Flux?

[dk17hmr]

What does Fluxin do?
I have been told that I need to flux when I am smelting ingots...also told that I can use wood chips from my planer.

DK

[454PB]

Fluxing cleans the alloy. You'll get 20 different opinions on what is the best flux, I've used everything from cat litter to NEI commercial flux. I honestly think plain old parafin wax works just fine for smelting, but I use Marvelux for casting because I have poor ventilation in my casting room and Marvelux doesn't smoke.

[Firebird]

Flux will hopefully remove or float any impurities in the metal up to the top where they can be skimmed off, will seal the top surface from the oxygen in the air to prevent the liquid alloy from oxidizing and have some carbon compounds in it to reduce any metal oxides back into metal and CO2. Kitty litter will actually absorb some impurities, but doesn't help the rest float to the top and is good for sealing the top surface but doesn't have any carbon compunds.
Waxes, sawdust etc are usually good with removing/floating the impurities and do contain carbon compounds, but sometimes don't seal the top surface of the alloy very well due to them burning off.
The commercial fluxes that use borax do a good job of cleaning the alloy and sealing the top surface, but don't usually contain carbon compounds.

[PatMarlin]

My boolits seem to drop better when I flux periodicly too.

[dk17hmr]

Well I read somewhere that if a guy uses a dowel to stir the lead it fluxes enough. I tried it yesterday when making .30 cal bullets and it seemed like it worked alright. The crap floated and I skimmed it off so I guess I understand.

DK

[dragonrider]

Before I joined this forum, I had been casting and using various fluxes, waxes, candles, Magnaflux, toilet rings, you name and I tried it. All I ev er had was a filthy pot and bullets with black spots and holes etc. When I got here someone mentioned sawdust. I tried it and I have never had cleaner pots and better bullets. I'll never use anything else. When I start I put a generous amount on top of the melt and wait until the heat makes it thouroughly dry. Then I mix it into the melt and of course it burns, I skim it off and then add another 1/2" of fresh sawdust and just let it sit there until I have to refill the pot and then mix it up, skim and replace. That simple.

[PatMarlin]

That's one thing I have no shortage of with my sawmill. I forgot about that and gotta give it a try.

Anyone want to buy Super Duper Sawdust Flux?... $15 per bag shipped.. :mrgreen: