Buying Silverplate by the Pound

[JimDon]

I hit one of my local jewelry stores that has vintage watches to see what they had and it was a huge box full of silver plate. I asked her about it and she said we buy it for a dollar a pound. Hmmm I might need to start hoarding it.

 

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[Lost&Found]

Silver plate on copper or EPNS? Copper is ~$2 a pound.

 

[buzzhead]

Scrap yards pay $1.25/1.50lb for brass and $2+ a pound for copper usually....


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[cyberdan]

Scrap yards pay $1.25/1.50lb for brass and $2+ a pound for copper usually..

That is what I was thinking, but a lot of trays have cast feet, handles and trim that is soldered to the piece. My old scrapyard will not accept anything with these attached. They call it lead but i think it is just a base metal. The feet and handles pop off if twisted in a vice. The trim that goes around the entire piece is a bear to get off. might come off with a torch. I save all that scrap too and sell it to them as a base metal.

 

[buzzhead]

I get #1 copper prices on all my silver on copper, but I'm stashing all that stuff now as I'm playing with the process of un plating the ag.


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[diggummup]

I'm stashing all that stuff now as I'm playing with the process of un plating the ag.


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Let us know how that goes.

 

[billjustbill]

That is what I was thinking, but a lot of trays have cast feet, handles and trim that is soldered to the piece. My old scrapyard will not accept anything with these attached. They call it lead but i think it is just a base metal. The feet and handles pop off if twisted in a vice. The trim that goes around the entire piece is a bear to get off. might come off with a torch. I save all that scrap too and sell it to them as a base metal.

The trim that goes around the entire piece is a bear to get off...

Dan, you're right about getting that trim off! What I've learned about removing it has made it easier. Get yourself a 1/2"-3/4" wide wood chisel that's sharpened with a long taper. The fine cutting edge gets under the trim's soft metal. But, work the chisel from the inside edge toward the outside edge. It seems that the silversmiths use less solder toward the inside edge so it won't squeeze out when heated and make a mess that's harder to buff away than the squeeze-out on the outside edge. Just remember to mount your platter down very solidly and always keep both hands behind the chisel's cutting edge.

Bill