Home Forums Reloading Bullet Casting fluxing

Anyone use beeswax?

I have. Too expensive and not necessary, but certainly works. I use cheap crayons that my kids get from restaurants now, or pieces of wax from old candles.

Pine sawdust works quite well.

And smells quite nice!

What HuntnShoot said, candle wax...I have a life time supply.

candle wax or sawdust works fine.

candle wax or sawdust works fine.

Yes, but prefer beeswax in the lube and paraffin for flux.

Pine pitch also makes a good fragrant flux.

I use old candle wax or sawdust.

Sawdust forms a layer of carbon on the melt and seems to prevent/reduce the oxidation in the melt.

Beeswax here. I have a couple huge chunks that'll last the rest of my days. Being embedded with decades-worth of flotsam and jetsam it's not worth the hassle to melt/strain for more refined usage.

I have a bunch of paraffin and some dry pine sawdust I use, depending on what is closer to hand when casting. I often stir the melted lead with dry paint stirring sticks I pick up from the hardware store. It all works. I tend to save my beeswax for a stock finish I make to make my oil finished stocks more weather resistant.

Old70

Dry wood chips or dust.

ooze from my sizer lubricator aka bullet lube
but yes sometimes i use beeswax. have 4-5 wax pucks that will last forever.

I've used bullet lube or candlewax, the bullet lube stinks candle wax not so much.

When you guys flux, do you use the dipper to push the flux deep down into the lead, just kind of stir it lightly around the top or stir it around briskly like you're stirring up a drink mix?

I started using bullet lube but have been using Marvelux for a couple of decades and yes, it does leave a film on your spoon or dipper that you have to dry first. With either one, when it's dropped on the molten alloy I stir it vigorously round and round like mixing up a powdered drink mix. I've read that you want to get the mix exposed to air as you flux and that vortex this creates seems to get all of the alloy to the surface eventually. Seems to work but since my old RCBS furnace needs replacing I figure it's a good time to re-examine the whole process or fluxing as well.

So which of these looks like the way you do it?


This guy pushes the flux deeply through it.




This guy just pushes it around the surface.



This guy uses sawdust but also sort of pushes it around the surface or just lightly underneath it. Go to 2:45 for the fluxing part.

Push it down into the melt, stir, scrape sides, skim.

Unsalted lard or rendered fat from your last game animal. Works as good as any commercial flux.

I’ve used the commercial products, and they work well. But most of the time I use old leftover candles.

I've used sawdust for years. Once my lead has melted I stir in a heaping tablespoon of sawdust and work it into the melt with tablespoon that I have small holes drilled into to allow the spoon to flow through the lead easily. Once charred and stirred in well I let the char stay on top to help prevent oxidation and don't remove it till I'm ready to add more led to the pot.

I use wood shavings from the school wood shop,the brother in law is the teacher.

When re-melting down already cast or culls the smoke from the lube gets bad sometimes.

But the worst is oak cuttings from a chain saw.

When used even after lunch it makes me want some BBQ.

I use beeswax, and not just a pea size. More like a acorn. I work it into the melt, stir, mix, roll, scrape sides, skim. I just don't like sawdust or anything that makes debris.

For the last 20 or so years i use bullet lube that oozes out around my sizer dies . My old lyman sizer is about worn out.
If i am alloying specific mixes i use a small amount of soldering flux. Seems to work well.have a half dozen muffin cup disks of bees wax also that if its handy i will shave a curl off and drop in a pot that is really dirty ,like old lead sewer pipe.

Most likely a "duh" question here, but you're using a bottom pour spout, correct?

Yep, and probably just about everything that others have mentioned. In short....it’s pretty hard to “flux it up”! memtb

I've been known to just pick up a handful of dry oak leaves and crush them. Sprinkled on the top of the pour, it does a pretty good job of collecting the dross. I finish up with a pea-sized bit of candle wax.

Sawdust, it's free.

I like the idea of using crayons. I have been using paraffin wax and sawdust. I don't really like the debris left from the sawdust, but now that I have a bottom pour pot, it's not as big a deal.

I melt down wheelweights, scrap lead, pure lead, etc., flux and cast into ingots in an old, heavy steel pot. I use my kids' broken crayons as flux. Works great and I have a steady supply.

My ingots mold is an old cast iron cornbread mold. Ingots come out shaped like a corn cob halved longways. They work great for stacking in my Lee furnace for casting.

I use a Lee bottom pour to melt the ingots and cast my bullets. Again, little piece of crayon to clean up and flux the alloy.

Dad and I used the nub ends of church candles he brought home.

I use bees wax to flux and then cover with saw dust to help with oxidation.

I've used Marvellux for years. There are two things I like about it: it does not ignite like bullet lube and paraffin will, and it reduces the viscosity of the melt very nicely. I find it easier to get a perfect fill of the mold when the melt flows like water.

In the casting pot I use fine sawdust and a bit of beeswax based bullet lube. In the "smelting" pot when melting down range scrap, I use sawdust pet bedding, some prairie hay off the floor of the shed that's soaked with motor oil from a leaky lawn mower, and beeswax in multiple go rounds.

While on this subject, is there a good method or technique for cleaning ones casting ladle? I use a pot and dipper, and the looks of my ladle might get some glances when serving up a good chowder.

Thanks in advance,

i will be watching for an answer. mine is choked with fumunda to about half capacity.

I use sawdust followed by wax when I'm melting big batches of scrap. I use various forms of wax in my casting pot. Candles, crayons, bullet lube, wax seals off of beer bottles, ect.

I stir the mix trying to work it under the melt and scrape the sides and bottom of the pot while stiring.

Any of you fellas got a few minutes and are willing to learn something....here ya go!

http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Chapter_4_Fluxing.htm

I’ve used bees wax several times over the years, as well as several other flux materials. Haven’t tried sawdust yet....maybe with my next casting session! memtb

Same here just a little crust to remove but its always consistent ..

DD you have maintained the reason I hold you in - ahem - high regard. You don't recommend adults to use crayons! Thanks. Be Well, RZ.

So, after having read Dan's posted Fryxell article on sawdust for flux I find myself questioning the real value of tin in my alloy. I was not aware that Marvellux could cause loss of oxidized tin...but there it is. On the other hand, I've long believed that preservation of tin was most important for maintaining castability---which to ME means filling out the mold fully. I've been satisfied in that regard for many years of using Marvellux. As I said earlier, I feel like using it seems to make the alloy flow like water. So maybe I HAVE been giving up some tin but making a good trade in getting the other undesirable metallic contaminants out of the melt.

I think I'm going to have to experiment, and casting season is just about over at my house. Maybe next fall...

I use old candles or canning wax. I dip so it works great.

Excellent read DD. I have plans to fire up the pot sometime this weekend so I'll have to try sawdust. I work at a wood shop so this shouldn't be a problem. I'm also a beekeeper so I have lots of beeswax laying around

me to! but i'll have to cut something to get the sawdust. wonder if the wife would miss the pine coffee table?

Just pulled off a run of 300 30cal 170grs (Lee 170-309). I had some lumpy tin insolubles the wouldn't combine with the melt until I dumped in two table spoons of ash sawdust. I stirred it around and voila, lumpy tin was gone. Beeswax really helped shine up the melt plus I had piles of it so I still throw in a piece whenever I think it needs it. Had a great run of casting this afternoon

Maybe I should get into the sawdust retail business.

Soak it up with CBD oil first 😀

Why screw around? Just flux with whole Cannibis sativa and casting will become even more enjoyable.

Why does your signature line make me think of Marine one?

Maybe just your fantasies involving the fate of Hiden Biden? I dunno. When I think about it, I think of packs of starving wolves.

Stupid question here. I bought some ingots from a fella on Cast boolits forum. He was well regarded by all. The first box of ingots were nice and shiny, the 2nd box I got from him the ingots are all dull. Is this oxidation in his pot, the end of it, should I be concerned? Was this a flux issue? Thank you gents.

no, that is oxidation in general with respect to lead.

melt it, they will be fine.

I thought so, just wanted to make sure. Everyone talks about oxidation with fluxing. Thanks Blammer

Good thread here, and the linked flux article is queued up for a read, too.

I have plenty of old candle wax laying around. From reading this thread, it appears I am in need of some sawdust as well. Does chainsaw "sawdust" work as well as table saw sawdust? Going to try the crushed oak leaves, as well. We have more than we need in easy reach every fall!

Sounds like the shiny ingots have a higher tin or antimony content, while the dull ingots are closer to pure lead. Pure lead or an alloy with little tin or antimony (say .22 rimfire bullets) will naturally turn a dull and almost black color.

Try slicing into the metal with your thumbnail to see how soft that it is. Obviously, alloy with little tin or antimony will be much softer.

For those who leave theflox on top of the lead while casting, do you use a ladle or are you using bottom pour pots? I can seedoing it with bottom pour but I like to use a ladle and got rid of my bottom pour Lee leaks-a-lot.

Scott, I leave the flux on as a cover/remix and use a ladle. I just push the char to one side of the pot. Lee leaks -a- lot! love that! i always had a ingot mold on the foot to let the drips go into,

Thanks. I will try it.

Try the Rowell type ladle. That helps of any dross floats into the ladle.

I stored some of my ingots outside this winter. Between the elements and fallen leaves they look dull and crusty. But they melted and fluxed just fine.

Yes they do.