Silver Plate, good for anything?

[HodakaGA]

Found a bunch of cheap but nice "Rogers" silver plated forks, spoons and knives at an estate sale today. Is this any use in alloying? I searched the fourms but came up with nothing. I know the girl who owns the estate sale company and she's pretty sharp about most things. She felt the base metal would likely be pewter. Anyone know what the base for silverplate is?

Thanks!

[lwknight]

Probably silver plated copper or even steel.
You never know. Try to melt one .

[lylejb]

I doubt it's pewter. pewter would bend relativly easy, especially at the thin part of the handle.

I would guess, and it's a guess, stainless steel.

[fryboy]

silver plate in items such as sugar bowls and creamers and teapots,vases and candy dishes yes is often pewter but most flatware is usually a nickel/brass type alloy , just try melting it down at the temp pewter melts at ...... but the lil silver found on the above listed items ( excluding flatware ) alloys well into the mix

[HodakaGA]

Thanks, Doing a lttle Googling it looks like silver plate flatware is usually stainless or a nickel-silver-zinc base. Not too good. They were partial sets, might find the pattern names and slap on eBay. Sombody might want to fill out a set.

I am going to take a piece from each set and torch 'em though. Might get lucky.

[fryboy]

u mite try the knife handles ( if hollow type ) but be prepared to stoke ur fire ( a forge would help ) brass bronze and nickel siver all take a bit more heat stainless even more so lolz the hardest thing to tell ( without the scratch/nick test ) is silverplated copper it bends usually easily but not quite as easy as pewter,i did find a creamer like that ( well more than one but ...) but the handles were pewter ( didnt weigh a oz. but every lil bit helps )