Crayons for fluxing/reducing.

[dahermit]

I usually use paraffin and powdered charcoal (or wood shavings), in combination to flux/reduce my bullet alloy when casting bullets.

I recently was given a fairly large quantity of crayons from one of my wife's/grandchild's abandoned projects with the instruction of: "...burn these.". I immediately thought of using them for fluxing my bullet alloy. The "kicker" is, that I do not need them inasmuch as I have just about a life time supply of boxed paraffin from one on my wife's other abandoned projects that I use for flux... so I am not hurting for fluxing components but I do not like to waste anything.

So my question is (only for those who have actually used crayons for fluxing bullet alloy), how well did it work or was there some negatives you observed?

[RickinTN]

About a half a crayon works very well. It's just colored wax. I leave the paper on, it burns.
Good Luck,
Rick

[bangerjim]

Why not donate them to your local church Sunday School? Most churches will be needing supplies now that the China Virus is getting under control and people are meeting again.

Much better use than a reducing agent in your melt.

[Oaks&Pines]

I have used them and other than the color did not notice any difference from paraffin bars.

[FLINTNFIRE]

Use them if they are broken or pieces , donate if they are in good shape , the question is do they work , and yes they do as so much waste material does when melting range scrap or lead scrap .

If you are making lube you can toss it in for color .

[dahermit]

Why not donate them to your local church Sunday School? Most churches will be needing supplies now that the China Virus is getting under control and people are meeting again.

Much better use than a reducing agent in your melt.
This is the type of "waste my time" posts I wished to avoid.

You have made the erroneous assumption that I have any desire to support religious=based institutions.

[dahermit]

Use them if they are broken or pieces , donate if they are in good shape , the question is do they work , and yes they do as so much waste material does when melting range scrap or lead scrap .

If you are making lube you can toss it in for color .

Thanks. I will use them in my bullet alloy. As for bullet lube, my life is comming to its end (77 almost 78 years old), and have switched to powder coat over grease lubes and I stell have eight or so sticks of commercial NRA formula 50/50 lube so at my age (not that much time left), I do not see any reason to start making my own bullet lube.

[oley55]

This is the type of "waste my time" posts I wished to avoid.

You have made the erroneous assumption that I have any desire to support religious=based institutions.

hmmm, at 77 almost 78 years old, you surely don't need advice from this 66 year old on how utilize your crayons.

[FLINTNFIRE]

Ha you make me feel young , I to powder coat all but the black powder cartridges , as I need the lube for fouling control .

I use old lube crayons old candles bacon and hamburger fat and of course any and all waste sawdust or slivers along with old motor oil , it all burns and adds heat and carbon and the oils and such make the lead seem to have less tension when stirring and pouring , Good Luck and keep on having fun .

[WheelgunConvert]

There’s buckets of broken crayons in every elementary school classroom for the taking this time of year. A handful will last a long time for most.

[Burnt Fingers]

Just hide them from any Marines that happen by. They will eat them.

[FLINTNFIRE]

I well remember changing diapers and seeing what color crayons the kids had ate , my its modern style joe biden art in a wrapper .

[Butzbach]

This is the type of "waste my time" posts I wished to avoid.

You have made the erroneous assumption that I have any desire to support religious=based institutions.

That’s a lot of projected anger for a seasoned citizen. Ironically your remark reminded of one attributed to Voltaire on his death bed. The Cardinal administering the last rights asked him in due course “Do you renounce Satan and all the forces of evil?” To which Voltaire replied “Now is not the time to be making enemies . . . .”

[bangerjim]

This is the type of "waste my time" posts I wished to avoid.

You have made the erroneous assumption that I have any desire to support religious=based institutions.

I am saddened that you are approaching 78 years young and feel that way about religious institutions. Most people, when approaching advancing years, feel the need to atone for themselves and try for a closer walk with the Lord. I sure do.

Not all religious institutions are perfect.....far from it......just like some people on here. But doing (and saying) kind things for others is beneficial to us all.

As said in classic literature," We are all but fellow travelers to the grave."

May the good Lord guide you thru your final years on this earth. I pray they are many................and abundantly fruitful.

banger

[Tar Heel]

Just hide them from any Marines that happen by. They will eat them.

I like the grape ones best.

[Ural Driver]

This is the type of "waste my time" posts I wished to avoid.

You have made the erroneous assumption that I have any desire to support religious=based institutions.

You could have "avoided" it entirely by ignoring it. But you chose to comment....and your choice was to do so in just about the rudest way possible. Do what you wish with your colors.

[jimb16]

Good grief! I'm stuck in the middle again! 66 vs 78! and I'm 72....I've made my own lube for years, but now I'm PCing the bullets. It is so much "cleaner". At least once it is done. No sticky bullets to handle when it gets hot. Crayons? I save them for my grandchildren.

[Mk42gunner]

I well remember changing diapers and seeing what color crayons the kids had ate , my its modern style joe biden art in a wrapper .
Bubble gum was interesting too...

[Jim22]

I have discovered a member who does not want to be nice.

[Butzbach]

I am saddened that you are approaching 78 years young and feel that way about religious institutions. Most people, when approaching advancing years, feel the need to atone for themselves and try for a closer walk with the Lord. I sure do.

Not all religious institutions are perfect.....far from it......just like some people on here. But doing (and saying) kind things for others is beneficial to us all.

As said in classic literature," We are all but fellow travelers to the grave."

May the good Lord guide you thru your final years on this earth. I pray they are many................and abundantly fruitful.

banger

To amplify bangerjim: Churches are for sinners not for saints.

[45-70 Chevroner]

hmmm, at 77 almost 78 years old, you surely don't need advice from this 66 year old on how utilize your crayons.

To bad you couldn't finish the sentence.

[oley55]

To bad you couldn't finish the sentence.

one of those rare occasions where I was mostly successful in stifling myself...!

[gwpercle]

I don't like wasting anything either .
Can also use it in bullet lube recipe that calls for paraffin or just added to something like a lithium grease (1 part) - beeswax (3 parts) lube to give it a nice color .
Don't over do the amount crayons ...try something like 1 part lithium grease ,
2 1/2 parts beeswax and 1/2 part color crayon wax of choice .
Gary

[Land Owner]

I use crayons "sparingly" in place of spru plate and mold handle hinge lube. The color tells me how much I have dabbed on, changes as the wax burns away so I know when to reapply, works great as spru plate lube, wipes off, and is easy to apply as a "wax stick" rather than a plastic applicator bottle or Q-tip. ymmv

[imashooter2]

Not all crayons these days are wax. This is what happened using crayons from the Texas Road House to color FWFL. Not sure what they were, but at least they settled to the bottom of the pan so I can cut them off.

http://imashooter2.com/pictures/green-fwfl.jpg

[popper]

Some crayons have clay in them and that makes a mess.

[1hole]

This is the type of "waste my time" posts I wished to avoid.

You have made the erroneous assumption that I have any desire to support religious=based institutions.

Sir, with all due respect for your highly intellectual Blue State comment on assumptions and wasted time, if you wish for your posts to be limited to people of a specific religion, race, gender or social order I suggest you provide a list of welcome/unwelcome participants to guide us; otherwise you waste our time.

Just a quick thought; In reference to your simplistic puzzlement about flux and crayons I suspect you would quickly find your own answers with maybe 15 minutes of private experimentation at home. That would be even faster than posting/reading here and none of us deplorable old poops would be wasting your rapidly waning time.

[gwpercle]

I use crayons "sparingly" in place of spru plate and mold handle hinge lube. The color tells me how much I have dabbed on, changes as the wax burns away so I know when to reapply, works great as spru plate lube, wipes off, and is easy to apply as a "wax stick" rather than a plastic applicator bottle or Q-tip. ymmv

LIKE !!!
That's a good tip ...
Gary

[cwlongshot]

I used canning wax or tea lights... As well as fresh pine saw dust. Cheap and easy.

CW

[ioon44]

Sir, with all due respect for your highly intellectual Blue State comment on assumptions and wasted time, if you wish for your posts to be limited to people of a specific religion, race, gender or social order I suggest you provide a list of welcome/unwelcome participants to guide us; otherwise you waste our time.

Just a quick thought; In reference to your simplistic puzzlement about flux and crayons I suspect you would quickly find your own answers with maybe 15 minutes of private experimentation at home. That would be even faster than posting/reading here and none of us deplorable old poops would be wasting your rapidly waning time.

Good post.

[45-70 Chevroner]

one of those rare occasions where I was mostly successful in stifling myself...!

At least you stepped up to the plate.