Best fluxing temp question.

[41 mag fan]

Was doing some casting today, and was fluxing my melt with some pet bedding and stirring it with a wooden spoon, and got to wondering if anyones experimented with temps and fluxing and what temps seem to work the best. I do mine at 600*, that way when I'm done it's nicely heated to 675*.

Figured theres someone out there whose experimented with heat and flux relationships, and would like to hear their findings.

[runfiverun]

i take it up higher.
i want everything warmed up well.
775 is more my style.

[41 mag fan]

Run, 775*?
Thats well over 100* over liquidous state, which seems to be the optimum point of casting.
Wouldn't tin and antimony and or arsenic be oxidized out of the melt at 775*?

[Case Stuffer]

I have ran my pot at approx.750 F for many years and I flux at same setting. I may turn the dial down to closer to 700 if I want to cast slower or up to 775F when getting pot up to temp.or after adding a bunch to it. Old fashion controls will cycle off and on while there is still alloy not yet melted much less at temperature.

[John Boy]

Any temperature between 650 and 700. I flux twice during this temperature run up.
700 to 730 is my normal casting temperature - mold dependent to give a 5 - 10 second sprue puddle frost

[Case Stuffer]

Tried something different fluxing yesterday.

I was walking thru my woods yesterday and due to a lot of recent high winds there were a great many small pine twigs on the ground. I picked up a few that were about pencil size ,chopped of the ends (neddles) and used these to stir / flux the pot. Upon inserting their ends to near the bottom of the molten lead I could hear and feel the outgassing and there was a nice light yellow smoke from the surface. Worked great and this was the easiest I have flux a casting pot ever.