I am open to new options for low smoke, low odor fluxing alternatives for Master Caster.
Bees wax and paraffin are out!
I am open to new options for low smoke, low odor fluxing alternatives for Master Caster.
Bees wax and paraffin are out!
BrassMagnet, when I am trying to avoid smoke as much as I can in the winter... I add my lead, I stir it well and scrape the pot with a wooden paint stirrer. I think any stirrer shaped wood would work. After a good stir, I spoon off the small amount of impurities. But, my lead is pretty clean from smelting. Be careful, the wood will have a small amount of moisture and will bubble the pot initially. The oils in the wood work the magic.
this might be a dumb question as I dont own a mastercaster, but it would seem to me that if you used clean ingots you would have no need for flux, I dont flux my pot when casting and have never had a problem.
did you ever retire again?
if you are ever being chased by a taxidermist, don't play dead
Marvelux!
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Another vote for Marvelux (or the Frankford Arsenal equivalent)
You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore
As far as I can tell Marvelux is Boric acid (kills roaches) or borax cheap to buy in big box store
I've used borax for brazing flux in a pinch. It works well. I'll have to try some for fluxing too.
Rosin smokes a bit but it's not an unpleasant smell. Vegetable shortening smells like french fries and is probably the best option if you don't want to use Marvelux. I have a jar of the stuff but I find that it is pretty corrosive and causes your pot to rust pretty quickly.
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Armed people don't march into gas chambers.
I use the Frankfort Arsenal flux. It works well with no smoke.
If marvelux was the only option I had for a flux, I believe I would very seriously contemplate the idea of no longer casting. It is, in my experience, the most miserable carp to use that I have ever tried.
If one is casting in an area that does not allow venting of smoke and/or fumes from things like wood shavings and other smoky or smelly options, I would suggest that one is casting in a very poor situation from a health point of view.
When it's time to fight, you fight like you are the third monkey on the ramp to Noah's Ark.... and brother, it's STARTING TO RAIN!!
i was looking into different fluxes
Marvellux is Sodium Formate and some tiny little amount of trade secrete stuff? Borax is sodium borate: I have no idea what else might be in the off the shelf Borax cleaning products?
Frankfords Clean cast ? I cant find a MSDS on that but I assume its in the ball park of the above. I use Clean cast in my casting pot. I cant say my smelted led does not need cleaning but I Do get a bit more junk out of my lead before it goes into the mold.
I've been using Marvelux in my Lee pots for 35 years, and they haven't rusted out.
You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore
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I found this. It’s also sodium formate.
https://fsreloading.com/userfiles/fi...ean%20Cast.pdf
One criticism of Marvelux that is true is that it's hygroscopic. That means you have to preheat your stirring or ladling tool before plunging it into molten metal. That's something that should be done regardless of what flux you use.
You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |