Good for you, I hope you don't expect to make any money off it.
Not saying it is a bad idea for a SHTF scenario but that is about all it is good for in my opinion.
That said, I lost all of my silver in the fire so don't let anyone tell you it will still be there even after a fire. All I have left is the 1oz round that I carry in my pocket.
Part of the estate includes a bunch of sterling silver flatware. It's not my pattern, so my interest is dividing it up between siblings or selling and sending them each a check.
Keep you eye on why you're doing this. Don't get too caught up in the day-to-day fluctuations of prices. If you are doing this to invest (make money buying/selling) you are in for a ride. If you are doing this an insurance policy against economic turmoil, just stack and forget it.
Awesome. Learn to make and use colloidal silver. Obtain the proper flux to use silver solder. Plating out parabolic type mirrors can be a good use of silver too (Tollen's reaction).
This is definitely an insurance policy, I have no interest in playing the money making game. Always got to have a backup plan just in case though. I know someone who sold there entire collection for an horrible loss.
"Most high-temperature solder preforms made with silver use alloys containing about 45 to 90 percent silver and the remainder composed of copper, zinc, tin and cadmium."
You can use higher % silver, its just some what wasteful by not using cheaper fillers. Depending on the application some/all the other components might very well enhance the alloy for the specific task.
So typical
electronics (industrial, not ham radio) is 3% silver, a bit of copper, and the remainder tin. Something gets weird when tin is mixed with above 3% silver. I can’t believe there is really any solders as you describe- where did the quote come from? It sounds like a bad translation where high temperature solder should have been brazing in English.
Brazing alloys go higher than 50%, but it’s uncommon. High silver ( with no copper) alloys get used for ammonia piping, or high temp nickel/stainless applications. I’ve heard of 85% silver, and have some 54 or 56% rods ( because I don’t TIG weld) But 5 or 15% phos-sil is the most common alloy because of its use in HVACR with CFC and CFC replacement refergrents. ~50% silver is also used for soldering carbide and in some jet engine assemblies and high temp piping.
There is no such thing a pure silver solder- silver melts at too high a temperature to be s solder by itself. Even my 56% silver requires acetylene at a minimum ( or oxy propane). Pure silver melts at about 1900 deg. Also, when brazing with high (>>50%) silver alloys, it’s usually done in a furnace with an inert Atmosphere (Hydrogen works also)
Definitely look at it as insurance and not so much an investment, and don't let your emotions get you caught up in it being a large part of your investments. The stock market is still the best investment. Silver is just a hedge for hard times for barter, something I don't ever expect to happen, but have as insurance nonetheless. And someday when I'm gone my kids will inherit it.
BTW, my local coin shop reopened last week and to say I'm happy is an understatement. Current junk silver prices on ebay and websites isaround 15-17x spot and $25 for cull Morgans. My local guy sells at 12x spot, cull Morgans $18, and AU Morgans for $25! Happy, I am!
please make sure you have at least a 6 month emergency fund, and retirement savings in something that grows in value before buying silver.
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