Silver is an industrial metal...
Meltdown
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Check this out. I found it at an antique show this weekend. The old timer who sold it to me used to be a machinist
back in the mid 30's & 40's. He told me this was his last one but that they used these for repairing equipment around the shop.
I opened it up after getting home and it "sprung" all over the place... took me like half an hour to wind it all back up
tight enough to get back inside the brass canister.
back in the mid 30's & 40's. He told me this was his last one but that they used these for repairing equipment around the shop.
I opened it up after getting home and it "sprung" all over the place... took me like half an hour to wind it all back up
tight enough to get back inside the brass canister.
0
Comments
Did he elaborate about how it was used to repair equipment? The little bands of silver aren't spring-loaded in the canister, are they?
Anyone else ever seen this or know how it was used?
<< <i>That's totally
Did he elaborate about how it was used to repair equipment? The little bands of silver aren't spring-loaded in the canister, are they?
Anyone else ever seen this or know how it was used? >>
Not spring loaded, just wound tight to fit inside... He said they would just unstring a little at a time when soldering.
You can see from the middle photo it's just a quarter inch wide, super thin strip of pure silver.
I did not weigh it when I had it out, but the top says it's 1 ounce and that feels about right.
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THIS!
They say that old land fills are filled with silver foil. Aluminum foil has replaced the silver.
<< <i>Silver solder is now 15-40% silver. That item is a little treasure. >>
That's exactly what I was thinking... I paid a decent premium over 1oz spot.
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I haven't seen 100% silver solder in a welding supply store EVER. Low percentage silver solder is the norm and IIRC, about 40% silver is the max alloy. We used to use it 10 years ago +/- but bought a pretty expensive TIG and no longer want to ever see silver. Messy and noosty to work with. The flux will nail you.
IIRC I think that I remember figuring out that silver solder now costs about $90 for an ounce of silver. You buy it by the inch in a coil or by the stick.
If you ever get to a flea market and see someone selling it ---buy it if you can do the calcs and it is an old price. Many Shops quit using it a long time ago and have no idea what it brings currently and sometimes you see someone selling the dusty remains of an old shops inventory. Sometimes on a stick they stamp a number that many times--but not all---represents the % of silver in the alloy. Not to be confused with a number like.... Harris 15..... which is a product number and has nothing to do with the percentage of silver.
I just googled.... silver solder coil....and came up with $118 +17 shipping with no weight represented. If I had to guess, the coil looked like an OZ. $135 OZ landed. You probably did much better, I hope.
<< <i>Meltdown,
I haven't seen 100% silver solder in a welding supply store EVER. Low percentage silver solder is the norm and IIRC, about 40% silver is the max alloy. We used to use it 10 years ago +/- but bought a pretty expensive TIG and no longer want to ever see silver. Messy and noosty to work with. The flux will nail you.
IIRC I think that I remember figuring out that silver solder now costs about $90 for an ounce of silver. You buy it by the inch in a coil or by the stick.
If you ever get to a flea market and see someone selling it ---buy it if you can do the calcs and it is an old price. Many Shops quit using it a long time ago and have no idea what it brings currently and sometimes you see someone selling the dusty remains of an old shops inventory. Sometimes on a stick they stamp a number that many times--but not all---represents the % of silver in the alloy. Not to be confused with a number like.... Harris 15..... which is a product number and has nothing to do with the percentage of silver.
I just googled.... silver solder coil....and came up with $118 +17 shipping with no weight represented. If I had to guess, the coil looked like an OZ. $135 OZ landed. You probably did much better, I hope. >>
Thanks for the input.
I have no intention of selling, so I feel ok telling you guys I purchased this roll for $55.
I assumed the silver is pure or somewhere near .925 but I have not done any research just yet.
I took the guys word that he used these rolls personaly back in the 30'S & 40's. He told me a tale of repairing huge bandsaws at an
industrial plant he worked for back then.
Click on this link to see my ebay listings.