Lampwork Etc.
 
Send a PM to CorriDawn!

LE Live Chat

Enter Live Chat

No users in chat


Jelveh Designs - Glass Beads Torched One-by-One

Caber Light


 

Go Back   Lampwork Etc. > Library > Tips, Techniques, and Questions

Tips, Techniques, and Questions -- Technical questions or tips

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 2008-10-25, 4:19pm
opportunity-shop's Avatar
opportunity-shop opportunity-shop is offline
Yeller Rose
 
Join Date: Aug 31, 2005
Location: Lufkin, TX 75901
Posts: 865
Default What to do with silver scrap?

What do you do with your silver scrap? I have sterling silver scrap left over from jewelry making. I used to throw it away, then a silversmith friend asked me to bring it in to her. Once a year she sends all her scrap to a recycler. Mine was about 6oz and hers was pounds. She got a nice chunk of change. What do you do? Can it be melted into a casting? Barb
__________________
Barb Wolf
Lufkin, TX
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 2008-10-25, 4:21pm
Kevan's Avatar
Kevan Kevan is offline
Entropy increasing....
 
Join Date: Nov 12, 2005
Location: In a box of paints
Posts: 25,098
Default

It can be melted and casted, why not? It's silver.

I know Rio takes it back and credits you for it.

I can't believe you were just throwing it away.
__________________
"I am an artist… I am here to live out loud." Emile Zola
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 2008-10-25, 5:32pm
PixieFireBeads's Avatar
PixieFireBeads PixieFireBeads is offline
Ezzy
 
Join Date: Sep 14, 2006
Posts: 2,020
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kevan View Post
I know Rio takes it back and credits you for it.
That's great to know, thanks for the tip, Kevan.
__________________
When you wish upon a falling star, your dreams can come true. Unless it's really a meteorite hurtling to the Earth which will destroy all life. Then you're pretty much hosed no matter what you wish for. Unless it's death by meteor.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 2008-10-25, 5:48pm
Smurfy5's Avatar
Smurfy5 Smurfy5 is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 31, 2007
Location: Coon Rapids, MN
Posts: 219
Default

Rio will reclaim it and give you 65% of the value as cash or 75% as company credit... but, I would hold off on sending it in right now because the precious metal market has dropped hugely in the past couple months so silver is worth about half of what it was a year ago.
__________________

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.



To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.


To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 2008-10-25, 6:23pm
SunDoorBeads's Avatar
SunDoorBeads SunDoorBeads is offline
Uh-oh means it's too late
 
Join Date: May 23, 2007
Location: South Florida
Posts: 2,527
Default

There was a show I watched and the artist took his silver scrap and made a "crucible" on one of his fire bricks and loaded it down with scrap, I can't remember if it needed flux or not but he took his torch and melted it down he then took different size dapping dies and used them to make "cups" then he added pearls or gemstones to the cups I think that it was a great way to make a unique bezel. Have Fun!!!
__________________
TTFN
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Michelle


To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.



To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.



To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 2008-10-25, 6:30pm
squid's Avatar
squid squid is offline
Ass-kicking Cephalopod
 
Join Date: Jun 19, 2006
Location: Duh, Squidville
Posts: 9,523
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by SunDoorBeads View Post
There was a show I watched and the artist took his silver scrap and made a "crucible" on one of his fire bricks and loaded it down with scrap, I can't remember if it needed flux or not but he took his torch and melted it down he then took different size dapping dies and used them to make "cups" then he added pearls or gemstones to the cups I think that it was a great way to make a unique bezel. Have Fun!!!
I saw that same show and it was very cool! I don't recall him using flux I don't think- just melted it into the little cavity in his firebrick.
__________________

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

DOG is my co-pilot
Cricket w/two 5 lpm oxycons - and sometimes a Minor.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 2008-10-25, 6:42pm
Deb Hopeful Journeys's Avatar
Deb Hopeful Journeys Deb Hopeful Journeys is offline
Cancer SUCKS!
 
Join Date: Oct 23, 2005
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 5,083
Default

What you probably saw them add was Borax. You add the borax so that the impurities stick to the borax, leaving you with a cleaner casting.
__________________
Deb in MN


To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.



To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.


To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 2008-10-25, 6:55pm
Just Nancy Just Nancy is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 18, 2005
Location: NE Indiana
Posts: 5,565
Default

My mom used to do drop castings all the time. Sometimes gold, usually silver. She often set the gold ones with a diamond. The silver ones tended to be left plain.
__________________
~Nancy
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 2008-10-25, 8:25pm
SunDoorBeads's Avatar
SunDoorBeads SunDoorBeads is offline
Uh-oh means it's too late
 
Join Date: May 23, 2007
Location: South Florida
Posts: 2,527
Default

I miss that show, Squid I can't find it on anymore . I am glad to see I am not the only couch potato
__________________
TTFN
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Michelle


To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.



To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.



To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 2008-10-26, 1:43pm
squid's Avatar
squid squid is offline
Ass-kicking Cephalopod
 
Join Date: Jun 19, 2006
Location: Duh, Squidville
Posts: 9,523
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by SunDoorBeads View Post
I miss that show, Squid I can't find it on anymore . I am glad to see I am not the only couch potato
Fortunately, I don't have to be a couch potato to watch it - I have DVR
__________________

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

DOG is my co-pilot
Cricket w/two 5 lpm oxycons - and sometimes a Minor.
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 2008-10-26, 11:13pm
mtbeader mtbeader is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 08, 2005
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 213
Default

I've seen a few listings selling silver scrap on Ebay.
__________________

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.


To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.


To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 2008-10-27, 4:06am
Art of Hand's Avatar
Art of Hand Art of Hand is offline
Formerly Deesigned Beads
 
Join Date: Aug 29, 2006
Location: Cape town, South Africa
Posts: 612
Default

Or alternatively you can collect you scrap (not dust and saw filings) and take it to a manufacturing gold/silver smith, and ask them to melt it for you, and either put it through a rolling mill for plate, or to draw wire from it. they would be able to give it back to you as dead soft, or hard, depending if they annealed it for you at the end of the process. Ask them to put it in their acid to clean it up. All you need to do with the wire then, is to gently polish it to get it shiny before you work with it. Remember that to much rubbing would harden it again.

I melt all my silver scraps and save the shavings/sawblades/moore disks/sandpaper/etc that I used while silversmithing, and sent it for refining when I have enough collected.

Bottom line is that everything that you used while working the silver collects silver dust on it, which could be refined back to silver again. Our refinary reclains old x ray plates to collect silver.

Regards
Diana
__________________
Diana

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 2008-10-27, 12:23pm
Diane (clarus) Diane (clarus) is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 03, 2006
Location: San Francisco Peninsula, CA
Posts: 1,034
Default

I sent my scrap to these guys - www.midwestrefineries.com. They gave me about 90% of the day's value for my silver.

-Diane
__________________
-Diane

My Facebook business page:
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

GTT Bobcat or Carlisle Lucio on an Integra 10
(and sometimes I pull out my HotHead!)
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 2008-10-27, 3:04pm
Firebrand Beads Firebrand Beads is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 23, 2007
Location: Portland OR
Posts: 1,332
Default

Rather than mailing it off, try some place local first. Some of the local coin shops in my area will buy silver scrap for the day's trade rate, and I don't have to spend on postage.
__________________
~Jenny

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.


To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.


To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

"In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice; in practice there is." ~ Chuck Reid
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 2008-10-30, 4:03pm
bluecatbeads's Avatar
bluecatbeads bluecatbeads is offline
I know, I can't spell
 
Join Date: Mar 27, 2008
Location: Colorado
Posts: 1,238
Default

When I was in metalsmithing we would use it for casting or like afore mentioned remelting it to get the silver into a wire or sheet metal again. Just different cruicbles used for either wire or sheet metal.

Same thing can be done with gold too, and you can mix the metals together to get different metals for what you want to work with. Just make sure you know what parts to mix together to get your specific metal.
__________________
Aleina
Coe 104, Lynx Torch, concentraitor

Soon new stuff
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Reply With Quote
  #16  
Old 2008-10-30, 4:10pm
Kevan's Avatar
Kevan Kevan is offline
Entropy increasing....
 
Join Date: Nov 12, 2005
Location: In a box of paints
Posts: 25,098
Default

I saw an article in Lapidary Jewelry magazine, I think they changed the name to Jewelry Arts or something, about broom casting. You make these little bits to use in abstract jewelry by pouring melted silver into the end of a broom.

Here's an article.

http://users.frii.com/dnorris/dec99tip.html

Oh here's a better one.

http://www.amfed.org/efmls/broomc5.pdf

And there is also cuttle bone casting, but you have to buy cuttle bones. Not that they are hard to buy or expensive. You get this
neat kind of texture with cuttlebone.
__________________
"I am an artist… I am here to live out loud." Emile Zola

Last edited by Kevan; 2008-10-30 at 4:14pm.
Reply With Quote
  #17  
Old 2008-10-30, 5:18pm
tammydownunder's Avatar
tammydownunder tammydownunder is offline
offically down under
 
Join Date: Dec 22, 2005
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 3,131
Default

I just took in 125 grams to my supplier and they gave me A$61. I told them to check because it was too much and they smiled and said don't worry.
__________________
Tammy

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump




All times are GMT -7. The time now is 1:29pm.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.5
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Your IP: 54.198.37.250