Silver contacts?

[jghilino]

i processed some circuit breakers today and i was able to break the contact tips off some of them with needle nose pliers. Other ones i just trimmed. Guess whem im up to a few pounds i will break them down further with a heat gun. Whats the value per pound of clean contacts?

[etack]

i processed some circuit breakers today and i was able to break the contact tips off some of them with needle nose pliers. Other ones i just trimmed. Guess whem im up to a few pounds i will break them down further with a heat gun. Whats the value per pound of clean contacts?

That's not real easy to answer. the way you are described is in house breakers. those are most likely AgWO(silver tungsten oxide). Those run about 40% Ag if you were to sell them you should expect 60% of ASW(actual silver weight) 453g * 40%= 181g (ASW) *60%= 108.7g / 31.1 * spot (29.96)= $104.73 is what you can expect. If you cut off the buss bar and don't remove it expect to be paid less for the work you are making for the refiner.

remember waffle backs are worth around 40% ASW and others run as a mix 80% or better ASW

AgWO contacts cost more to run cause they are harder to work with they take two to three times as long to dissolve and half as much silver.

Not all refiners have the same payout and this is what is common on buying out right not with toll refining.

Eric

[jghilino]

etack heres what ive prepared so far, this is from about 15 breakers. Most of them are the fpe stab lok brand made back in the 1950's. I still have another 50 breakers to process. Are these 40%/60% as you mentioned above or are these a different yield?

[etack]

jghilino what you have pictured looks to be AgWO contacts running at around 40%. This is a pic of the waffle back I am talking about. you can see this in your pics in the bottom right hand corner. Also please remember that with any contact there are TWO contacts.



If you want those removed from the buss bar use a torch. A heat gun will not work you need a torch that is high BTU propane or oxy Acetylene. Over the summer I did some test on home breakers around 200# and found them to run around $1.00# They are a lot of work if you don't have a ball mill. The Cu per was next to nothing about $40.00 in Cu. with some shred mix in and a touch of Al. If you have the time they are a nice bonus.


Eric

[etack]

I wanted to post some other pics of contacts

thees are AgWO The bigger ones are from 480V breakers the smaller are from 220-110 home breakers



480V breaker



80% Ag or better contacts larger ones from larger breakers.


Eric