spent fixer part 2

removed account4 · Jul 31, 2009

i didn't think about this until this morning, but
the poll thread got to me ...

so far in the other thread about 1/3 of the respondents
are doing something to reclaim the silver from their fixer and wash water.
some of the 2/3 who aren't maybe might try something because
it is pretty effortless / easy to do ...

if someone here on apug ( me maybe ? )
sold effortless, simple and efficient
silver recovery units.

that could de-silver 1 gallon of fixer in 24hours
that used very little electricity
that said when it was "done" so you could turn it off ..
that could hold between 30-38 troy oz( between 933 - 1182 g )
before the plating element needed to be sent to be replaced ...

would you be interested in buying one ?

2F/2F · Jul 31, 2009

Right now, I'd vote "maybe "because I'd need to know the cost. I won't vote yet, in case you post that later.

Ian Grant · Jul 31, 2009

No, because I'd tell people how to make something for next to nothing that would do the job just as well.

I'm used to recovering silver a few kilos every few months (at a site) but a kilo of Silver needs an awful lot of film & paper throughput and then the minimum smelting & assay costs makes small quantities unviable.

Ian

removed account4 · Jul 31, 2009

i am waiting to hear back from the company that makes them ...
i would not imagine them being sold for more than 40-45$

when i find out more i will post ...

wogster · Jul 31, 2009

jnanian said:
i didn't think about this until this morning, but
the poll thread got to me ...

so far in the other thread about 1/3 of the respondents
are doing something to reclaim the silver from their fixer and wash water.
some of the 2/3 who aren't maybe might try something because
it is pretty effortless / easy to do ...

if someone here on apug ( me maybe ? )
sold effortless, simple and efficient
silver recovery units.

that could de-silver 1 gallon of fixer in 24hours
that used very little electricity
that said when it was "done" so you could turn it off ..
that could hold between 30-38 troy oz( between 933 - 1182 g )
before the plating element needed to be sent to be replaced ...

would you be interested in buying one ?

I voted maybe, because I need more info.

How would such a unit work, would the fixer be usable after, as some units do, or would the fixer be dead. At 2L of film fixer per year, how long would it take to fill the unit until it needed replacing. Would the amount of silver accumulated be worth the cost of the element and processing?

As for the unit telling you it's done so you can turn it off, why not just have the unit turn itself off?

removed account4 · Jul 31, 2009

ian ...

the "full" cathode is mailed to the manufacturer and they
write a check. they send in the cathodes when they have a huge amount
to be refined. the person de-silvering his fixer, from what i understand,
does not have to worry about minimum smelting and assay costs, they are paid
for what is on the cathode ( less the cathode ) ...

there are always easy ways of doing things that cost next to nothing
like we have seen in the other thread, there are lots of ways to de-silver
fixer/wash water that do not cost much at all, aluminium foil and evaporation costs nothing!

BUT ... after the steel wool is used up,
the copper flashing is done with,
the precipitate is filtered from solution,
one still has to "deal" with the sludge ..

i know reinhold mentioned he gets very pure silver, and he uses it for jewelry but
no one else said what they do with their sludge ?

mailing in a cathode seems a lot easier than drying out sludge and dealing with it...
it would take a long time to
get the cathode full of silver (unless you process and print constantly!),
but 1182g of would be about 570$ ......

wogster

i'm not sure if the fixer would be usable ....
i could ask ...
at 2L a year, it would take a long long time ...

i guess it would be too easy to have it turn off

Sirius Glass · Jul 31, 2009

2F/2F said:
Right now, I'd vote "maybe "because I'd need to know the cost. I won't vote yet, in case you post that later.

ditto

Steve

fotch · Jul 31, 2009

If price was low (what ever that means) I would buy one. Otherwise, my plan is to DIY. Does not seem like rocket science nor do I want to do nothing.

Maybe the effect of doing nothing won't show up for a 100 years, and anyone or thing sicken by this won't know it was me, I just can not ignore the fact that maybe it will cause harm.

Do on to others as you would want them to do to you sort of thing.

JMHO

Neal · Aug 1, 2009

I answered "maybe" because there are reasonably priced units available now. I specifically use the "Silver Magnet" from USI and it does the job nicely. They other options that would work nicely in a small darkroom as well.

Neal Wydra

nsurit · Aug 1, 2009

I'm also a maybe and could easily move to "probably" or "yes." Although not one to go sit in a tree, I do care about our environment and my impact on it. I have a septic system and although my home is run on rainwater, most of my neighbors are on well water. It does make a difference what I put down the drain. So if such a system would make the stuff I dispose "safe", I would buy one. Bill Barber

wogster · Aug 1, 2009

jnanian said:
ian ...

the "full" cathode is mailed to the manufacturer and they
write a check. they send in the cathodes when they have a huge amount
to be refined. the person de-silvering his fixer, from what i understand,
does not have to worry about minimum smelting and assay costs, they are paid
for what is on the cathode ( less the cathode ) ...

there are always easy ways of doing things that cost next to nothing
like we have seen in the other thread, there are lots of ways to de-silver
fixer/wash water that do not cost much at all, aluminium foil and evaporation costs nothing!

BUT ... after the steel wool is used up,
the copper flashing is done with,
the precipitate is filtered from solution,
one still has to "deal" with the sludge ..

i know reinhold mentioned he gets very pure silver, and he uses it for jewelry but
no one else said what they do with their sludge ?

mailing in a cathode seems a lot easier than drying out sludge and dealing with it...
it would take a long time to
get the cathode full of silver (unless you process and print constantly!),
but 1182g of would be about 570$ ......

wogster

i'm not sure if the fixer would be usable ....
i could ask ...
at 2L a year, it would take a long long time ...

i guess it would be too easy to have it turn off

One of the issues with mailing an item like this, is that it also depends largely on where it needs to go. For example if it has to go to the US, mailing rates for here in Canada are high enough, over seas rates can be considerably higher.

removed account4 · Aug 1, 2009

hi paul

i will have a bunch of questions for them
to see if they have any out of USA vendors they work with ..

john

spent fixer part 2

would you buy one ?

yes

no

maybe

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