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Nealry threw this old power switch out

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    TheCreator started this thread.
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    Nealry threw this old power switch out

    ~70 years old, so no major silver contacts
    Around WW1 and WW2 time there were economic problems, so silver had a higher value, and shortages, also copper was mostly good enough for the job.
    Looked in, thought "eh, just another copper job."
    But today I had a closer look and decided to unscrew, not too many screws either, easy aswell.

    There was some silver plating on the copper.
    535g high grade copper, a small transformer-like coil, some nice copper springs, maybe 0.5g Ag.
    75g Alpha brass.
    Few other bits and bobs, including some very nice graphite contacts.
    I'm an engineer so many of the odds and ends are useful to me.
    Not bad haul for 10min work.
    (add some more pix tomorrow)
    https://i.imgur.com/6dKJprc.jpg

    Last edited by TheCreator; 03-16-2018 at 11:38 PM.

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    TheCreator started this thread.
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    Also got some strips of what I believe is Zinc. Pretty happy about that.

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    Not Zinc, zinc is brittle. Non magnetic so not Nickel.
    Doesn't look like Alu, not as malleable, and different oxide coating, where the screws rubbed it is VERY silvery.
    I've no idea what it could be, unless it's an alloy.
    Any clues?

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    Bend it and break it. Have a look at the broken face. I'd expect its Copper with Silver plating.

    I get that with Breakers, 'Silver' ( I expect it is, never done a test on it) plated Copper.
    I also find Copper plated Steel in them.

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    TheCreator started this thread.
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    You're correct! Scholar
    Now I've found some other wires that are also the same. Thank you so much.



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