A spark lighter works well when you have gloves on.
Wayne
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When I used to get free wheelweights from my tire dealer, I found that vegetable oil as flux helped the steel clips release from the lead. I had a bottle of oil that had turned rancid, and I used that for a long time. Lately, I had acquired a bottle of castor oil, which I used up smelting range lead; worked just fine.
Wayne
I threw away my Marvelux when I started using crayons. Marvelux made a mess, the crayons work perfectly.
If using sawdust, make sure it is dry before stirring it under. Regards, Woody
Pine shavings and candle wax is all I`ve used for 50+ years.
Flux often to prevent inclusions.
Saw dust mostly pine and wax from toilet ring . Cheap an works great.
Ooooo... used motor oil upwind from my ******* nosey neighbor!
In a recent casting class one guy brought in a bunch of range scrap that included bits of the rubber backstop. My smelting pot was down wind of his pot. What a stinky cloud of smoke.
I use Frankfort Arsenal flux. Anybody? Works good. Make foam and is a bit messy, turns black. My alloy I get off eBay and roto is pretty clean usually. I’ve been shopping around and getting a good deal. Thinking though I have to take their word for it. Been pretty blessed by what I get in small quantities. Alloy Clear, oxidizes and flux reduces to clear mirror again. Taking their word too.
I ran a batch using copper sulfate as my flux and stirred with chopsticks, I have yet to test the BHN though for the results.