Fluxing the Alloy

[SharpsShooter]

I'm sure most of us have a favorite substance for fluxing the alloy of choice. I use paraffin wax myslf with good results. I'm just curious what the rest of you use and what your method might be.

Regards

[waksupi]

My favorite flux, is a piece of dry dowel. You can scrape the inside of the post with it, and stir through the entire mix, rather than just putting something on top to float around. I have a hard time thinking you can stir any wax or light substance efficiently into a pot of lead, with a considerably higher specific gravity.
If it is carbon based, it will work.

[SharpsShooter]

My favorite flux, is a piece of dry dowel. You can scrape the inside of the post with it, and stir through the entire mix, rather than just putting something on top to float around. I have a hard time thinking you can stir any wax or light substance efficiently into a pot of lead, with a considerably higher specific gravity.
If it is carbon based, it will work.

waksupi,

That's a new trick on me. I don't believe I have run across anyone doing it in that manner. I agree on the stirring. I usually toss a clump of wax on top of the melt and stir with my skimming spoon, scraping the sides at the same time to bring all the crud to the top. Occasionally, it will flare up when i'm stirring. Anyone else have similar experience?

[imashooter2]

My favorite flux, is a piece of dry dowel. You can scrape the inside of the post with it, and stir through the entire mix, rather than just putting something on top to float around. I have a hard time thinking you can stir any wax or light substance efficiently into a pot of lead, with a considerably higher specific gravity.
If it is carbon based, it will work.

I do the same thing, but rub the dowel with a candle stub first. Belt and suspenders don't you know...

[stocker]

I use strips of dry white oak left over from shop projects. About the size of a paint stirrer. Chars up evenly and introduces some carbon to the melt which appears to do the job nicely. Residual carbon comes off with the skim and leaves nice clean metal. I know some people use hardwood sawdust rather than kitty litter as a top coat which would also seem to be a continuous source of carbon provided the metal isn't so hot as to cause a flare up. Haven't tried that myself.

[David R]

I use reject lubed boolits, or some boolit lube and a small handfull of corncob from the tumbler. I light it before it ignites and gets my attention. I am going to try the dowel thing, It sounds like a good idea. Where do you find hardwood dowels?

David

[Cliff]

Flux used in melting lead and lead alloys help clean the impurities out of the metal by acting as a wetting agent to the melt. Best I have found is straight Cannuba Wax in flake form. Only takes a little bit but does a great job. The wax or paraffin is pretty good. If you don't mind rust, Sal Ammoniac is probably the greatest but I guarantee the fumes will rust up a shop pretty fast, nasty stuff. You can overflux your melt and it makes casting difficult if you use too much. Good Luck.

[waksupi]

David, any hardware store. I also use old broken ramrods.

[David R]

Marvelux,

I would not use it in your melting pot! It leaves some kind of resadue on everything. That resadue holds moisture. I tried it, the next time I put my ladle in the pot for the first time, It made bubbles and rumbles in the lead. Same with my stirring/skimming spoon.

If you really want to try it, I have a can , only used Once!

David

[1Shirt]

David R, Agree with you on Marvalux. Also tried it once, very similar results. I didn't save mine, but tossed it in file 13. I use a pea size lump of beeswax and a little sawdust, light off the fumes and stur as I scrape the sides. Have been doing it that way for over 30 years. However this old dog is not reluctant to trying new tricks, so will give the stick method a try.
1Shirt

[David R]

I had some firewood laying by the pot, so I grabbed a good sized "splinter" of sugar maple. It was about 16" long, tapered from 4" sort of rectangular all the way down to a point. I stuck it in the hot pot, and it bubbled some. I stirred with it, pulled it out charred.

Next I fluxed the pot the regular way and stirred with the new stick. The whole piece was starting to flame, so I gave up. Gonna buy a nice dry dowel and try that. It sure smelled good!

David

[waksupi]

David, if you had added parrafin, you in effect made a candle, the stick being the wick. It sounds like your first go-round was right on, as the stick should char as it is being used. May as well use what you have.

[Wayne Smith]

I put the wax (old candle wax, I occasionally make candles) in the Lyman dipper, turn it upside down and insert it in the pot. Stir this around a little, the wax comes out the pour spout and runs through the melt.

Seemed logical to me.

[brimic]

I had a lead explosion once using Marvelux, fluxed a pot, did some casting, added more lead, used the same spoon to dump more marvellux in, blammo- there's lead splatter everywhere.

I have a 5 gallon bucket of sawdust- thrown a handful in, push it under and stir.

[El Pistolero]

I use beeswax or paraffin. Then a blowtorch to burn off any residue.
Usually end up with and ash. FWIW, I can only get rid of non-metal impurities.
I use a cast iron pot for melting. Anybody know how to clean one of them things?

El Pistolero

[jpb]

I use beeswax or paraffin. Then a blowtorch to burn off any residue.
Usually end up with and ash. FWIW, I can only get rid of non-metal impurities.
I use a cast iron pot for melting. Anybody know how to clean one of them things?

El Pistolero

Well, I hesistate to answer because my experience is so limited compared to many other here, but...

The old caster that helped get me started recommended filling the pot with water and a spoonful of laundry detergent (he liked Tide). Bring it to a boil, then give the pot a scrub with a brush with a handle like one might use for doing the dishes.

Before he told me this method, I was using a wire brush on a portable drill. More work, and I wonder if I exposed myself to breathing in lead dust because of it!

I've had good luck doing the boiling water-Tide thing, but I will keep checking back to see other suggestions.

Good luck,

John

[felix]

Use TSP, tri-sodium-phosphate, instead. Use rubber gloves. ... felix

[Tigger]

I'm glad someone brought up the pot cleaning. I just got a plumbers pot from my uncle. It's cast iron, abour 8" in diameter and 6" deep. Not really rusty but dirty inside with small "flakes" (for lack of a better term) of lead. I was thinking I should clean it but was wondering what to use. The thought of glass bead blasting had crossed my mind. If I turned the air pressure down on the bead blaster it would leave a nice finish. Not really rough but not smooth either. Would this work?? I also got a Lyman 4 cavity 1# ingot mold from my FIL and it's in a little rougher shape. Would the bead blast finish let the ingots fall out??

I like the boiling soap idea, might try that first for the dirt but I don't think the rust will come off with out elbow grease or power. What's everybodys thoughts.

[No_1]

I'm glad someone brought up the pot cleaning. I just got a plumbers pot from my uncle. It's cast iron, abour 8" in diameter and 6" deep. Not really rusty but dirty inside with small "flakes" (for lack of a better term) of lead. I was thinking I should clean it but was wondering what to use. The thought of glass bead blasting had crossed my mind. If I turned the air pressure down on the bead blaster it would leave a nice finish. Not really rough but not smooth either. Would this work?? I also got a Lyman 4 cavity 1# ingot mold from my FIL and it's in a little rougher shape. Would the bead blast finish let the ingots fall out??

I like the boiling soap idea, might try that first for the dirt but I don't think the rust will come off with out elbow grease or power. What's everybodys thoughts.

I am by no means an expert on blasting but do know something since I have been around it for 20 years or so....

Blasting is a method for sure but I suggest much study before you commit to this process. We have many items "processed" for my work. Most processes start by blasting to "white metal". There are many different kinds of blast "media" available depending on the material to be processed. They range from very course stuff sometimes called "black diamond" or "black beauty" to very fine stuff such as baking soda or ash. We have used ash to effectively blast paint from very thin aluminum without warpage. Pressure plays a big part in the process. Too much and you warp, blast a hole in the piece or leave too much "profile" (this is the surface roughness of the finished part), too little and you spend all day with little progress. A heavy profile is not what you want on a mould or pot. Glass beads come in many sizes. Most people use pretty course glass to get the job done. What you want to do can be done but it is more than just turning down the pressure and holding a good distance from the part.

good luck,

[David R]

I would just clean it out with a wire brush or pot scrubber and not worry about it. Any rust will be gone after you melt the first batch anyhow. Once you flux the lead, it will clean the pot a little too.

My muffin tins drop better if they are rusty. I took a 12 size muffin tin out of the kitchen and poured lead ingots in it. Couldn't get the darn things out. If I had let it sit out in the rain, they would have fallen out. Instead I pried and chiseled them out and trashed the pan. Now I have another sitting out side waiting for mother nature to "season" it for my next big melt.

My RCBS 4 lb ingot mold is rusty and works great. Once I make a few ingots, the rust is mostly gone.

David