What to do with scrap?

Jewelry Discussion
1

So I am starting to reach the point where I have ounces of small
scraps of silver. And yes I am still learning so some are
spectacular failures :slight_smile: The question is what to do with it?

I would love to melt it down and make my own sheet and wire but I do
not have the gear for it.

Should I sell it? If so where? I have seen the rio grande program
but I am not sure if its worth doing?

If I go local what am I looking for so I don’t get ripped off etc?

Thx all,
Eric

2

I started my career as an apprentice in a sorta hippie shop in
Coconut Grove, FL and we didn’t have a rolling mill.

We made functional sheet on a piece of polished railroad track bolted
to a stump, and pounded out with a heavy, polished ball-peen hammer.

Paf Dvorak

3

I use my clean scrap for casting. I carefully separate the fine
silver from the sterling as they have different melting points.
However, I cast them both, and often do enameling over the fine
silver. Nothing is wasted. Alma

4

I sell mine to Rio Grande, I don’t have to have a fancy account or
go through a vetting process. You can find refiners who will give you
more than 85%, but Rio is a simple process.

John

5

Eric, basically, I think, you want to look for the highest return on
your metal.

After that, do you want cash or are you going to reinvest it into
your studio? Some places give you a higher percent back for credit
than cash.

A few years ago I did a comparison of a few scrap return programs -
the info is here:

http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/ep7zwc

There is a link at the bottom to a pdf download which may be easier
to read. :slight_smile: You can see what the going rate tends to be and compare
locally if you have local resources and maybe they will match the
list if they aren’t currently offering as much.

I use some of my scrap for very small scale reuse as embellishments
such asmelting into granules, but I have a large (ever growing) box
of scrap that needs to be taken care of soon.

Janice
Doxallo.com

6

Eric- It’s important to make mistakes. The thing I love about metals
is if i really screw up I can melt it down and start over again. I
tell my students that you can’t learn your limits until you test
them. I advise my students to screw up and melt a bunch of stuff
right off the bat and get it out of the way.

We always turn our scrap into our loca refiner AAA Precious Metals
and ask for metal back rather than a check. We save money that way.
Our local refiner pays more for scrap if you refine it than if you
just sell it outright at that days price.

Have funa and make lots of jewlery.
Jo Haemer
timothywgreen.com

7

I use hover and strong for my refining. Long relationship with them.
Over40 years. Never been disappointed…

8

Eric,

Talk with Hauser and Miller in St. Louis. I mail mine to them for an
amount of new wire or sheet. Nice people.

http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/hauserandmiller
800.462.7447

Good luck. MA

9 
I started my career as an apprentice in a sorta hippie shop in
Coconut Grove, FL and we didn't have a rolling mill. We made
functional sheet on a piece of polished railroad track bolted to a
stump, and pounded out with a heavy, polished ball-peen hammer.

My husband will LOVE this tidbit! He’s always wanted to be a
blacksmith, and has a piece of railroad track in the shed - I’ll
have to urged him to get this set up…

Linda in central FL

10

You might also check out Stuller Clean scrap for both metals and
diamonds. if you need any just let me know or check out

Andy “The Tool Guy” Kroungold

11

I use my silver lemel (scrap) to make jewellery. Usually I fuse,
hammer (2.5 pound mallet) and reticulate.

As I weigh and cost the new metal before fabrication all lemel has
been paid for.

So I make unique pieces that have cost me nothing for the metal.

I then look through my gems and set the ones that match the metal.

My customers like it that their piece is a one only.

I get a much higher $ return than if I sent it for refining.

Richard