Fluxing your lead

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fingers284

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When I started handguning years ago frugality forced me to cast all my own boolits and the guy that mentored me at the time only used wax as a flux material and that's all that I used for the few years that I cast back then. Other than one casting session a couple of years ago, It's been basically 35 yrs since I done any amount but am going to get back at it....so back to reading a lot to re-acquaint myself with a lot of info.. A book I just finished reading says that wax was considered a good flux but now it's not considered a good idea at all and sawdust is the best and only real effective flux to use so what does everybody else consider their favorite flux.
 
Anything that adds a little carbon to the mix. Though we use the term "flux", it really seems to be more a matter of coating the junk with a bit of carbon so that the lead won't stick to it - so it floats up a little higher and is easier to scoop off.

It might be that the lead that tends to stick to dirt and junk has a higher tin content - and so "wets" the junk, but at any rate, adding a little wax or soap or sawdust or dog hair will carbon it up and make it easy to clean. A wooden stick can be used to stir with - and that adds all the carbon I need.

With a bottom pour pot, a lot of stuff can sit on top with no ill effect.
 
Saw dust is a true flux since it actually cleans the lead. Wax is a "reductant" IIRC and all it does is provide a method for oxidized tin to get back into the mix.

I use wood shavings and wax when I smelt my raw lead.

I use wax to keep the mix consistent while casting.
 
I just throw a small handful of fine hardwood sawdust in my pot and occasionally stir with a wooden paint stir stick. Add lead as needed to the mix and you do not need to worry about the tin as the layer of carbon on top prevents oxidization.
 
fingers284,

+1 to above.

Here's an interesting article by Glen Fryxell on using various commonly available fluxes and their effects. http://www.lasc.us/FryxellFluxing.htm

This article inspired me to only use hardwood sawdust. The charred remains of the hardwood (carbon) left on top of the molten lead also forms a good barrier between air (oxygen) and the molten lead. One caution. The hardwood saw dust is stored in a sealed container but will still contain some moisture. Just dump a couple of heaping tablespoons or so on top of the molten lead and let it sit there for a few minutes to drive off the moisture - prevents a visit from the tinsel fairy when stirred into the mix.

I have a jar of Marvellux that I will be selling at the next gunshow.
 
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Be careful with Borax, if it is damp it will bestow the tinsel fairy's upon you! I stopped using wax and Borax because my old heart doesn't like the surprise of the wax igniting or the borax exploding, usually while I have the ladle in the pot!!
 
mr.e moose said:
Be careful with Borax, if it is damp it will bestow the tinsel fairy's upon you! I stopped using wax and Borax because my old heart doesn't like the surprise of the wax igniting or the borax exploding, usually while I have the ladle in the pot!!
Click to expand...

Haha - yep - I keep my borax in a pot on the back of the forge so it's always quite dry :d But thanks again for the reminder - I would probably end up pulling some off the shelf one day when I wasn't thinking :p

Also reminds me I've been meaning to add a splash shield over the pot - had a simple one a couple years ago that worked wonders - basically a tin and lexan hood above the pot that catches most spatters heading upwards, but allows you to get the ladle and ingots underneath and into the pot easily. The few times I got some splashes it caught them perfectly. On the next model I've been thinking of adding some sort of chimney to pull any fumes that might occur.
 
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