walleye warrior Posted December 4, 2015 Report Share Posted December 4, 2015 I know this topic has been covered many many times BUT. I am going to be melting down and cleaning around 500lbs of scrap lead this weekend. Ive never used bees wax and I have an umlimited supply of saw dust. Does anyone want to weigh in with past experiences or opinions on what they prefer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Hahn Posted December 4, 2015 Report Share Posted December 4, 2015 I use bees wax, but several people here say that you can use candle wax, as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLT Posted December 4, 2015 Report Share Posted December 4, 2015 Candle wax user here. Don't really need to use a big hunk either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy1976 Posted December 4, 2015 Report Share Posted December 4, 2015 It might sound crazy but cooking oil works really well. You can use regular auto oil too. Put it on when the lead is hot. It catches fire once it's burned off you can scoop out the impurities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadman Posted December 4, 2015 Report Share Posted December 4, 2015 I started using bees wax and now use candle wax, as the candle wax I get is free. My wife likes Yankee candles and I use the remainder that doesn't burn on the bottom. Like mentioned a little goes a long way. Make sure that once you drop a small chunk in, you light the smoke. Just be careful, as it will flame up. Slowly stir the lead as the fire is burning, and all the crud will come to the top and burn off. Once the flame has died off, you can skim off the crud, and do it again if you like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mooki Posted December 4, 2015 Report Share Posted December 4, 2015 I did a heck of a lot of reading about this last year, CastBoolits seems to have almost an overabundance of information (and opinions of course) on this subject. As far as I could tell, for cleaning the scrap metal saw dust was the preferred "flux", and some with bees/candle wax to avoid oxidation. During casting just bees wax or candle wax is used for reducing the continuously forming oxide back into the melt. Personally I do the same as previous replies indicate, I'm more concerned about casting abilities than purity. As long as I can cast I'm happy and not too worried about what's in the melt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apdriver Posted December 4, 2015 Report Share Posted December 4, 2015 I just use Gulf parrafin wax as it is readily available in your favorite grocery store. Works good and your not paying for a candle. You can find it in the canning section. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smalljaw Posted December 4, 2015 Report Share Posted December 4, 2015 I have unscented candle wax and not only is it great for cleaning the lead but it also seems to make my ball head jigs smoother and I rarely get an incomplete pour. I break down and clean my lead before I make it into ingots, and then every time I add lead to my pot, I'll flux it even though I cleaned and fluxed it before and it helps. I would only do it when I was breaking down the lead and noticed that when I would get 2 or 3 incomplete pours in a row, a little flux would seem to solve the problem so now any lead that comes into the pot gets fluxed again and if I'm getting incomplete pours I'll flux and 99% of the time it cures it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodtimesfishing Posted December 4, 2015 Report Share Posted December 4, 2015 Frankford cleancast fluxing compound! Once you try it, you will never go back to wax, sawdust and such. Can't say enough about it! Yes I know it is not free but you get what you pay for(or don't pay for).I know the free stuff seems to work.....until you have tried frankford then you see what you have been missing out on. Since I switched to frankford I don't have all the issues I use to have....dripping pot, incomplete pours, plugged spout, slow flow from spout and more issues I am not thinking of right now. Bottom line, it is well worth the cheap cost, and FYI it only takes 1/8 teaspoon for 10 pounds of lead and NO SMOKE OR FLAMES just clean casts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallmouthaholic Posted December 4, 2015 Report Share Posted December 4, 2015 I've been pouring lead for 30 years.I've used all the aforementioned fluxing suggestions except sawdust. I still have a small amout of a produce salled Vitaflux that I.M.O. surpasses all the other in cleaning the dross from lead.Rejoice- I just ordered 2 tubes from e-bay http://www.ebay.com/itm/Imperial-Vitaflux-Reduces-Dross-Vitalizes-Metal-for-Linotype-etc-2-oz-tube-/161736476902?hash=item25a83ec8e6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodtimesfishing Posted December 5, 2015 Report Share Posted December 5, 2015 smallmouthaholic- how would you compare the frankford to the vitaflux? Does the vitaflux smoke/flame? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallmouthaholic Posted December 5, 2015 Report Share Posted December 5, 2015 smallmouthaholic- how would you compare the frankford to the vitaflux? Does the vitaflux smoke/flame? It smokes but it removes all dross and fine particles better then Frankford arsenal. I've used it 10 minutes after using F.A. and I was surprise w/ all the dross that came out. Now that i have 2 tubes ordered,I'll use the vital flux everytime,all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apdriver Posted December 5, 2015 Report Share Posted December 5, 2015 It smokes but it removes all dross and fine particles better then Frankford arsenal. I've used it 10 minutes after using F.A. and I was surprise w/ all the dross that came out. Now that i have 2 tubes ordered,I'll use the vital flux everytime,all the time. That's great, but it looks to be a product not readily available anymore. Your buying old stock of eBay. Also, every time you heat and reflux you get more dross. Is this product really a solution or a rabbit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallmouthaholic Posted December 5, 2015 Report Share Posted December 5, 2015 That's great, but it looks to be a product not readily available anymore. Your buying old stock of eBay. Also, every time you heat and reflux you get more dross. Is this product really a solution or a rabbit? My original tube of what's left of my Vita flux is 25 years old and works fine. I provided an e-bay link to purchase. The decision is yours.I can put what's remaining of my Frankfor Arsenal flux in a plastic bag and mail it to you( once I get my 2 new tubes of Vita Flux)- if you pay prioroty mail postageof $5.25. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apdriver Posted December 5, 2015 Report Share Posted December 5, 2015 The link provided said the auction ended like you bought the one he had. Also a Google search didn't turn up any reputable supplier, as far as I could tell. Thanks for the offer, wax works great for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kasilofchrisn Posted December 6, 2015 Report Share Posted December 6, 2015 (edited) I use beeswax. It isn't really that expensive since so little is used. I buy a pound or two on sale at the state fair from the beekeepers booth every other year or so. That's enough to do hundreds of pounds. I make ingots outdoors using a dutch oven on a 30,000 btu turkey fryer burner. This pot holds 196# of lead at a time. Flux all the lead well and then reflux it once added to the pot in my shop. I have enough ingot molds I just cycle through them so I don't have to stop to let one cool. Edited December 6, 2015 by Kasilofchrisn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kasilofchrisn Posted December 6, 2015 Report Share Posted December 6, 2015 I've been pouring lead for 30 years.I've used all the aforementioned fluxing suggestions except sawdust. I still have a small amout of a produce salled Vitaflux that I.M.O. surpasses all the other in cleaning the dross from lead.Rejoice- I just ordered 2 tubes from e-bay http://www.ebay.com/itm/Imperial-Vitaflux-Reduces-Dross-Vitalizes-Metal-for-Linotype-etc-2-oz-tube-/161736476902?hash=item25a83ec8e6 How much lead can you flux with a tube? I have 600#+ of dead soft lead scrap waiting to be ingotized and was wondering if a guy found some Vitaflux how far does a tube go? I use several hundred pounds of lead a year so need something that I can find enough of to do that with every year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishon-son Posted December 6, 2015 Report Share Posted December 6, 2015 I DONT DO ANYTHING WITH LEAD , so im not sure what you mean by cleaning? but would like to know.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodtimesfishing Posted December 7, 2015 Report Share Posted December 7, 2015 Hearing how hard it was to find, I bought the last tube when I saw there was only one left. I absolutely love frankford, so when it sounded like vitaflux was maybe even better and that hard to find, I figured $15 was worth testing out. Let's face it when working around molten lead who wants frustrations or less then perfect pours if you don't have to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodtimesfishing Posted December 7, 2015 Report Share Posted December 7, 2015 I found the most information about vitaflux by looking up "imperial vitaflux" that is what was on the label. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted December 7, 2015 Report Share Posted December 7, 2015 (edited) I DONT DO ANYTHING WITH LEAD , so im not sure what you mean by cleaning? but would like to know.... If you've never seen lead fluxed, it is amazing, at least to me. I don't pour, but I've see guys clean their lead, and the first time they lit the flux it scared the crap out of me. My friends had a good laugh at my expense. I was also amazed to see steel hook float on top of the molten lead. It makes sense, but it was still a trip! Edited December 7, 2015 by mark poulson 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kasilofchrisn Posted December 8, 2015 Report Share Posted December 8, 2015 (edited) I DONT DO ANYTHING WITH LEAD , so im not sure what you mean by cleaning? but would like to know.... Lead especially scrap has impurities in it and on it. Dirt,debris, old alloy metals etc. These impurities can clog lead pot spouts and make for incomplete castings among other things. When it is melted only some of those impurities come out from the melting process alone. Fluxing causes most of the rest if not all of those impurities to separate and being lighter than lead float to the top where they can be skimmed off. Edited December 8, 2015 by Kasilofchrisn 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted December 8, 2015 Report Share Posted December 8, 2015 Lead especially scrap has impurities in it and on it. Dirt,debris, old alloy metals etc. These impurities can clog lead pot spouts and make for incomplete castings among other things. When it is melted only some of those impurities come out from the melting process alone. Fluxing causes most of the rest if not all of those impurities to separate and being lighter than lead float to the top where they can be skimmed off. I know this is true, but I wonder why it works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLT Posted December 9, 2015 Report Share Posted December 9, 2015 That's great, but it looks to be a product not readily available anymore. Your buying old stock of eBay. Also, every time you heat and reflux you get more dross. Is this product really a solution or a rabbit? I thought the same thing as you. I can flux several times, and every time, more stuff comes up. Myself, I think the fire show is kind of fun lol. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted December 10, 2015 Report Share Posted December 10, 2015 Do the flames draw up the dross, and, if so, how? I am thinking it has something to do with oxygen being drawn up into the combustion, but that's just a wild guess. Maybe it's just magic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
