It Still Works!

[ColColt]

I couldn't take it any longer. I had to see if my old pot would still work after all these years and was very pleasantly surprised when I plugged it in about fifteen minutes later, I had liquid silver!! There was only about 3 pounds of metal in it but it worked like it once did. Surprised in that the connector that plugs into the side of the pot was weak and "mushy" feeling when I plugged it in. The insulation material had broken down after all this time and I was a little hesitant to plug it in but being an adventurous soul, I took it to the garage and plugged it in anyway. It heated right up set on 700 and in short order began to melt the alloy. After a silver mirror of metal appeared, I lifted the handle with a four section ingot under it and it poured like water.

I soon wiped the Utopia off my face as it stopped as soon as it started...plugged up spout. I tried to move the handle again but nothing happened. I moved the stem around and up and down but no dice-still plugged. I poured out the remaining mix into the ingot mold and turned it upside down while still hot and took an Allen wrench of smaller size than the hole and tried to poke the stoppage through, all to no avail. Any suggestions? I'm going to try a butane torch and play it around the spout and poke again with a small nail or Allen wrench to see if I can unstop it. Other than that, it seems it's still going to produce despite it's 35 years or so.

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x220/ColColt/Casting%20Equipment/_DEF3899.jpg
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x220/ColColt/Casting%20Equipment/_DEF3900-1.jpg
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x220/ColColt/Casting%20Equipment/_DEF3901.jpg

[Tammany42]

Looks good to me. I have one but still ladle cast.

[Doby45]

I would say turn the heat up just a bit in case the spout froze. If it did not freeze and something actually clogged it, I would see if I could drive out whatever is in there with a small punch. Other than that, it looks like you are in business.

[ColColt]

There was a small piece of alloy sticking out of the spout about half an inch long and had frozen the third time I tried to lift the handle today. I figured something inside had clogged up the passage so, I decided it needed cleaning anyway...it needed it. Now for a good mold. I have 44's and 45's but no 38 size molds. I've been looking at the Lyman 358429 and 358477 as possibles since I already have the small and large Lyman handles. Time for an order flux but no Marvelux. I've heard of the moisture problem with it. I can't recall what I use to use but have a little of it left-looks like 2Fg powder.

[skeet1]

ColColt,
Try some saw dust for flux about a tea spoon full and stir it in. When you are done you can leave it lay on the surface or dip it out. I just leave it on the surface when I bottom pour.

Ken

[Doby45]

I have yet to try it, but I plan to order some flux from one of our vendors, Pat Marlin. It is suppse to be a real nice blend of wood shavings/dust and a single order is suppose to be enough for a LONG time. I think this is casting flux too, not smelting flux. You can use an old rubber tire for smelting flux as the whole process sucks to begin with. ;)

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=27972

[ColColt]

You know, my mind still tells me wood products are crazy to be used as a flux...will jam up the stem or at a minimum do nothing and float on the top. I sure never heard of this until I came here. I can't see how wood can impart impurities from an alloy mix but, since a lot of you "fellers" have done it, you certainly know more than me about it.

[Hardcast416taylor]

I use chainsaw chips as well as sawdust for flux. If you don`t like wood - use candle wax or paraffin canning wax. I haven`t used Marvaflux for many years and doubt I ever would again.Robert

[ColColt]

It's not that I don't like wood, I've just never heard of it as a flux before. I've tried alox and beeswax and didn't like that at all...too smokey. I think I'll try the chips and Leadex combo and see how things go. I'll have to saw up something to get the chips...maybe my ex-wife's couch she left behind-yeah, that's the ticket.

[waksupi]

Ok, specific gravity of lead is much heavier than any wood you can put in a pot. Stirring with a stick, takes the carbon throughout the mix. Any carbon based thing will flux your alloy. I actually think if someone wants to look back in the old Shooters.com archives, I was the guy who originally came up with that particular idea. And it works.

[ColColt]

The way I started back around '72 or so was to just melt the lead/Linotype I had on hand at the time and found out through Val Forgett, CEO of Navy Arms back then, that the Leadex was a good flux. I met him at a gun show in Charlotte, NC around that time span. So, I figured this was the way to go. I had no other recommendations or help in casting other than this and reading a couple of books/manuals.

I was the only one within my shooting pardners that bothered to cast then. Other than the Leadex I only knew of beeswax and a few other waxy items for fluxing. Since I didn't care for all the smoke from the latter two, I settled on Leadex. CastBoolits has been a real revelation in many ways to me and I'm most thankful to have ran across this forum and to those who will always know and have forgotten more, much more, than I'll ever know.

[gray wolf]

Try the saw dust.

[Wayne Smith]

Col Colt, two things to know. Carbon is the fluxing agent, everything else is a carrier of the carbon. Oxidation is what happens on top of your pot that separates out the alloy because tin oxidizes faster than lead.

Wood is an adequate carrier of carbon and the clay in kitty litter floated on your pot will block oxygen, thus the oxidation.

[cajun shooter]

Pat Marlin does not sell what every one is calling sawdust. I purchased a box of his wood flux over two years ago and still have plenty left. You can't use a better flux. It works fast and easy and after skimming my pot I put another small handful on top. This keeps your alloy clean and makes such a nice smell in your casting room. My wife came in one day when I first used it and she said what is it that smells so good in here? I will never use the Marvel flux as it rusted the hell out of my pot after using it. Try Pat's wood shavings which better describe the texture you will never again use any thing different again.

[cajun shooter]

That's the Lyman 45 and the pot I started with. You can remove the plug in connection and buy a new one. You may also find a replaceable plug so that it will have a tight connection. It could be anything in your pot since it has been sitting for a lot of years. A good hardware or welding supply will sell a tool designed to clean welding tips and they work great in casting also. I have used a propane torch to clear a spigot more than once so try that also. Later David

[ColColt]

Col Colt, two things to know. Carbon is the fluxing agent, everything else is a carrier of the carbon. Oxidation is what happens on top of your pot that separates out the alloy because tin oxidizes faster than lead.

Wood is an adequate carrier of carbon and the clay in kitty litter floated on your pot will block oxygen, thus the oxidation.

I keep wondering why I didn't know about sawdust when I first started decades ago. I don't recall seeing it even mentioned anywhere back then.


That's the Lyman 45 and the pot I started with. You can remove the plug in connection and buy a new one. You may also find a replaceable plug so that it will have a tight connection. It could be anything in your pot since it has been sitting for a lot of years. A good hardware or welding supply will sell a tool designed to clean welding tips and they work great in casting also. I have used a propane torch to clear a spigot more than once so try that also.

The connection is fine, it's just the fire retardant material that's deteriorated and when you plug the connector to the two prongs, it all pushes in. The pot does work, I just was leery about the connection being so loose at the pot connection. From now on I'll just unplug from the receptacle. I don't know why I stored it with the connector plugged in as that must have caused the problem after setting for so long...maybe.

[Bret4207]

Just stir and scrape with a dry stick of some type. It works better than anything laying on top of the melt.

[cajun shooter]

The proper use of Pat's wood shavings or any type of wood requires that you mix it into the alloy as you should do with any flux as it is the carbon that makes the flux work. The piece where I stated to leave some on top also has two benefits. One is the good smell and the second is that it forms a barrier that stops or slows down the oxidation of the alloy. This is a process that you should try to stop from taking place with your alloy for better results of your casting day.