What's your favorite Flux?

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  • Last Post 11 August 2012
cat1870 posted this 12 July 2007

I've tried Frankford Arsenal CleanCast and http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/ProductDetail.aspx?p=1132&title=MARVELUX%7e+BULLET+CASTING+FLUX>MARVELUX.

Plus have used bullet lube a time or 2.

What's your favorite?

 

Cat

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RicinYakima posted this 12 July 2007

Basely anything with carbon in it, as long as it doesn't have a girly smell such as candles. One of my favorites is cigar butts. I save them in a can till they are dry and add some with beeswax/lard mixture. Very effective and adds a nice manly smell to the shop. Ric

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JeffinNZ posted this 15 July 2007

Didn't like the way MARVELUX spat at me.  I use beeswax now.  Drop, stir, flick the lighter, burn off the fumes, clean alloy.

Cheers from New Zealand

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Kodyak posted this 16 July 2007

I'm with Jeff on this one.

Marvelux leaves a scally residue on the inside of my lead-pot. Quit using it long ago.

Has anyone heard of using a certain kind of wood stick to stir their lead? I saw that somewhere, but can't find it again.

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CB posted this 17 July 2007

Rick,

Hey, what kinda cigar smoker are ya? You're suppose to chew them cigar butts up, that way you get a great smoke and a chew of a tabacca for one price. Have ya ever tried potpori for flux? It smells swell! :).............Dan

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CB posted this 17 July 2007

I have 2 or 3 jars of the Frankford arsenal flux, use it occassionally for real dirty range salvage lead.

For fluxing for the most part I use either beeswax or leftover candle stuff from my wife.

I have used sawdust soaked in used tranny fluid, but that smokes to beat the band.

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billwnr posted this 17 July 2007

Last year I bought something Bill Ferguson sells and it works better than Marvelux. No spitting.

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RicinYakima posted this 17 July 2007

Dan,

I usually buy A&C Grenadiers or Churchill's. The only time I eat the butts is when I am fishing for salmon in the Pacific. There isn't much to do while trolling for 12 hours.

I was serious about the fluxing with anything carbon. To me the best smelling is walnut sawdust and beeswax. My wife doesn't even make me go into the womens' stores anymore since I pucked all over one from the “scented herbs and candles” about 10 years ago. I'm allergic to most manufactured fragrances, but grew up on the farm. Manure just smells like money to me.

Bill and Kodyak,

I have used both Bill Fergeson's and NEI's fluxes. Both are very effective and don't have much oder for people that have that concern.

Ric

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sundog posted this 18 July 2007

Sawdust, old candles, about anything organic that burns when rendering WWs and range scrap. I've even used diesel fuel in my big smelting pot when doing hundreds of pounds at a time. Heat produced also helps bring the mix up to temp faster.

In the casting pot, lab paraffin (for sealing core samples) since I have a couple big slabs of it. I save my bees wax for lube.

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John Boy posted this 03 August 2007

Sawdust or rosin

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dromia posted this 04 August 2007

 I just stir with dowel offcuts does all fluxing I need.

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454PB posted this 05 August 2007

I must be one of the very few that like Marvelux and the Frankford Arsenal flux.

Yes, it is hygroscopic and needs special care and precautions, but it cleans the melt and it doesn't smoke.

The few times that I get to cast with good ventilation (I do 95% of my casting indoors in the winter) I use any and all of the previously mentioned carbon based fluxes, and anything works from sawdust to Ivory soap.

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CB posted this 05 August 2007

See you are never too old to learn something new!

I have gotta try the dowel rod for fluxing and it never occured to me to use ivory soap.

My main concern using the Frankfort Arsenal Flux is the residue that adheres to the pot after using it. But I guess that will be something I will have to learn to deal with.

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KenK posted this 05 August 2007

I have tried using the freebie paint stirrers, if you live in a humid area be very cautious.  The wood will soak up a lot of moisture causing the lead to hiss and spit.:shock:

What I have been using lately for flux is Darr lube.  I made up a two pound batch and it didn't work very well with my loads.  It is much easier to deal with than parrafin.

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delmarskid1 posted this 09 October 2007

I like 2cycle motor oil. It smokes but doesn't flash burn and I get a lot of stiring time. I used to use hamburger grease. Smelled like I had the grill going.

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Ed Harris posted this 09 October 2007

On the bottom pour pot I use crushed clay kitty litter as boundary layer oxidation protection on top of the melt.  

When reducing scrap alloy in the plumbers pot used motor oil works fine. I flare it off to reduce smoking.

 

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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delmarskid1 posted this 09 October 2007

I went overboard when I ordered motor mica. I may just try that for a barrier. It could help to hold the heat in also.

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30-30 Wesson posted this 10 October 2007

Any kind of clean Pine kindling is good for a stirring stick as it contains lots of resin. It's wot I use with a little 50:50 lube.

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vmwilson posted this 28 November 2007

I am real surprised nobody mentioned NEI's flux. A little dab will do you. I gave up on Marvelux years ago but I suspect I may have been using too much of it in retrospect.

Mike

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Mike H posted this 29 November 2007

Usually use beeswax. For large lots of dirty metal, such as wheel weights and scrap lead, I use mutton fat. Rosin was supposed to be the flux for typemetal,that is why pine is mentioned. Never used it, myself.

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CB posted this 29 November 2007

I use NEI's flux. I think it is Bee's wax and rosin cause it smells good kinda like pine. I'm about out but probably won't buy anymore as it seems just about anything will work for the casting pot. When I alloy in my big gas fired pot, I use Marvelux because a guy gave me a jar to try and it works. I like reading what the Antimony man has to say about flux and want to try the flux he has and recommends.

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