Flux alternatives?

[Shooter6br]

i have an old can of Marvelux (1992) It is hard as a rock( absorbs waterfrom the air) I am curious what else people flux with. I hard of wax, sawdust, even Borax? The Marvvelux is good since i use a small amout.( Water vaporizes from it) Thanks Rick

[sqlbullet]

I tend to look for a couple of things in a flux.

First, does it contain carbon, preferrably some variation of hydrocarbon. Wax, oil, etc. Second, will it "attract" dirt, crud and the stuff that in general I want out of my pot. Third, how much does it cost.

Wax and bullet lubes do this very well, but I have to buy them, or at least buy the ingredients. Used motor oil and sawdust work well too and I have them in abundance around my workshop waiting on disposal.

For fluxing the casting pot, I tend to stick with wax or lube. But for fluxing and cleaning lead when I am refining it into ingots, I use about 1 cup of sawdust + 1/4 cup oil per 90 lb pot.

[geargnasher]

search.

There's a good thread going in Cast Boolits about it, too.

Gear

[skeet1]

I recently changed from bullet lube to saw dust and I'm not going back. Saw dust does not make the noxious fumes that oil based fluxes do and work much better. Best yet saw dust is free.

Skeet1

[Jeffrey]

I use sawdust first then wax. Whatever kind of wax I have: birthday candles, stubs of tapers, whatever. I feel like using two different fluxes takes out different kinds of dirt. I have no scientific backing on this, just a gut feeling.
The main thing is to remember is to turn down the heat once the wheelweights are melted. My smelter is a propane fired coleman stove under a stainless steel pot. I have no idea that the heat of transition of lead is (changing in state from a solid to a liquid) but I know in many substances it can be significant.
Jeffrey

[cbrick]

Here Shooter, I'll help ya out with the link.

Best flux? (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=94586)

Rick

[Shooter6br]

Thanks to all very interesting info. Food for thought

[fredj338]

I use the Marvelux when smelting, it tends to rust in my BP casting pot. I use old bullet lube scraps in the casting pots, stir w/ a wood paint stick. Sawdust works great too.

[Rangefinder]

I'm a big fan of sawdust fluxing--hardwood shavings seem to work wonders at cleaning up the melt. I have a wood shop that produces it about as efficiently as politics produces nonsense. If you'd like some maple planer shavings, I'd be happy to share with you (and a couple hundred other casters for that matter)!!!

[cbrick]

I have a wood shop that produces it about as efficiently as politics produces nonsense!!!

WOW . . . now that is a lot of sawdust.

Rick

[Jon]

I use candle wax. FWIW

[woodyubet]

Me too Jon...I like the smell of it.

[dunkel]

Sawdust, huh? Think one might be able to score some at, say, a Home Depot or somewhere like that?

[Rangefinder]

Dunkle>> Ya really want some sawdust for fluxing?? You can have all you can haul! :D

Actually, your best bet would be a pet store for pine bedding. It's all pine shaving--and really cheap. One bag would last you the year or more.

[dromia]

Stirring with a dry stick is all you need.

[dunkel]

Dunkle>> Ya really want some sawdust for fluxing?? You can have all you can haul! :D

Actually, your best bet would be a pet store for pine bedding. It's all pine shaving--and really cheap. One bag would last you the year or more.

Pine bedding, awesome idea. That's why I've started hanging out here, to get little nuggets that I might not have thought of.

Slowly, this stuff is starting to sink in and make sense.

Will definitely try a dry stick, as well. Around here, though, the last couple of times I've gone camping, it's been hard to find any wood that isn't completely rotted and/or damp through and through.

[dromia]

Look for freebie wooded paint stirrers at your DIY shop.

[SharpsShooter]

Stirring with a dry stick is all you need.

I agree. I split half inch dowels lengthwise to give me a scraping edge to use in the pot and it works fine. The scorched wood introduces carbon to the mix which in turn attracts impurities and it all floats to the top. A quick skim and its set to go.

SS

[sqlbullet]

We should also clarify...Fluxing the casting pot or the 'smelting' pot. I use different compounds.

Casting pot, usually some bullet lube and a wooden dowel or stick to stir.

Smelting pot, since it has 90 lbs of dirty lead, gets a healthy dose of sawdust and used motor oil, and gets flamed and stirred hard with a metal spoon until the fire goes out and the smoke abates. The ashes are removd, and then the sides are scraped with wooden stick. I let the pot sit for a minute, and if it 'bubbles' then it means there is a chunk of paint or plastic stuck to the bottom or side still gassing off. More scraping.

Halfway through the pot, I flux again.

[a.squibload]

Disclaimer: I haven't used sawdust yet.

I read some opinions here that PatMarlin sells some good stuff:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=95414

I have a pellet stove, uses pellets made of extruded sawdust,
bought 4 tons this year.
I use it for kitty litter and plan to use it for flux if I ever get my casting back in gear.

Not to hijack thread but I started on the stand today, and the pot (cut up propane tank)
is all ready for welding.
When I figure an air mixture control for my burner I'll be in business!

[sljacob]

sawdust and moter oil when smelting.....and a wood stick dipped in nozzle gell (used by mig welders) when needed during casting

[a.squibload]

Huh, the blue stuff? Never thought of that.