Fluxing Info??????

[Dadswickedammo]

So yesterday made lots of ingots. Fluxed or think I did the first few. Tossed in chunks of candle wax flashed a bit more then I was comfortable with.
So continued to add lead stir clean off top pour in molds. The last two ingots bottom of Pot had a lot of ash type junk so tossed it.
Am I right to think proper fluxing will bring all this to the top of my Pot?
What product can I use so the flash is either very small or non existent.
Thanx

[chambers]

Would suggest hardwood like Oak sawdust, stir with a hardwood stick and the stir the pot reaching the bottom. The sawdust will smoke but has worked well for me and all the impurities will float up and scoop out.

[Yodogsandman]

Smelt outside so the flash off and smoke won't bother anything. Stand upwind.

Flux three times with sawdust or wood chips. Stir up and down and scrape the sides and bottom well before skimming the ash off.

Reduce once after with wax or boolit lube. Stir oxidized tin and antimony back into the alloy, skim and pour ingots.

[wv109323]

You can flux with several things, wood is not as flammable. If candle wax, I would use about two pea sized pieces.

[BNE]

Starting a discussion about fluxing is likely to start an argument!

Some use wax, some sawdust, I do some of both. The walls of your pot will get gunked up. Scraping with a metal spoon helps. Those last ingots are probably fine. The ash stuck on them will come off when you melt again.

People stress way too much about fluxing and losing tin. I have run tests where I overheated the pot and left it on for several hours. I scraped the top oxides off the melt and then took a sample from the pot after the test. The samples were all the same. So, yes the tin will oxidize at the top of the melt, but that layer of oxide is very thin. VERY THIN. Based on that test, I flux when smelting, but rarely flux when casting.

[runfiverun]

there is a difference between fluxing and reducing.
the fire on top of the pot is just reducing the oxides back into the alloy.
a proper fluxing is also called carburizing it is when carbon is introduced to the alloy to help the different chains present form a proper and consistent bonding.

the trick with carbon is not the getting it into the alloy it is getting it out.
it will stick to the bottom and sides of the pot it will also stay in the alloy itself so you have to manually bring it to the surface.
that is when you do the reducing of the oxides as it will release the carbon on the surface.
you need an oxygen free barrier to reduce the oxides back into the alloy.

that is where the wax and fire comes in.
marvelux [borax] produces this same barrier but will also trap heavy metals in the glass surface some of it you want out, some you don't [tin]
however it is hydroscopic and continues to be so for quite some time after it is used.

[gwpercle]

For saying this I will be branded a heretic , but , there is a commercial product called Marvelux Lead Casting Flux. Many years ago , I only had books to learn from , the NRA Cast Bullet Guide I had stated Marvelux didn't flash , smoke or stink and was good stuff for this job . It's made to flux lead based alloys so I bought a big container, followed the directions and have been using it ever since.
Use it in the "smelting" phase , you wont have those pesky flash fires....they bother me too!
I even use the stuff in my Lee Magnum Melter electric pot , but you will be told this will ruin your pot , rust your moulds and make you old and grey .
I've never had a problem using it , except for getting older , no rust or whatever problems the stuff is supposed to cause. Follow the directions on the can , I think some have problems because they use too much.
I do know this , stuff can rise to the surface , sink to the bottom , be suspended in the melt and/or build up on the sides...flux well and clean the pot every so often , you'll be fine.
Gary

[Dadswickedammo]

Gary thank you! As being new to this I want to take EVERY precaution and start with a factory type products.

[Yodogsandman]

Not knowing better in my early days, I had my pot blow up from the Marvelux. It attracts water and will pull moisture right from the air. I put a spoonful in my pot and the tinsel fairy had a visit! I'll never use it again.

It might have been fine if I had let it fizz and sizzle on top but, I pushed it under the surface with my spoon. Be sure to let it steam off any moisture before pushing it under the surface.

[woodbutcher]

[smilie=1: Is that the stuff that`s "Guarenteed not to rust,bust,create dust or wake the baby"?
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

[hunter74]

I use only sawdust when smelting and never have problems with fires. It does its job and it's free. I use small amount of candle wax scrapings in my bullet master pot.

Sent fra min SM-G930F via Tapatalk

[popper]

Don't use wood in a BP pot. Stir, scrape, repeat many times. The pintle in the Lee collects lots of crud so scrape it well too. I know, it's molten lead but the light stuff doesn't just float to the top. Beeswax doesn't flare up. I use it to collect the crud on top.

[colchester]

This is what my dad used years ago, how well does it do for flux? http://store.phonetx.com/56187975.html I still have a stick or two laying around.
I also have collected a bit Imperial Vitaflux his over the years. I havent used it to flux bullet but have wondered if it could be used. Has anyone here ever tried it?

[Mike W1]

This is what my dad used years ago, how well does it do for flux? http://store.phonetx.com/56187975.html I still have a stick or two laying around.
I also have collected a bit Imperial Vitaflux his over the years. I havent used it to flux bullet but have wondered if it could be used. Has anyone here ever tried it?

Looks exactly like what we used in the TELCO for wiping sleeves. I accumulated quite a bit of those little sticks and use a grater from good will type store to get it into flakes. That's my preferred stuff when smelting. The only thing I put into my BP's are an occasional bit of beeswax and it has amazed me how clean the pots stay now.

[runfiverun]

vitaflux was used in the printing industry to clean their alloy for pouring letters and lines of type.
I have a stick or two of the blue colored stuff here it works pretty well on the surface but needs to be stirred into the alloy to do a real good job.

[colchester]

Looks exactly like what we used in the TELCO for wiping sleeves. I accumulated quite a bit of those little sticks and use a grater from good will type store to get it into flakes. That's my preferred stuff when smelting. The only thing I put into my BP's are an occasional bit of beeswax and it has amazed me how clean the pots stay now.

Makes sense, My dad was a cable splicer and back in the day they the cables were lead sheathed probable where it came from

[Dadswickedammo]

So today picked up a 5gal bucket of saw dust can't wait to do some fluxing and mix some metal.
Thank you guys for all your help and understanding

[Toymaker]

No body has said it yet, so I will. DO NOT use saw dust from treated wood. It contains all kinds of stuff you don't want in your alloy AND you DO NOT want in your lungs. Saw dust from hard woods is best. Walnut may have too much oil depending on the species. Word to the wise = 20% of the population is allergic to cedar. But I wouldn't use saw dust from any evergreen.

Then there was the unfortunate soul who cut down some trees that were wrapped in vines and used that saw dust. Don't remember if it was poison ivy or oak, but he was hurtin' for certain for some time.