Anyone using Marvelux lead alloy flux from Brownnels

[bdbruce]

Well over a yera ago I purchased a couple of jars of Marvelux from Brownells. I use it not much fumeing seems to turn into a black gooey blob that is easy to skim off, the surface of my pot looks clean.

[mold maker]

Your doing something different than my experience with Marvelux. It left a glassy mess stuck to my pot that even a wire brush had trouble removing. The lead wasn't satisfactorily reduced/fluxed and for my money, was a complete flop.
The next time I attempted to use it the Marvelux had drawn moisture and was a hard lump.
Since I bought 3 jars (on sale in the "80s) I still have 2 unopened that anyone close, is welcome to pickup, but I don't advise it's use..
For years Marvelux was "The Flux" to use, so I must have done something wrong.
YMMV

[MattOrgan]

From many years ago my experience runs similar to mold maker,messy, hard to clean up, plus it seemed promote rusting of my RCBS furnace and anything else it touched. I took it as a sign when the can rusted out and threw it away. I can't think of too many people I would foist something like this upon . After messing with paraffin, wasting bullet lube, and trying Marvelux I've settled on saw dust which is cheap and most effective.

[Virginia John]

I use Marvelux and have had good experience. It doesn't smoke and stink like some of the alternatives.

[geargnasher]

If properly used and maintained, it can be good and it DOES do a good job of bonding with and removing metal oxides, but it removes ALL of them, including tin and other things that you might want to keep.

As for me, if you come within 300 yards of my property with a can of Marvellux I will consider it an act of hostility.

Gear

[kens]

I do not like marvelux either. I get the same gooey mess with rust.
I have come to like sawdust the best.

[gpidaho]

Like Remington triggers, don't even give it away, just throw it away GP

[doctorggg]

when i first started casting a little over 3 years ago i made a mistake (actually several). Not knowing any better I bought a container from Midway. The first time i used it, got a black gooey mess. Thought I had made a mistake. after cleaning the pot i tried it again with the same lousy results. I couldn't throw it away fast enough. pine sawdust works for me.

[lightman]

I have had the same lousy results with Marvelux. A black gooey mess in the pot, and a white lumpy mess in the can. I'll stay with sawdust and wax.

[bdbruce]

I guess they decided to package it in white plastic jars now, that's how my 2 jars are packaged. I was wondering why the top of my Lee IV 20 pot looks so corroded/rusted. I think I'll try the sawdust, in preference of wood any favorites?, seems' most prefer pine.
I've only used about half of one jar. Is it good for anything else? drain cleaner, fertilizer?

[lightman]

Pine is a favorite, but any type of wood will work. I don't know of anything Marvelux is good for. New or used.

[too many things]

Marvelux is boric acid . its very good for the mix of pure antimony. and is very good to make silver bullets. most use it to braze with .
best way to use it is to clean the mix. not in a reloading type pot .
yes as an acid it will rust metal. but it will do one thing very good . It will flux zinc in to lead if you want hard boolits for rifle use

[youngmman]

I used some Marvellux and threw it away after one try. I use Magma flux now and am happy as I can be.

[atr]

Marvellux is junk! I tried using it a couple of times and then threw the can into the trash. My old candle stubs do a better, cleaner job.

[mold maker]

Marvelux is boric acid . its very good for the mix of pure antimony. and is very good to make silver bullets. most use it to braze with .
best way to use it is to clean the mix. not in a reloading type pot .
yes as an acid it will rust metal. but it will do one thing very good . It will flux zinc in to lead if you want hard boolits for rifle use

I knew there was a reason why I didn't throw it away many years ago. Since I have a torch and do a little welding/brazing, it may serve a purpose. Although I don't ever intend to mix zinc into my alloy.
See there I learned something else today.
Merry Christmas to You all !!

[leadman]

I have used many pounds of it with very good results. How it is used makes a difference in the results. I have not found any problems with it removing tin and it does promote the fluiditiy(sp) of the alloy.
When I have a pot of alloy that was not cleaned well enough when I smelted it (tired) it cleaned it up with no problems.
It does attract moisture so will rust a steel pot. The RCBS pot is stainless so it does not rust. To clean the pot after extended use I spray the inside with Purple Power soap. This softens the Marvelux and most of it will wipe out. The remainder I get out with a drill and wire brush, just like when I use beeswax or other fluxes.
Due to cost I only use it when other fluxes have failed to clean the lead well enough.

[runfiverun]

if you get a big black gooey mess you used too much.
yes it's hydro-scopic.
it is a pretty good flux for soldering with.
it will pull heavy metals into it's glassy hard matrix and hold them there.
you can use it to mix antimony ore into a lead alloy.
it is good at getting your clothes cleaner, and for drawing moisture from animal skins.

it also doesn't fill the work shop with smoke if you use it to clean the top of your casting pot.
you skim it on the surface like you would shake salt on your eggs, then stir it into your alloy while it is making it's transformation, you don't heap it in by the spoon full.

[MUSTANG]

I use it in my lyman Big Dipper casting pots. All the comments abut being messy, turning to a black goo and sticking to the pots and dippers are spot on. Just a very little is required, I like the salt shaker analogy previously used for correct application. I sprinkle a touch on top, stir in a zig-zig motion using a lee dipper spoon with the spoon down (edge about 45 degrees elevation), and when it is all under the lee dipper "Spoon"; I push it underneath the lead. TAKE CARE, it will bubble and "Boil" the lead along the side of the Lee Dipper/Spoon. Once it stops "Boiling"; I scrape the sides of the pot, then skim the surface to get all of the black crud left behind.

Cleaning the black crud (baked on black goo) is a problem if you allow it to grow. I usually use an old flat blade screw driver to scrape/chip it off where it sticks on a pot, dipper, etc..

I use saw dust for fluxing/cleaning when I melt and cast ingots. Use the Marvelux (Despite it's draw backs) for boolit casting sessions.

[Patrick L]

I used it for years, and honestly thought it worked fine. It does tend to attract moisture. I still use it for my really big melts when smelting raw wheelweights and alloying big batches of my boolit alloy. I do not, however, use it when actually casting boolits. Since joining this forum I have learned about other things that flux better for making boolits.

[leadman]

If you get the bubbling and popping when pushing the Marvelux under the top of the lead this means you should wait a bit and let the moisture evaporate out of it.