What type of Sawdust as Flux

[Hannibal]

I would advise anyone not to submerge any fluxing material into the casting pot. When reclaiming used lead from range lead, wheel weights, etc, then there is enough slag as to not matter so much. But that is a process best conducted somewhere other than in the casting pot.
My experience has been that clean lead, tin, pewter, pre-'smelted' wheel weights in whatever amounts you wish is what should go into the casting pot with a bit of wax on the top of the melt. This goes a long way toward keeping inclusions out of your cast boolits and particularly helps with keeping your bottom pour pot running clean and clog free.
Many ways to cast, but this is the most trouble free way I have found to date.

I'm not saying any one else's method is incorrect. I'm simply saying this method gives me the best boolits with the least trouble.

[Hossfly]

I agree the pine bedding works fine except for taking longer to get to char over, also make double sure this product is dry, don’t just throw in and start stirring in. It wont take long at all to dry on top of melt be careful tho. Wear protective especially for eyes and arms, and remember everything is hot all the time.

[oldlongbeard]

Grmps- thanks for that pictorial... they really are worth 1k words!

Greg in West Mitten

[Echo]

I use sawdust from Lowe's, and I'm sure they saw ply as well as solid - and I don't worry about it, because the amount of bad stuff in the glue/whatever is so small that it is insignificant...

[Ateam]

Chainsaw dust/chips works well for me, any wood variety.

[kevin c]

I've used (clean) walnut and corn cob media, fine pine sawdust and also pine shavings from a planer. They seem much the same to me, but as a beginner, I'm not too discriminating.

One thing, though, every single paint stick I've tried started to sputter badly when put into the melt. What do you do to prevent that, dry them in an oven?

[Stephen Cohen]

In Australia the pine shavings are available at pet stores as bird nesting material. I would never use MDF material or any material that is coloured green as it could have come from treated timber and is poisonous. I agree that some form of wax is also needed as I think it alters the surface tension and helps the rubbish float to top. I recommend using shavings from a known source as some shavings can have nasty side effects to your health. Regards Stephen

[RED BEAR]

I just buy a cheap framing 2x4 and saw it up on table saw blade width at a time you get a lot of saw dust for two bucks. Have i been missing something I thought sawdust was for removing impurities and waxes were for combining the alloy back together ( tin etc )? I may be wrong but that is what I have always used them for.

[Hannibal]

I just buy a cheap framing 2x4 and saw it up on table saw blade width at a time you get a lot of saw dust for two bucks. Have i been missing something I thought sawdust was for removing impurities and waxes were for combining the alloy back together ( tin etc )? I may be wrong but that is what I have always used them for.

^^^^ Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner ^^^^^^^

[EDG]

When I have a piece od scrap pine that is saturated with sap I turn it into sawdust.

[Stephen Cohen]

I just buy a cheap framing 2x4 and saw it up on table saw blade width at a time you get a lot of saw dust for two bucks. Have i been missing something I thought sawdust was for removing impurities and waxes were for combining the alloy back together ( tin etc )? I may be wrong but that is what I have always used them for.

I agree with you 100%. Regards Stephen

[ricwb]

In our school shop, white pine and oak are the two most used woods. A few scoops taken from under the table saw will last a very long time. I always cast outdoors, so the smoke and smell is no problem. If any of the sawdust is from plywood, it never has caused any problems.

[jsizemore]

I got a fella in my area that has a home sawmill. He cuts plenty of wood and is happy for anybody to take as much as they can haul off his hands. You got to shovel your own saw dust though. I load the wheelbarrow up and haul it to the pile in appreciation. I'll pull slabs and stick lumber while he cuts too.

At times he'll impart a bit of wisdom. He told me that Abe Lincoln said you could believe anything you read on the internet.