flare up...

[quiknot]

forgot to ask....

when fluxing i sometimes get a flare up from the bees wax...flames shoot up and then die down....how normal is this...it does not happen all the time....

thanks

[Nueces]

Walp, you can see that it does happen all the time, by using a match. :-D

Flareup is perfectly normal, just the combustible gasses being ignited by the heat from the melt. Usual procedure is to light it off anyway, to reduce noxious odors. I like to think of the flame as evil thoughts leaving my fevered brain. :mrgreen:

Other board denizens have advised to keep combustibles or treasures from above the pot and to ensure that the flames can't reach your ceiling.

Mark

[wills]

forgot to ask....

when fluxing i sometimes get a flare up from the bees wax...flames shoot up and then die down....how normal is this...it does not happen all the time....

thanks

See
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showpost.php?p=127084&postcount=16

[Bret4207]

I use it for removing ear hair and nostril hair. Once you get the hang of it it's a lot less painful than when you're first learning. Truth be told, your eyebrows and mustache do grow back in thicker than before. All part of the learning process.

[SharpsShooter]

I use it for removing ear hair and nostril hair. Once you get the hang of it it's a lot less painful than when you're first learning. Truth be told, your eyebrows and mustache do grow back in thicker than before. All part of the learning process.

and I thought I was the only guy to go around with one eyebrow.:mrgreen:

SS

[floodgate]

quiknot:

That's normal, for beeswax; apparently the "flashpoint" is right in the middle of our working heat range - sometimes it flashes, and other times it just sizzles and goes off as smoke. As Nueces says, you can also pre-empt the flare by lighting it off with a match (or a "sparker").

By the way, when we shut off the pilot lights on our propane cooktop (which were very unreliable, noisy and smoky in spite of all the adjustments in the book), we cut our propane usage to less than half. That'll buy you a LOT of sparkers, plus a good pile of brass, primers , powder or alloys.

floodgate

[BruceB]

Since I received the Great Revelation from Waksupi, "right here in River City", I've taken to using a simple hardwood dowel for fluxing.

While others have been using sticks of stovewood or other random sorts of wooden "fluxers", I find that hardware-store/lumber-yard dowels are quite consistent in their moisture content. A one-foot length of 3/4" or 1" dowel will do a LOT of fluxing, getting the carbon well down into the melt and still containing enough moisture for a moderate bubbling reaction to carry the crud to the top.

An additional benefit to using dowel is that I can scrape the daylights out of the sides of the pot while fluxing, which gives a better cleaning action. Also, nice clean hardwood smoke SMELLS GOOD, compared to the horrendous smoking miscellany of oils, waxes, greases etc that I used in my "un-enlightened days".

[waksupi]

Bruce, I'm "uppity" now. Grumble sent me some pinion pine to stir the pot with. Love that smell!

[45nut]

FWIW: I have been using a paint stir stick,,,all the above revelations apply.

[MT Gianni]

Too late now, but a stripped christmas tree branch works fine. Gianni.

[9.3X62AL]

OK, I gotta ask.......doesn't the moisture content of the wood run the risk of setting up steam explosions? I don't need the Tinsel Fairy scattering debris all over the casting area--there's enough damn women in my garage as it is. The funky odors tend to repel them--and I count that as a good thing.

[Bret4207]

and I thought I was the only guy to go around with one eyebrow.:mrgreen:

SS

I used to have 2 eyebrows, but I had the upper one removed.

[44man]

I used to have 2 eyebrows, but I had the upper one removed.

Funny you say that, my upper eyebrow removal reaches to the top of my head!

[KYCaster]

OK, I gotta ask.......doesn't the moisture content of the wood run the risk of setting up steam explosions? I don't need the Tinsel Fairy scattering debris all over the casting area--there's enough damn women in my garage as it is. The funky odors tend to repel them--and I count that as a good thing.


Al: Here in the Ohio River Valley humidity seldom falls below 50% and 90 to 95% is not unusual. Here air dried wood will stabilize at about 15% moisture content, in a drier climate, it will be less. In my VERY HUMID basement I usually get some vigorous bubbleing, but so far have not had any splatter. So......no need to be concerned.

Jerry

[jar-wv]

Another fan of the hardwood dowel here.

jar

[azcoyhunter]

What do you think of the Marveluxe (sp)???


Clint

[Dale53]

Marvelux is a decent flux but the fumes will rust any tool within range "like, RIGHT NOW!"
Dale53

[44man]

I figured out how to keep all of you happy, get a good flux and never know when to quit until all of the lead is gone! Flux with some WEED---HEE, HEE.

[454PB]

I'd suggest that beeswax is for boolit lube, and too valuable for fluxing. If you're gonna flux with carbon based material, use parafin, candle stubs, crayons, peanut oil, lard, motor oil, or even dry leaves.

I've never used the "stick" method......are you guys saying you can flux a 50 pound batch of dirty wheelweights with a stick?

[arkypete]

A question.
Several years ago some one gave me a big bundle of 'grease wood' fire starters.
How would these work for fluxing?
Jim

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

454PB,

Yup, that's what they're saying and they're right. I tried it and it's true.

[ARKANSAS PACKRAT]

Arkypete; If that 'greasewood' is like 'richlighter pine' it will be full of resin that will cook out. Try it, may work, will smoke a bunch.
nick