Be sure and check out the forum search function. This is a common topic that goes back for many years. There’s many posts and lots of information. Turning recycled silver and gold into usable stock is harder than it sounds. There’s zillions of variables.
I’ve found that problems with turning ingots into usable stock often arises from not doing enough anneal, forge, anneal, pickle courses before ever touching your rolling mill. It’s really important to strengthen the metal before rolling. A lot of folks say that you need to do a series of anneal, forge, anneal, pickle courses to reduce the metal 20% in thickness before touching the rolling mill. I’ve found that means at least 5-8 anneal, forge, anneal, pickle, courses before rolling. Being very patient and gently forging for the first 2-3 courses and adding more force after that works best for me.
Know you’re not alone in having troubles with this!!
Jeff