Melting Metal Madness

[Wake]

Most of you guys know far more than me about things in general.

Recently I got nipped by the various metal bugs out there. Collecting pounds of shiny red copper, snatching aluminum cans, picking gold out of computer chip thingies, and learning that quarters 1965 and older have 90%-95% silver in them. That, and pennies 1982 and older have quite a bit of copper in them.

The thought of home-made silver ingots dancing in my head get me giddy. However, I don't to be dumb(er). Is it worth it to melt down these coins for the pure material, or just hoard the suckers for awhile? Looked up some thing like graphite molds, furnaces, blow-torches, and crucibles... and it seems like the work, energy, and time put towards melting and molding isn't that worthy.

But friggin' ingots, man. Blocks of metal. Fancy paperweights. Rich man's Legos.

You guys know what you're doing. I, well, don't. What do you think would be the wisest course of action? Pretty please?

 

[Wake]

I've learned that it's just not worth it to melt down your own metal to create bars. Energy, time, materials, and risk of getting hurt all weigh against it, and even if you melt stuff pretty well you still have to take it to a refiner(?) to ensure its purity. That, too, costs.

So, it seems like the better option is to collect all the scrap you can and, once you have enough, just haul it into a recycling business for some cash. Also, never melt pre-1965 silver quarters because they're worth far more as coins, and serve as a hedge against rising inflation. If I can gather enough gold from computer modems, that'd be worth melting maybe.

There's even different kinds of copper types/grades out there, from grade 1 and 2 to bare-bright and soldered copper. Copper also emits a neat green flame when you hold a blowtorch to it. It's probably better to just buy ingots, or buy scrap gold and melt only that.

 

[percysunshine]

'However, I don't to be dumb(er). '

Another product of our public education system.

.

 

[Moonglow]

'However, I don't to be dumb(er). '

Another product of our public education system.

.

I don't think public education wrote that.

 

[percysunshine]

'However, I don't to be dumb(er). '

Another product of our public education system.

.

I don't think public education wrote that.

Like, how would we know?

 

[Moonglow]

'However, I don't to be dumb(er). '

Another product of our public education system.

.

I don't think public education wrote that.

Like, how would we know?

We dun't, Darlink.