I am having issues with my silver project

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A

Amature

Member
Joined
Apr 3, 2011
Messages
8
I took several pieces of four layer plated silver pots put them in a pan and melted them now I am trying to find a good way to get the silver out and leave the other junk I think may be zinc but I don't really know what the base metal is it all looks silvery to me. How do do I get the silver out or is this a throw out experiment. I have tried the nitric and water stuff and I get a white cream not pure white but a slight yellow to it in the bottom of the jar. It is not silver looking at all. I also get a grey looking stuff left over in the filter paper. Anyone got any Ideas on what to do to straighten this mess out
 
Amature said:
I took several pieces of four layer plated silver pots put them in a pan and melted them now I am trying to find a good way to get the silver out and leave the other junk I think may be zinc but I don't really know what the base metal is it all looks silvery to me. How do do I get the silver out or is this a throw out experiment. I have tried the nitric and water stuff and I get a white cream not pure white but a slight yellow to it in the bottom of the jar. It is not silver looking at all. I also get a grey looking stuff left over in the filter paper. Anyone got any Ideas on what to do to straighten this mess out
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If you want to recover something that is on the surface, why would you melt it to create an alloy that makes your task much harder?

Recovering silver from silver plated items is a money losing proposition at this point. You should look for some gold plated items, and do a lot more reading on the forum, and Hoke's book before you get started with anything else.

Jim
 
jimdoc said:
Amature said:
I took several pieces of four layer plated silver pots put them in a pan and melted them now I am trying to find a good way to get the silver out and leave the other junk I think may be zinc but I don't really know what the base metal is it all looks silvery to me. How do do I get the silver out or is this a throw out experiment. I have tried the nitric and water stuff and I get a white cream not pure white but a slight yellow to it in the bottom of the jar. It is not silver looking at all. I also get a grey looking stuff left over in the filter paper. Anyone got any Ideas on what to do to straighten this mess out
Click to expand...


If you want to recover something that is on the surface, why would you melt it to create an alloy that makes your task much harder?

Recovering silver from silver plated items is a money losing proposition at this point. You should look for some gold plated items, and do a lot more reading on the forum, and Hoke's book before you get started with anything else.

Jim
Click to expand...

I would love to know what the fascination with melting things down is. Amature. Could you tell us why your first thought was to melt the pots down? If you answer this maybe we can then understand why the first thing people ask when you tell them you refine gold is "what do you melt it down?".

Thanks
 
Amature said:
Anyone got any Ideas on what to do to straighten this mess out
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Throw it away and take up fishing!The material you have is worth pocket change at best.Not to discourage you,but would you try heart or brain surgery without figuring out what to do first??? Or would you just grab a scalpel and hope for the best?
Doing homework on any project that you have never done before,is advised.........doing homework before messing with nitric acid,or any other dangerous acid or base, is an ABSOLUTE MUST!
 
I was using the bismuth that in several post claims to work. The bad part is the base metal seems to be zinc which melts below bismuth so I have a mess. Thank all of you for your encouraging words.
 
Amature said:
The bad part is the base metal seems to be zinc which melts below bismuth so I have a mess.
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Not that I would encourage the use of bismuth but your above statement is inaccurate.
Bismuth melts at 271.5C
Zinc melts at 419.53C
 
Pewter melts near 231.8 C depending on the alloy.

I have seen many silver plate items of either pewter or lead base.

In which case might a version of the Parkes process be possible?
 
All I know is that it all melted into the bismuth and I am trying to separate the metals. Rest assure I will not be using bismuth for any further projects other than fishing weights.
 
not enough value there to try and go any further , so make your fishing weights and lesson learned .
 
I bought some silver on copper items for their copper content only to find the ornate handles and edge trim to be an alloy of white metals soldered in place. It does pay to be wary when buying.
 
If whatever that metal is has such a low melting point save it for inquartation. For what its worth you will get that tiny amount of silver :p
 
90 percent tin may be the reason why my stannous test came up clear as in no results when testing all materials.
 
Amature said:
90 percent tin may be the reason why my stannous test came up clear as in no results when testing all materials.
Click to expand...

If your material has 90% tin anything you think you have in solution will be in the botom of your container.
 

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