flux

[lonehunter]

What do you use when casting rb.?

 

[roberthamilton]

I use a small amount beewax and/or borax for all my fluxing needs.

 

[R.M.]

I save the wax off the little cheese (BabyBell) and use it for fluxing, and I mix some into my CF lube also.

 

[paulvallandigham]

I have used the traditional Beeswax, but Borax( Yes, the 20 Mule Team detergent!) actually would make a better flux to remove the dirt and debris.

Particularly when reducing scrap lead, do all this out of doors, where you have good ventilation to get rid of the smoke. Once you have cleaned the lead, you can move indoors and other than the smoke from burning the flux you choose, you should experience no smoke problems. By cleaning the lead, I refer to the practice of melting down scrap, fluxing and skimming it, and then pouring it into ingot molds. Let the ingots cool, and mark them for what they are. Then when you decide to cast bullets,( or balls), you first clean out the pot, then use only the ingots you cast as your source of lead. Minimal amount of fluxing is needed when using ingots, as the lead in them has already been cleaned.

You do want to get and use a lead hardness tester, so you know how hard the lead is going to be. You soften hard lead by adding large quantities of soft lead. It can be done. Test and mark each ingot with its BHN number for future reference.

 

[Swampman]

Any wax works fine. I wouldn't waste bee's wax using it for flux.

 

[jtmattison]

Beeswax.

HD

 

[FishDFly]

Mark is right.

I use the remains of the wife's candles and the lady's in the neighborhood bring me their candle remains. Has worked for many years.

Frugal is good.

RDE

 

[musketman]

I have used birthday candles for years, strip off a pinch (without the wick) and drop it in. (doesn't matter what color the candle is either.) :thumbsup: :grin:

 

[jtmattison]

Any wax works fine. I wouldn't waste bee's wax using it for flux.

Good point depending on how much casting you do. I've been using the same little hunk of beeswax for years. I use about a pea size bit to flux with. I usually only cast enough to keep up my own shooting. Unfortunately I don't get out shooting much.

HD

 

[lonehunter]

ok, so i take it a small amount goes a long way.would toilet gaskets (wax rings) like what you by at home-depot work? they are cheap and are made from beeswax (I think). I have put together every thing I need except mould and handles,hope to place that order soon.Thank everyone for all the advice you share here :bow: this forum is the best thing in the internet!! Lonehunter :v

 

[jtmattison]

ok, so i take it a small amount goes a long way.would toilet gaskets (wax rings) like what you by at home-depot work? they are cheap and are made from beeswax (I think). I have put together every thing I need except mould and handles,hope to place that order soon.Thank everyone for all the advice you share here :bow: this forum is the best thing in the internet!! Lonehunter :v

Yes, just a little piece of flux is all you need.

I wouldn't use toilet gasket. They're not made of beeswax any more. I think they are mostly some petroleum product. There would probably be a ton of smoke and probably a lot of flame from them.

You can flux with a lot of things. Sawdust even works good.

HD

 

[Idaho Ron]

I have used motor oil, birthday candles, saw dust, about everthing. I saw online a guy was using a DRY pine stick. I have tried it and it does ok, it MUST BE DRY! The motor oil has a lot of smoke but works nice for the first round of cleaning. After I have the lead in clean ingots, I only use candle wax. Ron

 

[wtilenw]

This is what I use;
Marvelux

 

[Swampman]

Crayons, candles, as long as it's free.

 

[FPDoc]

I've used most of the listed items with good results. Usually I just use a candle, dip it till about a nickle size puddle forms and stir it up. I guess I've got more broken candle bits than anything else and I do know I've got a can of Marvelux.. somewhere.. I just can't find the durn thing. I used to use a pine stick to estimate lead temp when I was casting over plumbers furnaces (kind of like the old "3 second fire" for cooking--it takes 3 seconds for the bed of coals to burn the hair off of your arm) instead of in thermostat controlled melting pots.

 

[MSW]

what Paul said... beeswax works well, as do crayons. never tried Borax. you do want to be careful about the fumes... frankly, i think the eco- dupes are full of :bull: when they claim that the condors will eat the lead shot and die, but if you inhale lead fumes, it can mess you up. also, be careful to wash your hands after you cast and (sounds dumb but i've seen it done) don't eat or drink anything while you're casting. (who'd want to? it's something that requires your complete attention anyway: cast now, eat later... don't drink and cast, you might hit a bump and spill your beer) and while i'm on the safety officer imitation, be careful about anything wet (water, even drops of sweat) falling into the molten lead... leaves a very nasty burn.

i'm not trying to scare you- this is a perfectly safe activity if you're reasonably careful, and most of us find it fun, but you do need to watch what you're doing. so, run ball and

make good smoke

 

[mazo kid]

Like most of the others here, I use candle scraps. I prefer beeswax candles because they don't smoke as much as the regular wax ones. Fine sawdust works very well, just stir it in and let it char and sit on top of the lead while you pour. Doesn't work as well for ladling. When you add more lead, stir in more sawdust. Ground up charcoal works good too, you can use the bag siftings or crush a few briquets.

 

[FishDFly]

Any one ever use candles scraps made from soy oil?

They are making candles out of soy oil to reduce the amount of black smoke.

Just wondering.

RDE