lead flux

[plinking_mad]

Is it ok to burn a candle and let the wax drip into the molten lead to flux it ?

 

[mooman76]

Yes you can or just put a small piece of wax in. It will melt quick and stir it in.

 

[armymedic.2]

Stupid question. How important is fluxing lead considered? I have been casting for a few years. I heat it up. Skim off the slag at the top and get to casting. I havent noticed an issue. Am i missing something?

 

[mooman76]

You'll likely get lots of opinions on that. I don't flux regular like I used to. It gets the dirtiness out.

 

[Black Hand]

Not really.

 

[cynthialee]

I don't flux. I just skim off the crud on top. But I have very clean and pure lead to start with.

 

[jamesthomas]

I only flux if I have dirty lead to begin with, such as the lead stick-on weights or plumbing lead or those lead roof jacks. These can have grease, dirt, or tar on them so I flux to get the stuff to come to the top an stick together. If I start with my clean ingots when making roundballs I don't flux and usually only have very minor stuff Like maybe a little bit of left over grease that will float to the top and gets skimmed off.

 

[Carl Fowler III]

Another vote for no flux...but like CL I start out with good lead to begin with! :v

 

[armymedic.2]

Aha. Thats it then. I cast from ingots so all set. Thanks! Didnt mean to hijack!

 

[plinking_mad]

Another casting question - Can the temperature of the lead have any influence on the diameter of the cast ball/bullet ? (I've only cast a few hundred rounds so far so I'm fairly new at this.) I get good results once the mold heats up and I get into a rythm, but don't have a thermometer.

Thanks to all for the info. Great forum, by the way!

 

[mooman76]

Yes heat makes a slight difference plus other factors too like how pure your lead is. Other alloys will make them come out slightly larger too.

 

[M. De Land]

Yes, pretty much anything with carbon in it will work as flux. I use walnut saw dust from gunstock work as my flux and it not only works well but it smells really nice to boot.
One more thing about fluxing, most folks remove a lot of good lead when skimming that can be remelted back into the pot if it is fluxed, squashed out against the pot sides and re-stirred. Mike D.

 

[larry wv]

No flux for last 10 or so years. Larry

 

[Snow on the Roof]

I oft times use reclaimed lead from my shooting pit because of which I always flux using a small chunk of bees wax. With clean ingots I don't find flux to be necessary but do so out of habit.

Snow

 

[Snow on the Roof]

Woo where the H#@! did THAT avatar come from?

 

[Snow on the Roof]

That's better...thought I was having a change of live er somethin'. :idunno:

Snow

 

[Idaho Ron]

I flux when I am making ingots. I use old motor oil, and I also use a VERY dry stick. I pour in the oil and scrape and stir vigorously with the stick. After I do that I don't flux in the lee pot. I like the stick but you have to be careful. If there is any moisture in the stick at all you will get to see the tinsel ferry. Ron

 

[tenngun]

Skim just before casting, flux only with reclaimed lead.

 

[M. De Land]

Yes,fluxing is only necessary when cleaning pure lead or recombining an alloy. Most of the lead I use has some tin and often antimony and fluxing is important periodically as the tin wants to oxidize and float to the top. It can be recombined to an extent when fluxed, mashed out against the sides of the pot and stirred back in with a wooden paddle. The paddle will burn and also act as a flux while mixing back in some of the oxidized tin. Mike D.

 

[Woodyrock]

I have always used pitchy pine sawdust. Works well, but does flare.
Woody