Low cost choices for fluxing?

[FergusonTO35]

Hey guys. I was wondering what is the best low cost choice for fluxing ordinary range lead? I know that stick bullet lube works but its kind of pricey. Does ordinary household paraffin wax (such as Gulfwax) work well? One guy told me he prefers toilet bowl gaskets. How about candle wax? I have several of those scented candle in a jar thingies with the wick burned down but still have alot of wax left.

[clintsfolly]

Yep! It all works and add to the list used and new motor oil,dry sawdust. I like used motor oil for range lead and stickon WW. i add it as soon as some of has melted and light as soon as possible the heat helps melt and lighting cut a lot on the smoke .Clint

[swamp]

+1 on saw dust. Effective and cheap.

[Bullet Caster]

+1 on the sawdust. I use cedar shavings that I plane off of cedar planks. BC

[sig2009]

I save and use all the leftover wax from my jar candles to flux.

[FergusonTO35]

Excellent, thanks!!

[onesonek]

Sawdust again

[fredj338]

Sawdust by far over greases or wax. Free @ most home stores that sell/cut lumber, just avoid the plywood & MDF.

[Hardcast416taylor]

Definately sawdust. I gathered up a bunch, 2 five gal. pails to be exact, of chain saw chips after cutting up some dry dead trees. I run a handful of the chips thru a yard sale food processor for making fluxing wood dust. As far as candle wax, here is another use for those little birthday candles after you blew them out on your/kids birthday cake. Yes, about any of the votive and jar type candles will work although soy candles don`t work well I hear. My humble advice about using Marvaflux or Midway`s version of it is simply don`t use them!Robert

[MBTcustom]

I used paraphin and bees-wax for years. It sucks rocks. Smoky, nasty, greasy, grimy, scummy, stinkin mess that doesnt hold a candle to what we have now!
Use saw-dust/chips and stir with a wooden stick. It works better than any other flux, plus it removes calcium from the pot while returning tin and antimony back to the mix. Your pot will be cleaner, along with your thermometer, ladle, and dross spoons. It is better in every way. seeing all that smoke may give you all kinds of fuzzy feelings, but saw-dust is the only thing that really works.

[dragon813gt]

I think I'm the only one that has not had good luck with sawdust. Don't get we wrong it did the job. But I hate having to clean it off the top to ladle out the lead. I prefer to use gulfwax as a little goes a long way. It's also easier to clean up. I understand using sawdust in your production pot. But even then I don't want to get all the junk anywhere close to the bottom.


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[Sonnypie]

Lizard Litter.
Works for your vibratory tumbler, and works great as a flux for the lead.

[willie_pete]

Time for my silly question of the day. Remembering that clay pigeons were made of mostly pitch from my skeet days, i recently picked up some pieces from the shotgun range and used it to flux some lead. It seemed to work as well as or better than sawdust or wax. Have I gone off the deep end?

WP

[rexherring]

It all seems to work but I prefer Marvelux. However, hardwood sawdust for my smoker smells great.

[DrCaveman]

Sawdust is pretty darn good. Something sappy (like pine or fir) offers even better fluxing, since the oils can help return oxidized tin back into the alloy. I think it helps with other metals as well (antimony, arsenic, etc). The sawdust itself helps prevent further oxidation of the entire alloy.

So in a pinch, use whatever sawdust you can, and add a pinch of pine sap. As cheap as it gets.

If only lead grew on trees in my backyard, I would be in business. Then, a primer bush would be the next step

[geargnasher]

Marvellux is total garbage in my opinion. It captures and removes tin in oxide form, does zero to reduce metal oxides to their elemental state, and absorbs water like crazy. The only thing it does well is remove impurities, particularly some metals we casters consider impurities, from the melt. Sawdust does all this and a whole lot more, and if you understand the process chemically you'll see what I mean. If you want the whole explanation of why sawdust works better than anything else, check out Fryxell's article at the Los Angeles Silhouette Clug website.

Gear

[lead chucker]

+1 on the sawdust I was surprised how well it works just be careful if the sawdust has any moisture in it and you go to stir it, it will pop and spit molten lead so ware safety glasses and leather gloves. A friend of mine works at the lumber yard and I stop buy and grab a gallon zip lock bag every once in a while. If you use it try to keep it dry.

[lead chucker]

Time for my silly question of the day. Remembering that clay pigeons were made of mostly pitch from my skeet days, i recently picked up some pieces from the shotgun range and used it to flux some lead. It seemed to work as well as or better than sawdust or wax. Have I gone off the deep end?

WP

Clay pigeons you say I will have to try that do you crush it up or does it breakdown when it hits the molten lead?

[gundownunder]

I use sawdust mixed with just enough leather dressing to make it look damp (not much).
It works well and the oils and waxes in the mix make it smell pretty good too.

[gray wolf]

Saw dust and haven't looked back, Smelting and in the Lee pot for casting.
I never have dirty bullets and it don't come out the bottom.
Cover the melt, let it char up ( no moisture please ) stir it in well, I use a metal spoon. Then leave the darn thing alone. I have had the same ash in my pot for two or three fills and it is still working.
If I stir with a a paint stick --that's when I get the dirt in the bullets.
A huge bag of pine saw dust, large flake and small like they use in chicken coops
Cost about 5$$ and it's a very big bail, enough for a LOooong time.