bullet casting flux?

[rfg]

what do you use for flux when casting lead bullets?

 

[csbutton]

I've been casting for thirty years now, and have used a bunch of different fluxes over that time. Parrifin, like used in canning food, works as well for me as anything...you can get a lifetime supply for a few dollars at WalMart.

 

[Gator 45/70]

Same here Cheap candles and pine saw dust

 

[highstandard40]

Paraffin is used by many but there are better fluxes to use. Just about any carbon based item will work. I used wax for several years till I learned of a better flux. Paraffin is actually a reductant, not a true flux.

I use sawdust, preferrably hardwood, but softwoods will work also. Don't use plywood sawdust because of the glues involved. Put a large pinch of the sawdust on top of the melt once it gets up to casting temp. Let the sawdust turn black, then stir into the molten lead. It is also a good idea to stir with a piece of wood, perhaps a paint stirrer. The oxides and impurities in the melt will bond to the charred wood and float to the top to be skimmed. Don't forget to scrape the sides of the pot well with the stirring stick. You can also used crushed charcoal as a flux, not the matchlight charcoal. If you decide to use wood, be sure it is dry. You do not want to introduce any moisture into molten lead. I started using sawdust early last year and have found it to be far superior to paraffin.

 

[toddrod]

sawdust and wax

 

[troy_mclure]

i stir with a hardwood dowel. saves space and less mess.

 

[rfg]

sawdust? i would have never thought of that, that's why i ask people that know. that is really ironic as i'm a woodworker i have plenty of it.
would fine sawdust (table saw) be better or small curl shavings ( jointer shavings)?
thanks,
richard

 

[Gator 45/70]

This, small curl shavings ,I do my mix different, I throw a hand full or 2 on top of my lead and when it get's to smoking well i set it on fire with a bic, Let it burn down and then i stir in the lead.

 

[Akajun]

another sawdust proponent here, also use a hardwood stick to stir. The type of wood I dont think matters, not even plywood, but I would be leary of anything with treated wood sawdust.
Make sure you are casting outside in a well ventilated area, I even set up a small personal fan to blow away the smoke without cooling things off too much.

 

[gwpercle]

I toss in some wood shavings first, pine, cedar, basswood..it doesn't matter . then add some melted beeswax, just a little ( parrafin is good also ). Some pet beddings are wood shavings if you don't have any. I use both wood and wax because each does a seperate job in fluxing. For years I only used beeswax, but have discovered the carbon in the wood shavings helps do a proper job of mixing the metals and seperating out the impurities without a lot of smokey waxy fumes that would catch on fire at times.
Gary