# silver contacts and circuit breakers



## silversaddle1 (Nov 17, 2017)

We used to have a guy who would come around and buy our whole breakers and also any silver contacts we had. We can turn up some good sized contacts some times from the larger breakers. Well he no longer comes around and I'm kinda getting filled up with breakers. Lot's of 15 amp and up. Best guess would be a couple hundred pounds of them. Anyone interested in them? I know shipping will be harsh, but maybe freight?

Then there is a box of contacts. Not a lot but some.


----------



## snoman701 (Nov 17, 2017)

I actually do really well with contacts on eBay. I just measure them with calipers, calculate weight of silver and sell above melt. The little ones out of small ac contactors always bring above melt. The bigger ones out of forklifts and such I keep. 

Basically, silver under a dime in size and for ac switching, I sell on eBay. If for D.C., keep as it likely is alloyed with Pd. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## anachronism (Nov 17, 2017)

Which part of the USA are you Silversaddle? 

I have two sites in the US that would be able to take this product regularly without causing too much pain on the shipping. 

Jon


----------



## snoman701 (Nov 17, 2017)

He's in the Midwest Jon. Do you happen to know any numbers on breakers? I see a lot of them and have never grabbed them much...but I also had trouble taking them apart last time. I'm getting better at that however....figuring out quick breaker techniques.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## silversaddle1 (Nov 17, 2017)

Right smack in the middle. Iowa!


----------



## anachronism (Nov 17, 2017)

Iowa works mate can I drop you a PM?


----------



## silversaddle1 (Nov 17, 2017)

Sure, we can talk. PM me and I will give you my email.


----------



## UncleBenBen (Nov 17, 2017)

snoman701 said:


> He's in the Midwest Jon. Do you happen to know any numbers on breakers? I see a lot of them and have never grabbed them much...but I also had trouble taking them apart last time. I'm getting better at that however....figuring out quick breaker techniques.



I've been thinking about that for a while myself. Collected buckets and buckets over the years doing electric work. I've concluded it's sit on the concrete floor swinging a five pound sledge, or building a big loud ball mill.

I'm waiting on time to build the ball mill!  :lol:


----------



## snoman701 (Nov 17, 2017)

Oh, if I approached it, it'd be with a shredder or a hydraulic press.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## UncleBenBen (Nov 17, 2017)

Absolutely! They sure can't be taken apart easily. Unless it's the direct result of some high current short. 

Then they come apart pretty quick! :shock:


----------



## anachronism (Nov 18, 2017)

Hi Ben

You're better with a hammer mill than a ball mill for these. The hammer mill will shatter the casings.


----------



## kurtak (Nov 18, 2017)

anachronism said:


> Hi Ben
> 
> You're better with a hammer mill than a ball mill for these. The hammer mill will shatter the casings.



Absolutely hammer mill

Keep in mind that "breaker points" are the tungsten/silver (sintered) type points & not a true alloy so they don't melt & they don't readily dissolve in nitric - they need to be literally "boiled" in nitric to leach the silver out of the tungsten (sintered matrix) 

They also only run 30 - 40% silver

I have something like 10 +/- barrels full but silver is going to have to go a LOT higher before I even consider messing with them

Kurt


----------



## silversaddle1 (Nov 18, 2017)

When we clean up at the end of the year, one way or the other, these are going to be gone. :shock:


----------



## UncleBenBen (Nov 19, 2017)

kurtak said:


> anachronism said:
> 
> 
> > Hi Ben
> ...



Thanks so much for the tips Jon and Kurt! I know I've 'dismantled' a few over the years just to see inside. Just from that I knew it wasn't something that could be done in any quantity by hand. They can be some tough little buggers!

I think I'll just keep adding to my stash for quite a while also.

Somewhat related, anyone have any clever ways of pulling the silver from larger high voltage fuses? I've a few buckets of those around here somewhere also.

Thanks! 
Ben


----------



## Smack (Nov 20, 2017)

I use a Gaylord box with only the walls left, set it up, put a bunch of breakers in it, then get in and start smashing them with a 2lb. hammer. Doesn't take long and you don't have to hit them hard at all.


----------



## shorthair801 (Jan 10, 2018)

Do you guys check what breakers are going for on eBay before you scrap them. I have good luck selling them for more than the silver in them I would imagine. Any of the bigger amperage stuff does well, pushmatics are also fast sellers and for good money.


----------



## snoman701 (Jan 11, 2018)

No. 

I have very well defined rules of what I will sell. 

If the failure of an item to function as designed puts someone's life in danger, I won't consider selling it if I don't have the capacity to test it. 

I could sell new (engineering samples) car parts, used circuit breakers, used large fuses, etc all day long...I choose not to touch the stuff. 

I sell a lot of surgical equipment and instruments. But, I was a surgical technician. I am trained in the care and use of the stuff. I re-scrap a lot that I pick up because further inspection finds something wrong. It's just not worth it to me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## UncleBenBen (Jan 11, 2018)

I don't sell any used breakers either for the same reasons Snoman listed.

All my scrap breakers are ones with cracked cases, stripped lugs, or otherwise unusable. I come from a line of electricians. The vast majority of breakers I have I have dug up from around family sheds and workshops that have been in the rain and mud for years.

Most high voltage, high amp stuff gets reused if it's still in good shape.


----------



## silversaddle1 (Jan 11, 2018)

I just got 400 square D TIPO QOB 20 amp breakers. These were all out of a couple large PDU's in a data center. Never been abused, never been in the weather, no damage to them at all, like new. So, now I wonder if it's worth the time to try to sell on E-Bay. I know they are all good, and I can sell them as is, used. The problem is, is it worth the time to mess with them? I really don't know where else I am going to be able to sell them, so I just put them in a box with the other 1000 breakers and maybe someday......


----------



## UncleBenBen (Jan 12, 2018)

silversaddle1 said:


> I just got 400 square D TIPO QOB 20 amp breakers. These were all out of a couple large PDU's in a data center. Never been abused, never been in the weather, no damage to them at all, like new. So, now I wonder if it's worth the time to try to sell on E-Bay. I know they are all good, and I can sell them as is, used. The problem is, is it worth the time to mess with them? I really don't know where else I am going to be able to sell them, so I just put them in a box with the other 1000 breakers and maybe someday......



I think I would save them to reuse on future jobs since they are in such good shape. It might be worth posting them up as 20 or 30 count lots and see what happens. I'm sure there is an electrical contractor out there somewhere that would want good breakers at less than normal retail. That would keep more money his pocket.


----------



## snoman701 (Jan 12, 2018)

I would hope not. I would personally be really upset if I found my contractor was pocketing money by using used breakers when new were spec'd.

In a contractor, the silver contacts can be inspected. In a breaker they are almost always sealed. Cost of a $100 breaker when compared to cost of downtime to source and repair is minimal.

I had an instance at a previous job where a contractor "saved" us money by ordering a part from his supplier. I pointed out that we were losing well over $2500 a day waiting, and the grainger part for an extra $100 would suffice. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## UncleBenBen (Jan 12, 2018)

Well, I am an electrical contractor. I work almost exclusively at a large hospital where we as well as the hospital employed electricians reuse good breakers as standard practice.

Most circuit breakers get cycled very few times in their lifetime. You would have to use one as a light switch for many years before the contacts became arc burned enough to effect it's function. I would imagine the moving parts would wear out before the contacts did.

As long as the cases aren't cracked and the screws aren't buggered up, I'd have no qualms about reusing them.


----------



## snoman701 (Jan 12, 2018)

You are correct, breakers do seem to fail in the mechanism long before the electrical contacts expire.

Doesn't change my opinion that I'm going to take issue with anyone that is pocketing the difference between charging a customer for a new breaker and installing a used one.

But...after giving it some thought, I'd probably sell them in lots of ten for a quick buy it now price in a medium flat rate box.


----------



## silversaddle1 (Jan 12, 2018)

Well i might just have to try them and see. Lots of 10, no problem.

Thanks!


----------

