[TheForge] Borax (Was: A36 vs 1018)

[James Binnion]

Hey Chuck,

I use molten salts for heat treating ops and once tried to use a borax/ 
boric acid mix as a bath and found it had to be very hot (over 1600F)  
to be really fluid. Cooler than that and it is way too sticky, think  
Brer rabbit and the Tar Baby. When I tried to dip a piece of metal in  
it it stuck to the borax/boric acid mix and when I tried to remove it  
I picked up the whole container along with the piece.  Maybe pure  
borax would be more fluid but I added the boric acid because it has a  
lower melting point than the pure borax. I only tried once but you  
might find it works for you?


James Binnion
jbin at well.com