back then as I was trying to burn the candle at more than 2 ends. So some things are a bit blurry as I was booking live gigs for Stuart Andersons, Holiday Inn, West Lane Bowl and even the Roller King (around 74-79). Did you ever go to the "Brickworks"?

Your place above the Yuba is there abouts the same area that Top Cat, 2Toes and Jeff Smith all live (assuming, conjecture). And they're always detecting up around there too. I've got a brand New 5 year old detector (Nokta/Makro Kruzer) waiting to get opened. Real Life got in the way so I just keep buying accessories for it.. And hopefully it'll be like Christmas... LOL. Got an older Goldbug that still works fine and have had since the late 70's.

**Akragon**
AND SORRY Again !

Here's one of Dan Hurd's video for ya.

a reply to: JohnnyAnonymous

Yes, the Hatchcover was at the Marina. Its Garlic Brothers now. They had live music there.
And yes I did frequent the Brickworks. I met some girlfriends there. I actually dated the thin cute blonde cocktail waitress that worked there. Michelle.

I also frequented Stuart Andersons.

**Akragon**
I know your probably more into the chemical reduction to get that Gold Bead/Button/Bar. But you might enjoy this type of prospecting that doesn't require much more than an old screwdriver and a snorkle/mask (and a bottle to put your 'fines' in). It's called sniping. Here's one of Canada's 'Stars' demonstrating the process. It's very enjoyable.

originally posted by: visitedbythem
a reply to: JohnnyAnonymous
And yes I did frequent the Brickworks. I met some girlfriends there. I actually dated the thin cute blonde cocktail waitress that worked there. Michelle.

I also frequented Stuart Andersons.

I think the last Group I booked at Stuart Anderson's was a band called "Fahrenheit 451" great little rock group.
I dated/lived with a notorious Brickworks regular named Dani, (her Dad was Stockton's version of Perry Mason). Also did the sound for a few bands there.

It's a small world after all... (according to Disney)
Johnny