a fluxing question

[Lloyd Smale]

it should work. Ive tried a couple others too. They leave a little oily film on top of the melt that you have to skim off if your ladle casting. No korode seem to have a little less of this.

[Underclocked]

Lloyd, have you ever used sawdust?  In particular, cedar sawdust?  Been reading that it works very well and may give it a try.  The cedar has the added benefit of a nice fragrance.  

[joeb33050]

I haven't fluxed a lead pot in 30 years, and cast a lot of bullets. Scrape up the "stuff" and put it in a coffee can. Stop stinking up the world!!
joe b.

[Omaha Poke]

JoeB, that stuff you scrape off the top and throw away is tin and possibly some antimony.  Being about 8 -9 times more expensive than lead, it is pretty wastefull.  

I flux about every half hour to 45 minutes, depending upon the alloy that I am working with.  Some require more or maybe less fluxing.  It keeps the ladle clean, re-integrates the components in the alloy, and makes for better bullets.  When I weigh my bullets I seldom have more than a one or two grain difference in weight in a 550 grain PP or 535 grain lube grove bullet.  Those that are under or over this tolerance are remelted.  

My last time at the range with my 45-70 I had a 9 shot group at 200yds that could be easily covered with a silver dollar.

[hammerhead357]

Alright I will jump in here and say I once had an old time printer show me that you did not have to flux linotype. This gentleman would simply stir and scrape the sides and bottom and only get what appeared to be dirt and junk. This he would throw away, as far as I know he never fluxed the pots on the lino machines. This guy had been at this for pobably 35 yrs when he showed me this. I have used this somewhat with some degree of success anyone else ?   Wes

[Lloyd Smale]

thats why the printers used lynot. + a alloy highter in tin and antimony to repace the tin and ant. that was lost in reusing there lead.

Alright I will jump in here and say I once had an old time printer show me that you did not have to flux linotype. This gentleman would simply stir and scrape the sides and bottom and only get what appeared to be dirt and junk. This he would throw away, as far as I know he never fluxed the pots on the lino machines. This guy had been at this for pobably 35 yrs when he showed me this. I have used this somewhat with some degree of success anyone else ?   Wes

[joeb33050]

The mush on top of the lead pot is not tin or antimony or arsenic or any oxide of any of these. It is small balls of dirt surrounded by semi-melted alloy. Scrape off the mush, save it, melt it, get it hot, flux it, and you'll have alloy with very little black powder=the dirt. Alloy elements don't segregate or selectively oxidize. A little density testing will prove it to you. Try it.
joe b.

[carpediem]

Greetings from the Great White North.
I started using sawdust for fluxing about a year ago.  It works great.  I do a lot of wood working and generate a fair bit of sawdust.  Go to one of your local lumber yards or any place they cut lumber; such as Home Depot.  This is a waste product for them and they give sawdust away for free.  

Sawdust has a tendancy to retain its moisture when it is piled up so make sure it is dry before you put it into the pot.  Best to lay it out in the sun for a while.  

Stir the crap out of your melted lead to try and get all the dirt and crud to come to the surface.  Cover the entire surface of your melted lead with a layer of sawdust.  If you want, light the sawdust so it starts on fire.  This will get rid of a lot of the smell.  Stir the sawdust and force it down into the melted lead.  Keep stirring until everything turns to ash and discard.  Repeat as and when necessary.

Kindest regards,
Carpediem

[Lloyd Smale]

if they truely do not seperate why is it that my local printer who by the way does flux but says it can be carried to far has lynotype plus a alloy that is higher in tin and antimony then even monotype that is sold to him to replenish the tin and antimony lost when reusing a lynotype alloy. If it cast seperate where is it going? He regularly tests his lead and adjust its content. You wont tell him that they cant seperate.

The mush on top of the lead pot is not tin or antimony or arsenic or any oxide of any of these. It is small balls of dirt surrounded by semi-melted alloy. Scrape off the mush, save it, melt it, get it hot, flux it, and you'll have alloy with very little black powder=the dirt. Alloy elements don't segregate or selectively oxidize. A little density testing will prove it to you. Try it.
joe b.

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

I've always been skeptical of the fluxing myself.

I've suspected the flux material is sort of like the stone in stone soup.  Put a stone in some boiling water, add some meat, salt, and vegetables and voila' you've got a great soup!  

Likewise, add your flux, stir the melt, and voila' the melt is now well mixed.  

But I still add some wax anyway - just in case. :roll: