Pine needles for flux

[dubber123]

I'm at my brothers this weekend, and just picked up a couple new single cavity Ideal/Middlefield moulds to try. I filled his pot, and looked for some flux, and all he had was Marvellux. I figured it's better than nothing, so I gave it a little bit. Didn't really seem to do much, and I was left with 3/4" of thick, heavy silver/gray sludge on the top. He skims this off and throws it away! I have been using sawdust, and don't get this sludge. Soo, I walked out of his shop in search of a semi-dry stick to stir the pot with, and spot all these nice, dry pine needles. Anyways, a few pinches of them stirred in, and all the sludge went back in the pot, and left just a fine layer of light gray ash on the top. I'm going to get a bag and steal all his pine needles before I leave! They seem to work better than the sawdust, and smell better to boot!

[Scrounger]

Hey, Pat, can you sell me some pine needles or maybe cedar chips?

[Tom W.]

Come on over, get all you can tote!

[pipehand]

dammit Bamma- why you gotta ruin a good thing? I was going to be gracious an allow these fine fellows to rake my yard for a nominal fee. I don't charge much Check out a copy of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain.

[dubber123]

dammit Bamma- why you gotta ruin a good thing? I was going to be gracious an allow these fine fellows to rake my yard for a nominal fee. I don't charge much Check out a copy of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain.

Enough beer and I'll rake anybodies yard!

[Sundogg1911]

i'll bet the pine needle smell good too.
I was using some hickory sawdust to flux, but it just made me really hungry for a smoked rack of ribs!

[454PB]

I know nothing about using pine needles for flux, but I do know about using Marvelux. You need to allow the alloy to get hotter before fluxing. The reason it all disappeared back into the mix when the pine needles were added is that it had finally reached fluxing and casting temperature. That slushy mass on the surface is telling you it wasn't hot enough to flux yet. Also, leave the dross on top of the alloy if you are using a bottom draw pot, it acts as an oxygen barrier.

[dubber123]

I know nothing about using pine needles for flux, but I do know about using Marvelux. You need to allow the alloy to get hotter before fluxing. The reason it all disappeared back into the mix when the pine needles were added is that it had finally reached fluxing and casting temperature. That slushy mass on the surface is telling you it wasn't hot enough to flux yet. Also, leave the dross on top of the alloy if you are using a bottom draw pot, it acts as an oxygen barrier.

I won't say it's not possible you are right about the temp thing, but the pot had been on for about 1/2 hour, and also the time between trying the Marvelux and pine needles was at most 3 minutes. The temp could have increased more in that time. Sounds like a good thing to test to me! I always leave the stuff on top. Mines cooking right now with a good 3/4" of "stuff" on top.

[Morgan Astorbilt]

I turned a cast iron lid 1/4" thick, with a cross-drilled lug in the center, for removing with a bent wire tool. It floats on the top of the lead in my Lyman mold-Master. A clearance notch notch in the edge, allows the valve rod to operate. Once I do my original fluxing, with good old lard (used to use bacon grease 'till someone mentioned salt might be a problem), don't have to re flux 'till I add lead. Before making this, oiled sawdust worked well.
Morgan

[GrizzLeeBear]

Hey, I've got two great big blue spruce trees out in the front yard. Maybe I need to go do some raking under them!