Vacuum Fluorescent Displays (VFD's)

I asked this question about (VFD's) before, Should they be removed from green/green boards? I got a few answers and my own research, I concluded they should. They weight twice as much as the boards, the boards usually have 5 or more IC's and a lot of times with a nice gold plated connector (24 to 34 or more pins).

I now have a box of the VFD's, trying to find out the proper way to recycle them. Anyone have thoughts or experience with them. I know they use a phosphorous coating similar to what is used in CRT's. The cathode wires are made out of tungsten. The grid looks to be gold plated, but I have no information that confirms that. I have not found any info on lead content, I don't think they would like CRT's, as they are more like a Triode Vacuum tube, consisting of three electrodes inside an evacuated glass envelope: a heated cathode, a grid, and a anode (plate). Anyone have input?

This won't be helpfull. But is a fun thing to do.

I set up a mini electroplating bath using a small canning jar and a solar panel off a garden solar light.
One wire I connected to a thick Copper wire and the other to a peice of the (Iron) mesh fom one of the above fluoresent displays.
When the mesh was under the water I could hardly see it.
So I added some Copper sulphate I got from a gardening store. About 1/2 a teaspoon.
I put the whole setup near a window in the sun.

After a day I could see the mesh, it was getting visable.
The next day I could make out the mesh quite easyly.
And the third day I could see the mesh and its Copper plating.
4th 5th days the mesh almost plated over and then sorta went solid Copper.
Then it got thicker and into a lump.

My point? Hey it was fun. It was free. I made something using recycled parts and it demonstrated recycling as it is done, electroplating, and solar power as it works.
It occured to me later that this could be made into a kit of some sort, or just a 'Instructable' online.
Also as the mesh was almost invisable at first under the water, a peice of mesh could be cut into a shape or such and it would only appear later on as the electroplating happens.Such as a loveheart or flower etc.
Once its electroplated it can be taken out, washed, and it will stay like that.

I did have trouble recreating it because of bad connections and not having the right amount of Copper sulphate/water.
I tried using battery acid at one point but Copper sulphate works better anyway.
Also the reaction 'goes backwards' when the solar panel is in the dark.

Another use for the displays was to find out if the HT sparkplug leads on my car were arcing over to earth.
With the motor running, lights off, in the dark, I held the display with a gloved hand... close to the lead.
When the display 'flashed' the spark was leaking out thru the spark plug lead.

eesakiwi - I think you get the SMF "mad scientist" award! Just kidding, like the way you think, always looking for a better idea and "out of the box" approach.

Just curious I have noticed some of the grids are platted with a "gold like" finish and some are not, any idea or thoughts about the plating on some of the grids being gold platted. The grids are so fine, I doubt there is value there. I plan to open a couple up, I want to make sure about the safety of what exactly is in them though.