Pine sawdust flux

[huesos]

How much pine saw dust should be used for a five quart dutch oven 1/2 full of oxidized lead to be smelted? I assume that a few applications to be stirred in will be required. I am just not sure of the quantity to use each time. In processing the saw dust, I can also make some pine chips and wonder if those might also be used.
If anyone has a recommendation on a single propane burner that produces more output than my old miners stove, I would like to take advantage of your first hand experience.

[1Shirt]

If it were me, would forget the sawdust and just go stur with old broom handles etc. You get the same effect and a lot less trouble.
1Shirt!:coffeecom

[fredj338]

I put a thin cover of sawdust on top of the entire melt & stir it in. When it's all nurned to charcoal dust, skim off.

[sqlbullet]

I like to add a tablespoon of used motor oil with the 1/4 cup of sawdust and flame it. But, that's just me.

[kbstenberg]

Hello Huesos
I am using a Colman 10000 BTU propane burner mounted in the bottom of an old Weber grill salvaged from junk yard (sorry salvage center).
My pot is an old 6qt Dutch over from a second hand store. I found if you use to lid it heats a lot faster than without.
My molds are muffin tins, 1.50" angle iron molds , Larger fishing sinker molds

[JeffinNZ]

Be sure it is untreated pine sawdust. No point exposing yourself to that sort of toxin.

[timkelley]

I use just enough sawdust to cover the melt. Stir with a stick of the same material and since I use a bottom pour I just pretty much leave the ash to keep the air from the melt. I will skim once per casting session.

[oneokie]

I use about a hand full. Then stir and add more. The carbon helps reduce the oxides back into the melt.

[runfiverun]

he's smelting you guy's
just throw some in about one handfull will cover the mix let it sit till it chars then stir it in.
i wouldn't use the chips they might still have some resin left in them and you do not want that getting under the lead.
or the tinsel fairy will come visit.

[10 ga]

I use some parrafin and sawdust to flux. I use the an old time dipper and pour kind of system. I skim fairly often but mostly cast for muzzle loading and use pretty soft stuff. Most of my alloy stuff goes to 2 oz. lead line net sinkers and decoy anchors. I used an old 2 burner coleman camp stove from the second hand shop (purchased long before PCs or E-bay) but now use a fish cooker type burner I picked up at the trappers convention for $15. Got a 4 quart iron pot at Goodwill several years ago after my fry pan (dollar general mexican mfg.) rusted out. I save the skim and re-smelt that to useable stuff for weights and sinkers when i get a bunch. I think the pine sawdust works best due to the rosin content. Use pine stick to stir when necessary. 10 ga

[mold maker]

A heaping tablespoon of any non treated (dry) sawdust stired with a free paint paddle has always worked for me.

[JIMinPHX]

I was just going to say 1 handful, but I see that two guys already beat me to it & gave better details on top of that.

[Bret4207]

If you've got real cruddy, dirty WW loaded with dog pee and old valve stems then throw ina heaping handful or two. More won't hurt, but not enough won't clean the mix.

Oh, and stand UP WIND from the smoke.

[huesos]

Thanks for the input on this topic. Even the Lyman cast bullet handbook is vague on the subject of flux in smelting. I am going to take the handfull approach, wait till it chars and stir it in. I just cut down a Japanese Black Pine and am going to have some logs curing for quite a while.

[remy3424]

If you've got real cruddy, dirty WW loaded with dog pee and old valve stems


That does seem to sum up what you get from the tire shops...plus the occassional razor blade and 2 dozen cigarette butz!! The "dog pee" just cracked me up!! How true!!

[shotman]

We say "tougher than a pine knot" go out in the woods and find a rotted pine tree the knots will still be there. works good and smells great

[geargnasher]

I put a thin cover of sawdust on top of the entire melt & stir it in. When it's all nurned to charcoal dust, skim off.

I do the same thing, about a handful of DRY sawdust from a friend's cabinet shop table saw. I would be cautious about fresh pine due to the resin (might crackle and pop) but then again the resin might make it an even better flux. Try it and let us know, Huesnos.

Also, the sawdust does wonders with CLEANING a dirty smelt by absorbing calcium, dirt, aluminum scale, urea from the dog pee (:-P) et cetera if you stir and skim it off when it gets good and black but before it turns to ash, just don't skim off all your tin in the process. Then to actually FLUX the rest of the oxides back in, add another half-handful and a little oil/grease/paraffin/boolit lube/snake oil (or whatever you prefer) and stir that in and let it burn completely to ash, then skim again.

Gear

[HABCAN]

A 1:5 fine-granulated Ivory Soap/sawdust mix does wonders for smelting. Stir with something wooden. Skim. Then do it again.

[rhead]

It would depend on how badly oxidized it is and what the oxidation state is. Sawdust is cheap and too much will only waste sawdust it won't hurt anything else. Put it in in layers until the pot is full. Cover it with a final layer of sawdust and turn on the heat. After the top layer is well charred stir it up and stir occasionally until it is all converted to ash. Pour a test ingot and let it cool if you get a clean ingot pour up the rest. If it has very much trash in it skim off most of the ash, add more sawdust and keep stirring.

[WHITETAIL]

I have always used old candel wax.
But after reading all of your ideas
I went to my buddys shop and he gave me
a cat litter pail full of saw dust.:castmine: