How to Remove Plating From Silverware

Melt the silver plating from plated silverware to harvest.

Many pieces of silverware are labeled as being silver plated. The silver plating is not 100 percent sterling silver, but it is worth harvesting and creating silver ingots. The hot silver hardens in a cast iron mold, allowing the silver to settle to the bottom. The sludge is removed and solid sterling silver ingots are created. Sell the ingots and forge them into silver jewelry, silver sheets or other useful items of silver such as goblets, plates and sterling silver silverware.

Things You'll Need

• Cast iron skillet
• Cast iron muffin pan
• Plated silverware
• Safety glasses
• Torch
• Striker
• Cast iron tongs
• #10 metal can
• Hot pad or oven mitt

Instructions

1. Place the cast iron skillet and the cast iron muffin pan on a flat non-flammable surface. Remove all flammable items from a 3-foot radius of the cast iron skillet.

2. Put on the safety glasses. Place three to four pieces of plated silverware in the cast iron skillet.

3. Light the torch with a striker. Hold the flame approximately 2-inches above the surface of the plated silverware. Move the flame in small circular motions over the surface. Watch the silver plating until it melts from the surface. This will take approximately 60 seconds.

4. Flip the silverware over with the cast iron tongs. Heat the silver until it melts. Turn off the torch.

5. Remove the silverware from the melted silver and discard in a #10 metal can.

6. Pour the contents of the cast iron skillet into the cast iron muffin pan. Allow the molten silver to cool completely. This will take up to 60 minutes.

7. Turn the cast iron muffin pan over and tap the side on the flat work surface. The silver ingots will fall from the cast iron muffin pan when cool.

Tips & Warnings

• Pick up the cast iron skillet with an hot pad or oven mitt to avoid burns. The pan will get hot due to heat transfer from melting the silver plating.