Your Fluxing Procedure

[BulletFactory]

I was hoping that y'all could share your fluxing methods and materials.

There is so much junk in my alloy that I'm thinking maybe I'm not fluxing properly. I start by throwing everything in a clean cast iron skillet and cooking it down to liquid. I then pull out any jackets or WW clips, stones and floaters. Then I skim off the **** on top of the mix. After that, I'll get a 1x2" oak stick and scrape the bottom and sides of the pan to dislodge any **** that is stuck to it. I'll then get the spoon to skim the top layer of junk and scrape all around the sides to get that out of it. At this point, I get the 50/50 vaseline parrafin that I was going to lube with, and throw a chunk of that on it and stir. Then skim again after the smoke stops. Sometimes I get a little fire going. After that, I pour my ingots.

I warm up the casting pot, and once its up to temp, Ill scrape the top layer of junk with a popsicle stick. Then I'll use the side of the stick to scrape the sides of the pot, then skim again to remove anything but the shiny alloy. The surface looks like a mirror at this point. As I cast, and add an ingot, I'll let it melt, stir with the popsicle stick or spoon, and remove the skim again. Sometimes I'll use a small bit of the lube I'd mentioned, then when that stops smoking, I'll skim that.

[chaos]

I melt down my wheel weights in a cast iron dutch oven. For Flux, I use the "Jesus Candles" found in the hispanic section of many supermarkets in this part of the state. I just scoop the wax out with any instrument that I can find and FLUX a bunch during the inital melt. Stir constantly and remove any garbage, clips that float up. Flame Ups are common as I dont light the smoke.

I have a bunch of religious decorated Jars left over that work wonders for storing various things.

I cast out of a bottom pour furnace. I put dry kitty litter on the top of the melt and occasionally stir with a Paint stick. I have found that If I flux enough during the initial melt, that no more fluxing ( other than stirring with a wooden stick) is necessary.

[Hastings]

I throw in a few of handfuls of sawdust in with the wheel weights while melting them. Somehow, it makes the whole mess smell a little better too!

But seriously, when scooping out the clips, it's mixed with this light dry gray powder and ash that's still smoking a little bit. It's not like dross at all, and none of the clips stick together in my trash pot. No lead or tin is wasted. The lead underneath is as shiny as liquid mercury. Sawdust is cheap too.

[dragonrider]

BF, your spending way to much time skimming. Before you first skim off the **** like clips and jackets toss in a handfull or two of sawdust and let it burn to ash before mixing into the lead, BECAUSE NO MATTER HOW DRY YOU THINK YOUR SAWDUST IS, IT AIN'T, and before it has turned to ash it is useless as a flux. Once burned to ash then start scooping up ladlesfull of material and dumping it back in, do this reapeatedly. Now skim of the junk. Then repeat with more sawdust after this you should have very clean lead. Using sawdust will in time clean your pot and result in less dross and no junk stuck to the sides and bottom. Petroleum or waxed base fluxes will dirty your pot leading to an increase in junk in your pot. In your casting pot never use anything other that a little sawdust and a dry, dry, very dry, wooden stick. Your lead will be cleaner than you ever imagined.

[Jailer]

Do as dragon rider as suggested. When scraping use a metal spoon or something similar. If you scrape the sides with your wooden stirring stick you are going to leave carbon deposits and bits of burnt stick behind. And don't forget to scrape the bottom of the pot as well. I use a bottom pour so I just leave the garbage on the top of the pot and remove it all at the end of my casting session.

Stir with a stick, scrape with a spoon.

[Doby45]

Always flux atleast once before you skim your stuff off. The flux will help release the good stuff that will be stuck to the clips and other trash you are removing. Then once you have gotten all the big stuff out, flux again and stir really well. Remove the medium to small junk and then do your final flux. No such thing as fluxing too much prior to making ingots.

[smokemjoe]

I put in a large piece of bees wax in the bottem when I start, Then flux when the clip are on top,But get the alloy very hot and the tin will come off the clips, kept stiring, when the clips are very clean you got it done. I use a turkey cooker as they put out alot of heat.

[RP]

When I smelt range bullets I get it melted stir it up a few times to make sure all the lead in the jackets have had time to melt. Then I add some old transmission fluid not much a little goes along way. Then I light it up and start stirring and scraping. This adds heat to the jackets and will let the lead release leaving you with lead free jackets. After they are removed I then flux again with sawdust and stir. I have a ladle from roto metals which I can dip with and pour leaving the flux in the dipper. I almost he same with WWs but skip the transmission fluid part.

[songdog53]

I have found can use small piece of lube that i made when was pan lubing, just throw small piece in and it catchs fire and works well. Have used oak saw chips and stirring with stick and store bought flux stuff....course i am always trying something different. Have found thru good folks on here are many ways to flux your lead. Can never have enough information.....course in my cause little knowledge can be dangerous.

[*Paladin*]

I let the WW's go molten, then throw in a small chunk of parafin wax, let it ignite and stir. I'll then skim the clips and dross, and throw in another small piece of wax. After the second time, I'm comfortable that I've fluxed all the garbage out and I pour. I haven't tried sawdust yet. I need to get my hands on some to try it. I have a pretty decent stockpile of wax tho, thanks to the wife's old candles and a couple boxes of Gulf wax I got at a thrift store for .75 cents a box.

[clodhopper]

I use planer shavings, just sawdust shaped a little diffrent. They are easy for me to get and I keep a cardboard box full in the garage where they dry out. It is very dry here unlike many other parts of the country.
I have tried the wax, grease, used motor oil, kitty litter, beeswax and I like the wood. It smells better, and the bride says it smells better.
Since going to the planer shavings I have had less trouble with the bottem pour.
A stick is always on fire when pulled out and another hazard to deal with so I use a slotted spoon and a scraper made from a spoon ground to fit the curve of the pot.

[BulletFactory]

Hamster bedding?

[atr]

beeswax for fluxing,,,or candle wax although the candle wax will ignite whereas the beeswax will not.
I flux after about every 10-15 boolits Ive cast..

[Doby45]

Good Lord, you spend more time fluxing then casting.. LOL

[dragonrider]

"No such thing as fluxing too much prior to making ingots"

EXACTLY!!! And since you do a lot of fluxing in the smelting stage, you will do less in your casting pot.

[sheriffoconee]

my son's tablesaw creates enough sawdust for a liftime of casting, and it catches it all in a bag.....

[cajun shooter]

A product that is sold by Pat Marlin is better than sawdust. He has what I call shavings of the different trees in his area. He super compacts a box for $20 and it will last well past a year or more. It has the smell of the cedar family and makes your casting area smell good. I put a handful on the top of my alloy while pouring and it works great. My wife even ask What are you doing that smells so good?

[fredj338]

I have pretty much moved to sawdust for fluxing. It seems to worl better than anything else. FLux BEFORE removing the clips, as a lot of alloy gets stuck to the clips if you don't. The clips come out prefectly clean. Then flux again & skim rpior to pouring ingots. Then whenI cast, I just use a wooden paint stick to stir w/ as I add metal.