[TheForge] Re: Rust,pickling

[Dave Brown]

At 11:17 08/14/03 -0700, you wrote:

>What else is in 20 Muleteam Borax than borax? I will have to look
>tonight when I get home, but I thought it WAS pure Borax.
>I have used anhydrous borax and I can see no difference in welding
>between the two. But then again I think the only difference is the H2O
>content.
>
>Ralph

Ralph - you are absolutely correct.  There are no anti-caking additives or 
any other kind of additive.  Boraxo, on the other hand, is a different 
matter, not to mention the Borateem product that doesn't contain any borax.

According to Dial Corp (producers of the line) - and I quote:   "100% 
Borax, a naturally occurring mineral composed of sodium, boron, oxygen and 
water. That's it! "

What is it, you ask?  Na2B4O7 -10H2O, Hydrated sodium borate.  Heat it up 
and you can drive off the H2O leaving anhydrous borax behind.  That's what 
happens when you put 20 Mule Teem on your hot steel, it fluffs up as the 
water is driven off, then promptly melts to do it's fluxing.

Dave Brown
Heritage Smithing
Green Bay, WI
ABANA, UMBA, GoM, MODA, ARG