Fluxing Stuff

[Gtek]

Melted 600+ this weekend, tried something I picked up a while back. Frankford Casting Flux = YUCK! Several pots to say the least over weekend. Tried at 650, 700, 750F.
Black smearing sticky left on melt edge, sticking all over the tools. No notice of any benefit, back to the cedar shingles and bee's wax. Anybody had any luck with this stuff? Gtek

[cbrick]

Marvacrap is the same stuff.

Any luck with it? Yep, on two counts, I was highly successful in getting it into the trash can and then bribing the trash collector to take it.

Rick

[BrassFever]

Save beeswax for lube, that stuff is too expensive. I like plain old parafin for flux.

[cbrick]

Save beeswax for lube, that stuff is too expensive. I like plain old parafin for flux.

Sawdust will do a much better job of what it is that you want a flux to do and its even cheaper than parafin, its free. Plus it won't gunk up your pot & tools like parafin, wax and oils will.

Rick

[gray wolf]

Saw dust all the way, it's clean, clean clean.
Did someone say it's free ?

[troy_mclure]

i use a oak or hickory dowel rod. i can get them for about $.70/each, and each one will last me about 20 casting sessions.

[onondaga]

About all the paraffin in the world comes from Pennsylvania. Support PA.

Ultra pure torch and liquid candle oil that is 97% paraffin oil or higher comes in nice squirt bottles at Walmart and many other stores. This makes a good fiery reducing flux . Support PA. I am deeply saddened by the extreme poverty in the state neighboring mine that is so oil rich but mired in unfair regulations on drilling, transporting and refining oil.

Gary

[songdog53]

I have tried it along with Marvelux and found it cause nasty film and cause things to rust so now i use saw dust my wood working buddy gives me by the bag, plus use wood chips from cutting wood with cahinsaw.

[dragonrider]

Sawdust is the only thing I flux with, as a result my casting pot and my smelting pot are clean with NO residual crud stuck to the sides and bottom. Any petroleum related product or waxes, paraffin and such will only make your pot dirty, they do not flux any better than sawdust. Marvelux and such things are hygroscopic, they absorb water and promote rust. I use sawdust by the handful in my smelting pot, toss it in and let it burn to ash BEFORE any stirring, do not attempt to push sawdust below the surface of the melt before it has burned to ash, doing so may result in a tinsel fairy visit. Sawdust is not as dry as you think it is. It does no good as a fluxing agent until it has become ash anyway. It's the carbon not the raw wood that does the trick. I flux the smelting pot two or three times before pouring ingots. As for the casting pot I seldom flux it, except to use a wooden stix to stir it up whenever I add material.

[perimedik]

Has anyone every tried used tumbling media (corn cob or walnut)?
just a thought.
Figured it just gets chucked anyway.
Maybe i'll give it a shot next go around.

[troy_mclure]

its possible to burn off the lead and mercury(from primers) and inhale the vapor.

[bumpo628]

Has anyone every tried used tumbling media (corn cob or walnut)?
just a thought.
Figured it just gets chucked anyway.
Maybe i'll give it a shot next go around.

I going to try that next time too. I've been saving it up.

[cbrick]

Bumpo, read this about tumbling media before you decide to do this.

Safe Handling of Lead and Brass Tumbling Media (http://www.lasc.us/FryxellSafeHandlingLead.htm)

Rick