Fluxing your melt

Arkansas Paul · Jul 12, 2020

I used candle wax for a while and while it may not be the best, it does seem to make the oily sludge easier to remove from the pot.

These days I use this before pouring ingots.
I like to store my ingots as clean as possible, so when it's time to cast bullets, I have little work to do.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1010189060?pid=593033

jkhammer · Jul 12, 2020

Sawdust stirring it around with a wooden paint stick. Works great. I also agree with the bees wax.

Texas10mm · Jul 13, 2020

splattergun said:
My occasional use of a power saw results in enough sawdust to flux much lead. I'm also a beekeeper, so the beeswax comes natural. FYI, beeswax doesn't smoke.

????

It sure as hell does.

Targa · Jul 13, 2020

The beeswax candles I use smoke like Cheech and Chong until it lights off anyway..

Jack Ryan · Jul 13, 2020

It isn't something you should be doing in the kitchen any way. Turn the hood fan on if the smoke bothers you.

AJC1 · Jul 13, 2020

Fluxing with your mold warming on the side of the pot results in one side being turned nice and black. Guess I'll move it next time.

GBExpat · Jul 13, 2020

Arkansas Paul said:
Fluxing your melt

Sounds naughty, so that may not be legal in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Sorry ... slipped into Silly for moment, there ...

kcofohio · Jul 13, 2020

I have only used sawdust, mostly pine, with some popular. It works well and is free.

kmw1954 · Jul 13, 2020

So I just tried something new. Pistachio shells! Last bag I ate I saved the shells and then washed/soaked them to remove any salts. Seemed to work well and oh what an aroma!

AJC1 · Jul 13, 2020

kmw1954 said:
So I just tried something new. Pistachio shells! Last bag I ate I saved the shells and then washed/soaked them to remove any salts. Seemed to work well and oh what an aroma!

Did you grind them up???

kmw1954 · Jul 13, 2020

AJC1 said:
Did you grind them up???

Just kind of smashed them up with a hammer, nothing special. Have another bag I'm going to try again.

.38 Special · Jul 13, 2020

It might be interesting to hear about what doesn't work. Everything I've ever tried was fine.

I did once drop my eyeglasses into the pot. Fished them out straight away, but they were never quite the same again. The alloy still worked well...

splattergun · Jul 14, 2020

Texas10mm said:
????

It sure as hell does.

That's the dirt smoking, not the beeswax.

splattergun · Jul 14, 2020

Targa said:
The beeswax candles I use smoke like Cheech and Chong until it lights off anyway..

trim them.. The candle wicks, that is.
https://www.benefits-of-honey.com/beeswax-candles.html

Texas10mm · Jul 15, 2020

splattergun said:
That's the dirt smoking, not the beeswax.

There's no dirt in the beeswax I use. It's pure wax and it smokes like hell, but it smells good.

https://www.hobbylobby.com/Crafts-H...e-Making/Yellow-1-Pound-Beeswax-Block/p/24978

Beeswax might not smoke when used in a candle but when you put it on top of a 700 degree melt it will smoke.

Armored farmer · Jul 15, 2020

Am I the only dummy using store-bought fluxing compound!?

Jack Ryan · Jul 15, 2020

Live and learn.

AJC1 · Jul 15, 2020

Armored farmer said:
Am I the only dummy using store-bought fluxing compound!?

Do what makes you happy

Armored farmer · Jul 16, 2020

Jack Ryan said:
Live and learn.

AJC1 said:
Do what makes you happy

I can say that it works really well.

Texas10mm · Jul 16, 2020

Many of those store bought fluxes remove tin.

highlander 5 · Jul 16, 2020

Used store bought for ages stopped using it after draining my pot to clean it took over an hour to get the residue of the interior of the pot.
Have a batch of bullets that didn't work well that are lubed using those as flux when those running out I continue using bullet lube might try bee's wax.

Jack Ryan · Jul 16, 2020

If my wife ever runs out of candles I'll start buying yard sale crayons again.

Muddydogs · Jul 16, 2020

I use the cheap tea candles one purchases from Wal Mart for a couple bucks when smelting and bee's wax stirred around with a pint stick when casting. Saw dust may work great but I never have any when needed and don't want to store any between smelting sessions which may be 5 plus years. I usually let my lead supply build up between smelting sessions and end up smelting 500 to 1000 pounds at a time so a bag of tea candles is quick to obtain and cheap. With my current stock I may never need to smelt again.

Jack Ryan · Jul 16, 2020

Muddydogs said:
I use the cheap tea candles one purchases from Wal Mart for a couple bucks when smelting and bee's wax stirred around with a pint stick when casting. Saw dust may work great but I never have any when needed and don't want to store any between smelting sessions which may be 5 plus years. I usually let my lead supply build up between smelting sessions and end up smelting 500 to 1000 pounds at a time so a bag of tea candles is quick to obtain and cheap. With my current stock I may never need to smelt again.

Just pick up a hand full of pine needles off the ground when you need them. Throw them out when you don't.

Armored farmer · Jul 16, 2020

New casters beware of scooping up just anything you find laying about for flux. If you get too much moisture in your sawdust or pine needles your going to get a bad reaction when you dump it in your pot.

Fluxing your melt

Member

Member

member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

member

Member

Member

Member

Member

member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Similar threads