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Re: Best Flux?

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11 September 2004, 14:37
Ricochet
Re: Best Flux?
SAE 30 nondetergent motor oil's my favorite, in a small pump oil can. Works, smells and burns much like paraffin wax, but it's more convenient. Bet the olive oil does smell better, haven't tried it as a flux.
12 September 2004, 10:10
Ricochet
Quote:

Do you really think you can stir beeswax or oil under the surface of molten lead with a spoon?

Nope. Nor do I think that's important. Fluxing is a surface phenomenon.

And nowadays I seldom flux at all when using clean ingots in the electric pot indoors. I flux lots when melting dirty alloy in bulk outdoors with the turkey fryer, often using copious amounts of used motor oil and letting it blaze. Can't do that under the back deck, though, it turns it black.
12 September 2004, 02:34
Junior1942
For several years I haven't fluxed at all, and I've had no problems. An article in _The Fouling Shot_ (I think) pointed out that the tin and antimony were in solution and not affected by flux. I simply skim the floating trash and cast lots of good bullets.
11 September 2004, 16:55
waksupi
The way i flux anymore, is with a dry piece of wooden dowel. It being carbon based, works dual purposes, of fluxing, and adding the advantage of being able to scrape on the sides of the pot, and actually getting your flux completely to the bottom of the alloy, rather than just on the top, as most methods of fluxing do. Think about it. Do you really think you can stir beeswax or oil under the surface of molten lead with a spoon? I doubt it, unless specific gravity functions in a different manner where you are, than it does around these parts. The stick, along with kitty litter, keeps me a happy caster.