Sawdust question?

[jsizemore]

Sawdust fluxes (cleans) the unwanted stuff from the alloy. It also reduces the oxides. Wax, or paraffin will reduce your oxides. You use sawdust and/or wax in the smelting pot. Once clean you don't need to clean it anymore. You just need to reduce your oxides in the casting pot so use wax.

Small or large sawdust will work equally well but the fine sawdust will char quicker and the carbon will act as a sponge to remove the unwanted stuff from your alloy source. Let whatever your use, fine or large, chars or burns to carbon and stir and scrape the pot . Do this till your alloy is clean. There is no set number of times you do this. When it's clean, you pour ingots. Use those clean ingots in your casting pot and only use wax or paraffin to reduce your oxides.

[Bookworm]

For rendering wheelweights and dirty lead, I use sawdust into which I pour used engine oil. Just enough oil to color the sawdust.
Works better than anything else I've tried.
The sawdust is mixed, whatever I swept up off the floor.

In the casting pot, I use wax only.

[Bantou]

For rendering wheelweights and dirty lead, I use sawdust into which I pour used engine oil. Just enough oil to color the sawdust.
Works better than anything else I've tried.
The sawdust is mixed, whatever I swept up off the floor.

In the casting pot, I use wax only.

What is the purpose of the oil? I use sawdust and wax in my pot but I’ve never heard of using motor oil.

Thanks,
B


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[ole_270]

The old Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook by Harrison(sp) spoke highly of oil soaked sawdust for fluxing. I don't remember the details, but it seemed to be the standard for him.

[ioon44]

I use pine pet bedding with some wax just because it is easy for me to get as I don't do any wood working any more.

[redhawk0]

My next smelting I'm going to try the remains from the paper shredder. I started a post a few months back about trying it...but its been too cold to experiment yet. Now that the weather is gonna warm up soon...I'll give it a try. I can't see why shredded paper won't work as good as sawdust...and I generate plenty of it. Afterall...its just carbon too and that's what we're after in the fluxing.

redhawk

[kevin c]

My next smelting I'm going to try the remains from the paper shredder...
redhawk

Let us know how it turns out. My shredder is full, and there's only so much I can burn in the fireplace.

[fredj338]

Whenever I do a wood project I sweep up the sawdust & bag some. Just don't use sawdust from plywood or pressure treated or mdf. I would not want to be breathing any fumes from melted glues.

[fredj338]

What is the purpose of the oil? I use sawdust and wax in my pot but I’ve never heard of using motor oil.

Thanks,
B


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Unless it is beeswax, waxes are a petro product.

[Dimner]

So it seems sawdust is about the best fluxing agent (or reducer, or oxidizer). Even one post said Pine sawdust was even better because of the pine sap. My question is the size of the sawdust. Is it better to use course or fine powder sawdust?

My dad also does woodworking, so I have access to rough sawdust (chainsaw, planer), or down to ultra fine sawdust such as sander dust. Which one might be better?

Taz

I also woodwork.

I use jointer shavings/sawdust (will be similar to planar shavings/sawdust). They are not really saw dust like you get from sanders or circ/table saws, but more like flakes of wood. I have found this the best flux agent for me.

I use around a 16" piece of 2x6 douglas fir and keep running it through the jointer until I have enough flux for a long time.

[redhawk0]

Let us know how it turns out. My shredder is full, and there's only so much I can burn in the fireplace.

Will do....I should have gotten out today...it hit 60* here in the northeast....but...technically, I'm at work...so......it will have to wait.
Also, once we have the time change...that will help too...I can work on it later into the evening (after work)

redhawk

[gwpercle]

Pencil sharpener shavings work well if you don't have access to saw dust .

I work in an architect / engineering office that still uses a lot of wood pencils .
School is another source ... when my kids were in school they would bring home bags for me .
Daughter is Graphic Artist and she still draws with pencils as do I .

Pencil wood is cedar with a bit of graphite in the fine shavings .

Gary

[Bantou]

Unless it is beeswax, waxes are a petro product.

So then could plastic or Vaseline also be used for flux? Both are petroleum products and relatively cheap.


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[lightman]

Plastic will probably make a mess on top of the melt. Vaseline would probably work. You can try it. I would probably just stay with something thats been proven to work.

[Bantou]

I have no plans to change my system. It works well and I’m a firm believer in “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” The question was a purely theoretical one.

Regards,
B

[44magLeo]

I got my propane tank/turkey fryer set up to clean WW's. I have a few pine trees in my yard. There are plenty of pine needles under these trees. I scooped up a cut off gallon jug of them, trying not to get twigs and such.
The pine needles work well and don't smell bad.
Didn't do many WW's but them came out clean.
So if you can't get sawdust, just find some pine trees and pick up some needles.
Leo

[Bookworm]

What is the purpose of the oil? I use sawdust and wax in my pot but I’ve never heard of using motor oil.

Thanks,
B


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The oil is nothing more than a source of carbon, in this case hydrocarbons.

The sawdust is nothing more than a source of carbon.

Oil soaked sawdust is just a way to get more carbon in the same volume of material.

[Elpatoloco]

I use pecan hulls for fluxing my melt of wheel weights or range scrap. Always a bucket of them around from hulling pecans. I throw it on top and let it cook for a minute befpre stirring them in to ensure moisture is gone. I also use wax during the initial melt/smelt. My casting pot never sees anything other than wax stirred in with a paint stick. I also cover it in cat litter. Old guy carpetman who used to be on here, showed me that years ago.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I use coarse sawdust (but not chainsaw chips) and wax for smelting.
I use fine sawdust in the casting pot.

What is the purpose of the oil? I use sawdust and wax in my pot but I’ve never heard of using motor oil.
Thanks,
B

When I am smelting something with junk that don't like to burn (like the adhesive on stick-on wheelweights)...I will add used motor oil to promote a "burn", so I don't get a lot of smelly smoke, the oil burns hot enough to also combust the adhesive fumes. I got that idea from others posting about adding used motor oil to burn, it adds heat to the alloy to make it melt faster. BUT becareful, I think burning used motor oil will give you cancer if you live in CA.

[Dragonheart]

For me wax only. Why do you flux to begin with? The only reason is to clean the alloy; heat is what causes the metals to dissolve into a solution, not the flux. So why add things to the alloy that can cause inclusions in the castings?