Sawdust flux

[bbailey7821]

Could anyone get me up to speed on using sawdust as flux? I ran across something today in another thread and was intrigued. I've always used candlewax.:castmine:

[jmsj]

I don't know if sawdust does a better job than other types of flux but I like it because it seems to do a good job and it doesn't smell or smoke as bad as used oil and wax.
jmsj

[Freightman]

Smells better than oil I think.

[Bkid]

I use a wood because it smells better and it is able to clean out unwanted metals.

[oneokie]

+1 on what has been said already.

When smelting, I layer my scrap lead with sawdust- lead, sawdust, lead, sawdust. IMO, sawdust is better for smelting because it does not flash burn. Therefore, more carbon stays in the alloy, thus reducing more of the base metals back into the melt. And I wind up with a layer of sawdust/dross on top of the melt.

For casting, I keep a layer of charcoal on top of the melt. Helps retain heat, prevent oxidation, and helps to keep the pot cleaner.

[HammerMTB]

+1 on what has been said already.

When smelting, I layer my scrap lead with sawdust- lead, sawdust, lead, sawdust. IMO, sawdust is better for smelting because it does not flash burn. Therefore, more carbon stays in the alloy, thus reducing more of the base metals back into the melt. And I wind up with a layer of sawdust/dross on top of the melt.

For casting, I keep a layer of charcoal on top of the melt. Helps retain heat, prevent oxidation, and helps to keep the pot cleaner.


I've been getting very fine grained fir sawdust from my son who millwrights at a pole mill. Once I tried this stuff, no more wax, boolit lube, oil, or other concoctions for me. I use lots, and it does smoke some, but it sure leaves a clean smelt.
Now I gotta try layering it on top of my casting melt, too. Seems like a good idea!
Thanks, oneokie! :bigsmyl2:

[WHITETAIL]

I koncure!
I tried sawdust in my last smelting outing.
And find it is a winner!:holysheep

[gray wolf]

All I use now,a little smoke,very clean and the pot is in better shape now.
I use it in the Lee ten pounder, about a 3/4 inch on top and let it get brown and DRY.
If the metal in your pot was from clean ingot metal just stir it up and leave it alone.
It will create a nice protective layer on top of the metal. If you break through it with a spoon you will see nice shiny metal below it. Before you add metal to the pot skim off the dross and repeat the proses. My pot has cleaned up now from all the wax I had used.

[fredj338]

All I use now,a little smoke,very clean and the pot is in better shape now.
I use it in the Lee ten pounder, about a 3/4 inch on top and let it get brown and DRY.
If the metal in your pot was from clean ingot metal just stir it up and leave it alone.
It will create a nice protective layer on top of the metal. If you break through it with a spoon you will see nice shiny metal below it. Before you add metal to the pot skim off the dross and repeat the proses. My pot has cleaned up now from all the wax I had used.

I agree, but find as little as 1/8 layer on top works fine. I still throw in the occasional lubed bullet but mostly use sawdust for fluxing during casting & smelting.

[The Dove]

I use wax to flux. However, I sometimes think we flux too much??? I flux quite often when smelting WW's just to get the oil/greese and other contaminants off but I try to minimize the fluxing as much as possible. Any other ideas on this???

The Dove

[parson48]

After using sawdust on a melt of boolits that were lubed with LLA I have been sold on it. It's all I use now.

[Bkid]

I like to use a stick of Cedar , I stir the sides and bottom. When submerged you can see it working .I then leave the ash and coals on the top to keep my temp management.

[gray wolf]

I agree, but find as little as 1/8 layer on top works fine.

Good to know--I will try and use a little less.

Sam

[dragonrider]

I have tried a lot of stuff for fluxing, from waxes of various kinds to petroleum products like oils and grease, you name it. I have used Marvelux, as an industrial flux maybe it works ok but for the home caster it is more trouble than it is worth, it attracts water and can cause you a real problem like visit from the tinsel fairy. Most of them work but none will work any better than sawdust and none will keep your pot cleaner.

[excavman]

I used sawdust last week for the first time, worked great. I keep the sawdust from the table saw when I use it. Have a whole coffee can full saved up, should last a while.

Larry

[mold maker]

This time of year I just reach into the nearest corner of the patio, and grab a hand full of oak tree tassels. Works just like sawdust and cleans the deck at the same time.
Get free paint stir sticks from HDepot, Lowes, or the paint store. Using them to scrape the sides and stir the melt works also.

[cbrick]

bbailey,

Great article on sawdust,

The Simple Act Of Fluxing, by Glen E. Fryxell (http://www.lasc.us/FryxellFluxing.htm)

Rick

[wistlepig1]

I to use it and agree with the reasons listed for use.

And the most important thing for me is it smells like I am out camping.:bigsmyl2:

[XWrench3]

i love the stuff for casting. i use 3 tablespoons per 20 pound pot of ingots that i have already smelted. by using that amount, i can pretty much keep air from getting to the top layer of the lead. when i smelt, i use parafin, and then saw dust to flux. i want to get the vast majority of crud out before it goes to the casting pot. i tried oil once, i didnt like it. to each, his own.

[hoosierlogger]

I have a barrel of hickory sawdust out in the garage. I use it to flux and as an oil absorber under the Harley. The sawmill I work for makes about 2 semi loads of sawdust a day, so I have an unlimited source.

[shooter75126]

I just started using sawdust after reading Glen Fryxell's article. I guess he's some sort of chemist, and he says the sawdust reduces the oxidized metals back into the alloy. Good enough reason for me. Even if it's only just as good as wax, I prefer it because it's less messy and smells better. It doesn't smoke as much and it smells good.

[Lavid2002]

Phew! I have been putting wax and motor oil in and lighting it on fire with the wax and stirring....F that...Im only using sawdust now. Good article thanks man!
-Dave

[Fugowii]

I obtained a half bag of unused cedar pet bedding chips, so I decided to try fluxing with it. I'm sold!
Not only did it do a great job, it was real cheap (free), and it had a great aroma. How can it get any
better than that?

[Evil Dog]

What a great idea !!! I've a goodly supply under my table saw... tried it, may never go back to using beeswax again. Thanks for the thread, I would have never thought of it.

[bbailey7821]

Thanks to all of you for the great info! I had no idea that this would work sooo good!

[sniper]

It works well, and smells pleasant, too!

[a.squibload]

I have tons of pellets for my pellet stove, made of compressed sawdust.
I wonder if I should grind 'em back into sawdust somehow, or use 'em as they are?
When they get wet they puff up and revert to sawdust, would need to dry it out before using for flux I guess.

A freind saw the pellets in our cat box, now he uses 'em for his horses. Has to wet 'em first to puff up,
otherwise they are like little roller bearings and the horses skid on 'em.

Never saved sawdust before, always used as mulch or tossed it.

[dragonrider]

Pellets should work just fine, DO NOT stir them into the melt until they have burned completely.

[qajaq59]

I can tell you that cedar smells a whole lot better then burning candle wax.

[roysha]

Back in the olden days when I was a kid, the old gunsmith at Loveland told me if I ever over heated lead, (a great many pots did not have thermostats or were gas fired so temp control was problematic), to stir the pot with a thin piece of willow until the lead returned to a usable temp. He claimed it would "fix" the lead, which he called burned, and make it usable again. I didn't have a chance to test his advice until many, many years later when I was breaking down some wheel weights and walked off and forgot the propane fired pot. Dang!! When I came back it was slushy looking when I stirred it and would not flow. I shut off the fire and started stirring with a piece of willow from one of our trees that I had cut for fire wood and "VIOLA" good as new. Now, I don't know if it actually was the willow or whether it would have healed itself but the lead has long since been sent down range, compliments of my 44 Mag.
I guess, now that I read this, it really has nothing to do with the thread except that wood is really a great product for us casters and I have started using the sawdust from my table saw as flux. Beats anything else I have ever used.

[a.squibload]

Pellets should work just fine, DO NOT stir them into the melt until they have burned completely.

10-4 on that, thanks. The pellets are pretty dry but who knows for sure?