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Originally Posted by reeves
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It was suggested to flux when melting down wheel weights for ingots.
1. Is this done before or after the clips are skimmed?
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Forgive me for not typing this out again. Everything you need to know on this question is in my response here:
Lead Quality More questions? Just ask.
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2. Then when adding ingots to my melting pot, I should flux again?
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Depends. Fluxing again won't ever
hurt anything, and it'll definitely make sure your pouring goes as smoothly as possible, and that's
always good, right? If the melt has more than a tiny bit of 'scum' floating on the top, or if you can see small particles of 'gunk' floating in the lead (sometimes looks like goose-pimples under the surface) then the melt should be fluxed.
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3. How often should I flux the melting pot?
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Whenever you add another couple lead ingots to the melt, or if you see the symptoms noted above in my response to question #2.
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4. Can you flux too much?
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Good question. Answer: nope. One of the many things fluxing does is make sure your lead is in the best condition for pouring. It removes oxides and 'dirt' from the lead (very often there's LOTS of lead oxide bits and tiny pieces of, well, crud floating around
within the lead. During a long pouring session, more lead oxides can build up on
and in the lead. That stuff can dramatically reduce the fluidity and 'pourability' of the lead-- but you can't always see it. So, aside from the recommendations I've listed, if your lead starts to lose 'pourability', it probably needs to be fluxed again. Fluing only helps, so when in doubt: flux.
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I use an 80lb melting pot when spincasting. The lowest I will let it get is about half empty (full??). I will then either add ingots or my sprues from casting. Should I flux at this time?
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George
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Absolutely. Definitely, flux again once those ingots are melted and the melt has been stirred. By that time, you've probably got a bunch of lead oxide particles and crumbs floating around in the melt (but like I said, you might not be able to see them). That stuff is called
"entrained oxides" and what that means is just
"oxides and dirt that are thoroughly mixed into the lead melt". You can bet credits to navy beans that those entrained oxides will give you some incomplete pours, or increase the likelyhood of incomplete pours.
Questions? Just ask. Hope this helps, good luck!
