Sawdust, Am I over thinking it?

[KYShooter73]

Smelted/rendered about 50lb of COWW this evening. Brought it to temp, skimmed clips and junk, stir stir stir, dump in sawdust, stir stir stir, skim again, and repeat. Is that all there is to sawdust fluxing?

[btroj]

Yep. I toss some in, let it char and catch fire, then I stir, stir, stir. Once the flame is out I skim and pour ingots.

[tg32-20]

Make sure you stir it in as well as possible, bottom, sides and through the lead and that is all there is to it.

If it still looks like you have junk in it, do it again until it looks nice and shiny.

Tom

[KYShooter73]

Ok, thanks guys. I'm not used to things being easy.

[williamwaco]

If they are really dirty and covered with break dust, you might need to repeat three or four times.

[mroliver77]

Remember the lead being so heavy will trap junk against the bottom and sides. Lots of scraping and stirring to get it loose and floated to the top. I still like some wax or oil in mine. It comes clean easier.
J

[shadowcaster]

That's pretty much it! Paint sticks from the hardware store work well for stirring and scraping the bottom and sides, and add just a bit more carbon to the melt. Make sure they are dry, and you can't beat the price.. They are Free!!

Shad

PS: You have to ask for the big paint sticks.

[2wheelDuke]

I usually don't see the "big" paint sticks at the hardware store, so I usually use scrap wood. A leftover scrap piece of 2x4 ripped down the size of furring strip works well, and makes some sawdust that I can use too.

I like to use some motor oil to flux as well. I used to use used oil, but I only use synthetic oil in my truck and bike now. I'm not sure about using that stuff, so I started just using the cheapest oil I can get to use fresh oil for flux, since it only takes a tablespoon at a time.

[leeggen]

Hey guys read "From Ingot To Target" Acast bullet guide for handgunners, has good information about what is a flux and what isn't. Saw dust IS a flux, oil and wax are not. just a smoke and smell maker. I use redcedar dust from my chainsaws. Also on castboolits is a hord of info for such things. Con grats on fluxing your lead Kyshooter73. Feels good doesn't it. Just wait til you cast and shoot those boolits.
CD in Tn.

[el34]

I'm using hamster litter pine chips now and do the same as you. I cover the surface, add a little more, then throw in some paraffin. In less than a minute it smokes profusely and I then light it with a long snout lighter. While the flames are tall I stir stir stir and use my slotted spatula with 90deg bent handle to 'push' the burning stuff into the melt. I use thick welding gloves but have to switch hands to keep dunking the fire. After the flames die and the chips are little glowchunks I stir stir stir with a piece of 1x2 oak, watching the dross disappear. Then skim skim skim.

[mroliver77]

I have read it. Nobody has explained to my satisfaction exactly what we are doing when we "flux" our alloy.

I have cleaned a lot of alloy and some oil or wax sure makes a difference!

Hey guys read "From Ingot To Target" Acast bullet guide for handgunners, has good information about what is a flux and what isn't. Saw dust IS a flux, oil and wax are not. just a smoke and smell maker. I use redcedar dust from my chainsaws. Also on castboolits is a hord of info for such things. Con grats on fluxing your lead Kyshooter73. Feels good doesn't it. Just wait til you cast and shoot those boolits.
CD in Tn.

Jay

[bangerjim]

I have standardized on a marble sized piece of beeswax. I know.......people say it is only a reducer and not a flux, but that is what we are after.....reduce the tin back into he melt, right??????

Beeswax has a real nice smell after it quits smoking. Paraffin just stinks. Smelting...... I use a bit of walnut sawdust after that. But sawdust only lays on the top and does not form an intimate contact with the liquid metal surface, so some wax works well in there. Motor oil? who needs the stink!!!!!

But in the 4-20 pot, I use ONLY the beeswax and leave the black "scum" on top during the pour.

Works for me! Reducer only.......or not!

bangerjim

[KYShooter73]

Wonder if used corn cob tumbler media would work? Anyone tried that?

[fryboy]

any carbon based matter will work , as some note that for them some work better than others, corn cob media should do decent , not as good as a pine tree shavings/sawdust/sap/pitch in my humble opinion which is the best i've used ( think it all goes back to the sap/pitch ) but heck even a potato will work

as for flux or reductant ... hmmm marvelux fluxs ( so they say ) and can even pull some tin out as well as various other impurities dont usually have that problem with pine pitch or beeswax which i prefer as a finisher ( seems to help get the lil bits of sawdust out of the mix )

oh and BTW ? my best use for used tumbling media ? snow and ice traction control much akin to kitty litter

[Pmc]

A couple of tings I have discovered. Used wooden spoons from the goodwill store for 25 to 50 cents are great for stirring. Also after fluxing I use tea light candles as a reductant. Helps to get the lead off of the clips.

[303Guy]

I was surprised at how effective it really is. I'd heard about it on this forum but didn't get around to trying it till recently. I had yellowish dross as normal and the sawdust rendered lots of little beads of lead. Actually, I didn't have any sawdust so I used wheat bran which I keep for use as a filler but this lot went to the little moths and things that live in it. I presume wheat bran would be the same as sawdust.

[detox]

Hey guys read "From Ingot To Target" Acast bullet guide for handgunners, has good information about what is a flux and what isn't. Saw dust IS a flux, oil and wax are not. just a smoke and smell maker. I use redcedar dust from my chainsaws. Also on castboolits is a hord of info for such things. Con grats on fluxing your lead Kyshooter73. Feels good doesn't it. Just wait til you cast and shoot those boolits.
CD in Tn.

What the book fails to tell you is that sawdust will leave LOTS of residue trapped between pot walls and melt. This residue is impossible to remove without draining pot and washing. This is verybad if using a bottom pour pot, because residue will flow out spout into mould causing dirty boolits and voids. Sawdust works best when using the ladle pour method.

[leadman]

Synthetic oil is made from a petroleum base just like regular motor oil so it should be ok for a flux.

[fredj338]

Pretty much. I flux before removing clips. It seems to get all the lead off them. Then flux one more time before pouring ingots. I only put vlean ingots in my casting pot & rarely flux, just stir with a wooden paint stick.

[shadowcaster]

What the book fails to tell you is that sawdust will leave LOTS of residue trapped between pot walls and melt. This residue is impossible to remove without draining pot and washing. This is verybad if using a bottom pour pot, because residue will flow out spout into mould causing dirty boolits and voids. Sawdust works best when using the ladle pour method.

I have not seen, or had a problem with this residue that you speak of. I thoroughly scrape the sides and bottom of my pot and rarely have to do a complete clean up job. My boolits come out nice and clean with no specs of dirt or debris. Sawdust works equally well for BOTH the ladle and bottom pour method. Often times, I think the issues that pop up during casting are due to operator trouble.

Shad