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Bart
Penny Pincher Member
Canada
120 Posts |
 Posted - 03/01/2009 : 10:41:06
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Hi Everyone -
I have taken apart a few electronic control panels from old houses or businesses. You knew the 200 amp panels that use circuit breakers. Some of the bars are copper. But there are a few that are copper inside & coated with a white metal. Would that white metal be silver? It does work better as a conducter than copper.
What do you think this is??
Best regards, Bart
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Nice. Yes. Very nice. |
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RyanAKL
Penny Pincher Member
USA
224 Posts |
Posted - 03/02/2009 : 13:35:31
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| if the house is over 100 years old i wouldnt doubt that it is silver but i would recommend taking it to a scrap yard and have it tested. is it white or silver looking? could be just pvc coated. |
Edited by - RyanAKL on 03/02/2009 13:37:14 |
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Cody8404
Penny Hoarding Member
USA
602 Posts |
Posted - 03/02/2009 : 16:11:55
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| Silver is a better conductor than copper, but copper is less expensive. |
Awake, O kings of the earth! Come ye, O, come ye, with your gold and your silver, to the help of my people, to the house of the daughters of Zion, to the help of the people of the God of this Land even Jesus Christ. |
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Kurr
1000+ Penny Miser Member
2906 Posts |
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gatzdon
Penny Sorter Member
39 Posts |
Posted - 03/02/2009 : 17:35:49
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| Could be aluminum. |
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Bart
Penny Pincher Member
Canada
120 Posts |
Posted - 03/02/2009 : 18:59:44
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Hi -
Thanks for your replies. I have found the same metal inside old circuit breakers as well. I don't think that they are 100 year old. The coating does look more silver than aluminium like.
Can I get a jewelry store to very its silver. The only acid around here is sulfuric from car batteries or just vinegar & citric acids. If they can test it I will let you know what it is.
Best regards, Bart |
Nice. Yes. Very nice. |
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RyanAKL
Penny Pincher Member
USA
224 Posts |
Posted - 03/03/2009 : 10:03:19
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| i think your best bet is to go to call around to your local scrap yards to see if they have a metal analyzer tester, all they do is ruff up the surface with sand paper and and put the analyzer to the surface and it will tell you what metal it is, and they usally dont charge you anything. |
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oober
1000+ Penny Miser Member
USA
1304 Posts |
Posted - 03/03/2009 : 20:35:10
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| Well, I haven never seen aluminum plated on copper, so its probably silver, but the copper will be worth more then the plating on these IMO. The plating is probably measured in microns. |
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snappy
Penny Collector Member
USA
301 Posts |
Posted - 03/04/2009 : 22:02:47
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| I found this a long time ago and was told that when they smelted the copper they did not get it as pure as we do today and over time the copper gets used up and the impurties remain. leaving the silver coating. It will be brittle and break easy. The coating is a mixture of what ever was in the ore when they smelted it.. AG, AU, AL, PB you name it if it was in the ore it is in the wire. |
Selling Ryedale sorted USA cents
1.5 each + shipping over 500fv 1.5 each +1/2 shipping
If you pick up 1.35 each
located MT/ND boarder.
after Ryedale sorting they are hand sorted to remove canadian then rechecked with Ryedale to insure all copper and count out $50 FV then placed in cloth bags and sealed with #1 copper wire. |
Edited by - snappy on 03/04/2009 22:04:57 |
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Computer Jones
1000+ Penny Miser Member
USA
1112 Posts |
Posted - 03/04/2009 : 22:31:39
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Here's hoping it is Ag!
I worked as an industrial electrician for several years. I was responsible for (among other things) sorting and scrapping unusable parts from lots obtained at auction. Silver coated contacts in 440 (and higher) AC voltage motor starters and electronic switches were commonly used because they caused less arcing while making contact. This was '50's to late '70's era equipment.
I never saw Ag plated buss bars, but I guess they could exist.
I've got several coffee cans of the heavier plated Ag starter "teeth".
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There's profit if you melt things!!
8{> |
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White metal coating on copper??
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