Can we get a thread going about fluxing?? I've read alot about it but I wanted to get some input from you guys. Do you use beeswax or a special flux, how much, how often???

Thanks,
Brandon

Hi Brandon,usually I melt 40-50 lb into
ingots (1-3lb) after the ww have melted and I scim the clips out of pot I pour into ingots (no fluxing).When I melt the ingots I flux 1 time after the ingots have melted and there is a little scum on top then flux and I am ready to pour into bullet moulds.Some people go thru a LOT more than this I am not sure it is needed.I cast for pistol only 454-480-475-500.What part of town are you in ,I am in SW,Thanks Sean

[ 09-18-2003, 23:15: Message edited by: 475/480 ]

I use old candle stubs (paraffin). A piece the size of a pea in the 10 pound bottom pour whenever the surface shows build up of dross. About 5 times that two or 3 times when smelting down dirty lead for ingots in a 6" diameter cast iron pot (80 pounds or so). Does the job at zero cost. I see no reason to change.

Brandon, anything that produces carbon monoxide will flux a lead alloy. That said, you can use just about anything that wants to burn at 451 (cellulose) degrees and above, but doesn't because of limited oxygen thereby creating a smoldering effect. There are quite of few inorganics that decompose, creating a monixide that will work too. The net objective is a thick feeling melt turning into a looser, more liquid feeling as the melt is being stirred. Once this point is reached in the melt, further stirring is not usually required until the pot is reloaded again from scratch. Usually means there are some elements that can be in the mix, intentionally or not, that will not match-merge with lead, antimony, tin, bismuth at 650-800 degrees at current pressure, and will eventually sink or float as the pot is used. Stirring after every 10 casting cycles will put the non alloying elements back into the structure enough to do the job intended. Usually, though, there is not enough stuff to worry about in the mix that does not stay emulsified to the point of boolit rejection, even at the end of a complete pot run of 20 pounds. So, armed with this info, you can use wax, motor oil, leaves, kitty litter (bentonite), Marvelux (sodium oxalate). ... felix

Felix: Thanks once again, this time for a clear, succunct summary that tells all anyone really needs to know about fluxing! floodgate

Thanks guys - that explained everything. I knew this was the place to ask.

475/480,
I live on the NW side of town(Cypress) but work down near Hobby.

Brandon

When bulk melting WWs I use a fairly good amount of cheap shorting (Crisco) to flux the melt. It stays on top of the melt in a puddle, thickening up as it gets used up.

Before scooping the metal out into the ingot molds, I get rid of all the ugly blackened shortning and scoop up the ingot metal just after having stirred in some nice fresh virgin shortening.

It smokes very little, smells like french fries and does a wonderful job of fluxing the WWs.

When I melt the ingot blocks, I melt them into a bottom pour pot covered with kitty litter. The kitty litter maintains the integrity of the cleaned metal and I have to neither flux nor stir during the course of casting.

Kitty litter and bottom pour pots work well together.

Oldfeller

This is a theory of mine.
It seems to me that instead of the flux just sitting on top of the melt, it "surrounds" the molten alloy, forming a layer between the pot and the alloy until it burns off. I think this is where the ash comes from that forms on the pot walls and sometimes plugs up the spout in a BP pot. If you over do the fluxing or don't clean your pot you get inclusions from this.
My reason for thinking this is that I have added wax to the pot then drawn bullets while the flux was still burning off. When I did this, I would get dimples in the bullets just like I would get if I overlubed the hinge pivot on the mould. I know about the dimples because I lightly lube the hinge pivot of my Lee moulds with bullet lube during casting sessions.
I've also had bad inclusions when I've heavily fluxed with wax from a scented candle. I think it left heavy residue.
I think I'll try the kitty litter next time I cast. Sounds like it's worth a try.