Can anyone on the site tell me the best way to dissolve the rock around my specimen

[Guest]

Hey I'm looking for direction on how to dissolve the rock from around my Specimen 

I have had this thing a long time and think I'm ready to change it's appearance. It's Specific Gravity shows 2.36 oz of gold

I have posted the picture before but here it s again. I'm hoping to get enough information to free the specimen I believe it is wire gold.

When and if complete I will share the results with everyone

Thanks in advance 

[Dakota Slim]

Have you checked the visible gold for continuity?

[Bedrock Bob]

If your calcs show 2.36 oz of gold you could probably assume a lot of it was netted together. But a little probing with a volt meter would be good.

It seems like the gold is mostly over in that one spot. I know it is a risk but you could cut the back end off the rock. Or score it a bit and just cob it off with a hammer. 

The matrix looks like it is fairly solid quartz with a lot of hematite right around the gold. It will take hydroflouric to dissolve the quartz.

You might dissolve a lot of the hematite with hydrochloric. But it will stain and change the color of the quartz. It won't dissolve any quartz. But it might expose the gold a little more right in that spot.

I think if it were mine I would try to trim as much quartz as I could with a hammer before I did anything else. Then decide whether to dunk it in something.

[Dakota Slim]

You might want to check with ElDorado Steve Wandt and get his input....
https://www.facebook.com/steve.wandt/videos/862335620472275

[Bedrock Bob]

1 hour ago, Dakota Slim said:

You might want to check with ElDorado Steve Wandt and get his input....
https://www.facebook.com/steve.wandt/videos/862335620472275

That's a great idea!

 When it comes to gold Steve is certainly one of the most knowledgeable people out there. 

I sure miss our conversations and friendly banter. We used to have a heck of a good time on Nugget Shooter back in the days of old.

If you decide to contact him make sure you send my regards.

[Guest]

Thank you for your reply I truly appreciate your impute and I'm looking for more. 

sorry I do not Face Book and Don't feel that hitting this specimen with a hammer is an appropriate direction. 

I would like to see if anyone could direct me in the chemical treatment of the specimen including the vessels needed and possible amounts of hydrochloric acid. I understand the plastic aspect of the acid but don't understand if I just submerge the specimen in hydrochloric acid and wait a certain amount of days and ? Pour the liquid out and wash with water? These are the questions I am looking to answer and share the photo's of the end result through the process. 

This is a team event. This group is the most educated on this process. I would appreciate any direction that may or may not be useful. Please don't hesitate to add your contribution to this Forum Project. 

Thanks again 

[Mike C...]

Slab it 

[Guest]

There are horror stories written about HF acid.   It is  an extremly poisonous liquid (and gas.)

IF you are going to search it out and use it, first get your PPE  in a row, read up on its dangers... do not be a victim.

Fumes are deadly, skin contact with either liquid or gas  is usual route of injestion leading to death.

 

 

[Guest]

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=hf+poisoning+symptoms&ia=web

https://fast-act.com/the-dangers-of-hydrofluoric-acid/

Edited January 29, 2021 by Guest

[chrisski]

The Muriatic Acid, about 30% hydrochloric acid, I use to clean my concrete is not going to dissolve any rock fast.  Took 15 coats to remove the salt deposits off my walls.  Care needed to be used because it did fume.  Not an indoor thing.

Will this Hydrochloric acid take the red out and make the quarts more white?

Among the stories I’ve heard about Hydrofluoric acid is some left indoors and reacting to windows making them pitted and foggy.  I really don’t think there’s a way to get the specimen out except hydrofluoric acid.

Edited January 29, 2021 by chrisski

[Bedrock Bob]

There is just nothing better than boiling hot hydroflouric acid for dissolving quartz. 

But you don't want to do that unless you have a fume hood and all the goodies. I wouldn't even try. 

Hot hydrochloric will dissolve the iron but not the quartz. It might expose a little more gold. You can do that outside on a camp stove in a Pyrex measuring cup. I have done it on gold tangled up in hematite and it worked pretty good. Just make sure there is a steady breeze blowing and you don't let anyone get downwind of the mess. And it is going to stain that quartz a lot.

Honestly little polished slabs would be the best way to show it off. Once it is sliced you can trim away anything that does not look good and polish the slices. It is a nice solid quartz rock so the slices will be awesome.

 

 

[Guest]

I recall reading about a factory accident  back east(I think inthe 40's) where there was a leak, people and livestock died downwind of the plant .

I think Bill S wrote about the etched windows...

[Bedrock Bob]

A factory in Hermosillo, Mexico had a big spill. It musta been bad. We went through a couple months after and there was a whole section of town blistered and burned. No telling how many people were hurt. It was surrounded by a sea of little houses.

When a lithium battery burns up it produces hydroflouric acid. A discharged Li battery will overheat if you put a load on it and go critical. The resulting reaction liberates hydroflouric acid. So if you ever get a lithium battery to start decomposing don't get a whiff of that vapor. It will blister your lungs and cause your bones to start dissolving.

[Guest]

If you're exposed( and don't die) ,and try to procreate  , you'll have frog babies.

[Bedrock Bob]

If I am ever exposed to anything (even sunlight) I automatically try to procreate. So I am especially careful to avoid hydroflouric acid. 

[Morlock]

50 % Hydrofluoric acid is very dangerous to use and I wouldn't recommend it unless you have an extensive chemical lab background and the equipment to go along with it.

I suggest you try Armor Etch or Whink rust remover..or a combination of both. Armor Etch is a cream and Whink a liquid and you would get better results with a combination of the two imho.

Both contain very dilute Hydrofluoric acid and it will dissolve quartz but it will take A LONG TIME.... possibly weeks or even months depending on the results you want.

I've used it and it does work very well but you have to be patient with the process. You may even have to buy a couple bottles as it does slow down over time but it's VERY safe compared to the 50% strength.

[wes]

You might be happier slabbing it. If the gold isnt well connected, you might just end up with a pile of flakes after dissolving the quartz.

[Morlock]

7 hours ago, Morlock said:

50 % Hydrofluoric acid is very dangerous to use and I wouldn't recommend it unless you have an extensive chemical lab background and the equipment to go along with it.

I suggest you try Armor Etch or Whink rust remover..or a combination of both. Armor Etch is a cream and Whink a liquid and you would get better results with a combination of the two imho.

Both contain very dilute Hydrofluoric acid and it will dissolve quartz but it will take A LONG TIME.... possibly weeks or even months depending on the results you want.

I've used it and it does work very well but you have to be patient with the process. You may even have to buy a couple bottles as it does slow down over time but it's VERY safe compared to the 50% strength.

This is a specimen I prepared using Whink. It weighed about 29 grams to start with just a pinhead of gold showing. The finished weight is 15.89 grams. It took about 6 weeks to dissolve roughly 14 grams of quartz off the specimen.

 

[Guest]

20 hours ago, Bedrock Bob said:

If I am ever exposed to anything (even sunlight) I automatically try to 

Stay away from knothole fences

[Guest]

Thanks for the for the information I'm moving on the information Morlock provided. 

I have posted this on Rob's forum also 
 

[Morlock]

11 hours ago, fishing8046 said:

Thanks for the for the information I'm moving on the information Morlock provided. 

I have posted this on Rob's forum also 
 

You should stir it each day to get fresh solution on the surface.. Since you have a lot of surface area, it may take more than one bottle of each to get the desired results. Just be patient.

[GeoJack]

Take it to your local vet and have it xrayed to see where the au is and how much.

Continuity test as mentioned.

HF or similar to remove quartz.

Melt wax on areas you don't want the acid to eat to leave some natural rock attached.