[TheForge] Re: flux additives

Sun Aug 17 19:47:00 2003

I too find the "Japanese bladesmith formula" for flux: 1 part borax, 1 part
boric acid and 1 part slag from the anvil interesting.  Yes, I would assume
the anvil slag to be scale which is a rather pure iron oxide.  Some smiths
in this area use a flux that is 50 percent boric acid and 50 percent red
iron oxide.  They use roach poison for the boric acid and iron oxide from a
pottery supply house.  I still not quite sure of the chemical reaction of
the iron oxide -- in helping the flux work.  Yes in the reduction
environment you will get free iron and form CO or CO2 but how does this help
the weld?  Does the free iron particles from the reduced iron oxide help the
weld "stick"?  I have seen Lynda Metcalfe stick some difficult welds using
this flux -- and it made it look easy.  Her flux had no borax in it at all.

In a interesting side note, the steel industry produces tons of scale in the
hot rolling of steel.  This scale is either sold for some chemical processes
as iron oxide or most is sent back to the blast furnace as a very pure iron
ore (100 % iron oxide).

Dave Smucker

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bob Rackers" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, August 17, 2003 10:57 AM
Subject: RE: [TheForge] Re: flux additives

> Slag from the anvil?
> What the heck is that, scale?
>
> Interestingly, in a reduction environment, red iron oxide is a very
aggressive
> flux. I'll have to search around for the chemical reactions that take
place in
> a reduction environment. Basically, the oxygen in iron oxide, either black
or
> red, combines with carbon to form carbon monoxide (and then carbon
dioxide, I
> believe), leaving pure iron atoms behind.
>
> When looking at the formulae of the reactions, it's easy to see that the
> reduction environment is more important to the process than any particular
> flux.
>
> Bob
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [email protected]
> [mailto:[email protected]]On Behalf Of John Emmerling
> Sent: Saturday, August 16, 2003 10:17 PM
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: [TheForge] Re: flux additives
>
>
>
> Arnon Kartamazov, an Israeli smith now residing in Portland,OR., who
> spent 12 yrs living in Japan says the Japanese bladesmith formula for
> flux is 1 part borax, 1 part boric acid and 1 part slag from the anvil
> (by volume).
> John Emmerling
>
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