Electrical Contacts

[lightman]

Will someone school me on electrical contacts. I'm in the process of closing my electrical business and have found a container of these that I had forgotten that I had. Thanks

 

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[scrapper71]

Posting a picture of what you have would really help. Just in my scrapping experience I have found that most general use contacts are silver coated copper.

 

[BIGSCOTT]

big contacts have silver pads on them, you might get more money by finding someone who rebuilds them.

 

[pepperj]

big contacts have silver pads on them, you might get more money by finding someone who rebuilds them.

Just take a torch and burn off or even hitting them with a hammer & chisel sometimes separates and the silver pad and the copper. It's just a % recovery for the contact then you have a base for worth for silver and copper. Contact a surplus company that deals with electrical supplies and find out if they're worth anything to them. Some companies will buy the contacts for PM recovery, and it saves you time.

It really comes down to the quantity of contacts that you have, a few, a pound+, will also play into the equation.

 

[Duckshot]

To remove the silver button from the copper buss, if soldered, I take a mapp torch and heat the back of the buss, opposite the silver, then slide the silver contact button off by scraping it against the inside edge of a metal can that is nailed to my work table. Some people scrap 'em off with a knife instead of using a metal can, but then you kind of gotta have three hands- one for the pliers holding the buss, one for the torch, and one for the blade.

DANGER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - it is critical to know that many if not most soldered contacts have been attached with solder containing cadmium which will turn into little red wisps of smoke which will kill you dead if you inhale them. If you attempt to remove contacts, do it outside while you are up wind.

There are two types of silver electrical contacts. Some are coin silver (about 90% silver), and some are tungsten (about 40% silver). Coin silver scratches easily. Tungsten does not.

Once the contacts are removed from the buss they are ready to put on your favorite internet auction site or send to your refiner.

 

[vhs07]

Has anyone sold any, and to where? I can only locate a couple of places online, but would like to hear from someone that used a company they can vouch for.

 

[galenrog]

Buckshot is absolutely right in the potential dangers of some of the solders used on electrical contacts. Cadmium is just one of several metals that can be in the solder alloy. The specific solder alloy used is dependent on the potential heat and other stresses for which the contact is designed to withstand.

Are you considering processing the contacts yourself for silver recovery?

 

[pepperj]

Collected silver contacts for many years(unused) and when it was time to get them refined the refiner told me that they contained cadmium which brought the price down as they had to deal with loss of weight and the contamination.

 

[M&M Refining]

Why I would be happy to.I have been buying silver scrap contacts off of the internet for 15 years and have been refining them for over 20 years.If you are intreasted in selling them you need to ask a commercial refiner that refine contacts they don't pay squat.I will pay for them or we can work out a deal on me refining them I use my knowledge and chemichals and acids and equip which is not cheap or everyone would be doing this.check out my sight on ebay as bigbadmiles.You will see all my happy customers and see I am totally honest.or call me at 928-234-8763, or email greencivicAfrontiernet.net.I also refine gold and other precious metals here in Arizona for prospectors and small mom and pop minners.