Need help with fluxing

[Flintlock Hokie]

I'm new to casting. I bought some wheel weights, melted them down to make some ingots in a muffing pan, then successfully cast some round balls for my flintlock. But I don't understand fluxing. I tossed in some chunks of candle wax. It smoked like crazy then caught fire. I tried stirring it, but not really sure why I did that since lead is so much heavier than melted paraffin.

What is supposed to happen? How do you know when to flux? (I read somewhere that more fluxing is better.) What should I see with the metal after I flux? How do I know my fluxing worked?

Thanks!

[Wolfer]

That's normal, you can light the smoke if if you want so it's not quite the ( surprise )
You need to stir it in as much as you can, scraping the sides of the pot. When your lead first melts there will be some chunky globs of metal on top. This is your tin and antimony. Once you have fluxed there should only be some dirt looking stuff on top. I believe this stuff might be poison. When you dip it off the metal should have a smooth shiny surface. Depending on your heat directly you will notice tin and antimony coming back to the top. That's when you flux again. If you keep your heat not too far above the melting point you won't need to flux very often. I always flux when first melted but often don't flux again until I add lead.

I believe any other fluxing material is harder to flame than parrifin. I use crayons and they rarely catch fire. There's another thread on site right now on household fluxing materials.

[puddledog]

You should be using pure lesd not WW for a muzzleloading firearm.

[puddledog]

Sorry lead

[waksupi]

You do not need pure lead for patched round balls.

[shotman]

well lead you cant flux there is nothing to mix so you good to go. Saw dust on top will keep the air off but If you dip pour its a problem

[mpmarty]

Paraffin is inferior to wood chips for fluxing. Do a search here on the subject.

[shotman]

dont need anything for a patch ball the guys in the northern war used clay. some times

[Flintlock Hokie]

I've already shot some of my cast WW balls. They shoot great. The only thing I had to do was drop down in patch thickness to make them a bit easier to start.

I saw the thread on finding household items that are good for fluxing. A very helpful post. But I still don't know what to look for when fluxing. How do I know it worked? What does one look for?

If I throw in some wood chips, what is supposed to happen. I presume they will smoke and float on top, right. When they stop smoking I presume I'll skim them off the top and be ready to pour or cast. Is that correct?

I read that you need to scrape the sides of the pot. What exactly are you scraping? I can't imagine much that will not float in lead.

Thanks!

[Wolfer]

I've never used wood chips but I'm sure you have to stir them in or just use a dry stick like a paint stir stick. What your scraping off the sides is just crud, once stired loose and fluxed it will come to the top. I don't know where it comes from but you can have the cleanest lead in the world and you will still get some crud. Whatever you use has to come in contact with all the lead whether you take to the bottom or bring all the lead to the top.

Sometimes when using a bottom pour pot I'll dip my ladle till it gets hot then melt my crayon/ beeswax/ toilet bowl ring or whatever in the ladle and while I'm pouring it's cooling so when I go to flux it stays on the ladle a moment and let's me stir it in better

[geargnasher]

Found here, the full explanation of fluxing, chemical reduction of oxides, removal of impurities, etc, with the preferred substance at the end: http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=2&sqi=2&ved=0CC8QFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lasc.us%2FFryxell_Book_Chapte r_4_Fluxing.htm&ei=M9RvT8jDB6aw2QXOnozyAQ&usg=AFQjCNGnPpbPuO2glicp1BjswGZAt6ntJg

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