jmsj
10-18-2010, 01:52 AM
I have used lots of things for flux while smelting in the past.
I've used sawdust, used oil, parrafin wax, stirring w/ a wooden stick, old bullet lube, etc. My preferred materials have become sawdust and parrafin wax.
At work we use a "floor sweep" product that is sawdust mixed w/ some kind of oil, smells like mineral spirits. I was smelting down some clip on wheel weights today and thought I'd give the "floor sweep" a try. When the wheel weights melted down I threw some on top of the melt and it caught fire. I put the lid back on for a while.I removed the lid again and it caught fire, I stirred the melt and put the lid back on and waited a couple of minutes. I removed the lid and the melt caught fire again, I stirred the melt until the fire went out. I skimmed the clips off, they were sooty but completely free of lead, the dross was just fine soot and lighter than usual.The pot was really clean as well. I really like the way that this stuff worked today.
It had the best attributes of both sawdust and parrifin wax. It cleaned the clips and the pot real well, burned clean no black smelly smoke. I was also surprised at the smaller amount of the dross and the lightness as well.
I've used sawdust, used oil, parrafin wax, stirring w/ a wooden stick, old bullet lube, etc. My preferred materials have become sawdust and parrafin wax.
At work we use a "floor sweep" product that is sawdust mixed w/ some kind of oil, smells like mineral spirits. I was smelting down some clip on wheel weights today and thought I'd give the "floor sweep" a try. When the wheel weights melted down I threw some on top of the melt and it caught fire. I put the lid back on for a while.I removed the lid again and it caught fire, I stirred the melt and put the lid back on and waited a couple of minutes. I removed the lid and the melt caught fire again, I stirred the melt until the fire went out. I skimmed the clips off, they were sooty but completely free of lead, the dross was just fine soot and lighter than usual.The pot was really clean as well. I really like the way that this stuff worked today.
It had the best attributes of both sawdust and parrifin wax. It cleaned the clips and the pot real well, burned clean no black smelly smoke. I was also surprised at the smaller amount of the dross and the lightness as well.