[TheForge] Borax (Was: A36 vs 1018)

[James Binnion]

1150-1200 F,  I was trying to stay below 1300 and pure borax melts at  
1367 F. At 1500 it may be fluid enough but I don't think it will be  
super fluid like a salt bath till much hotter. You can lower its  
melting point by adding potash and soda (potassium carbonate and  
sodium carbonate)  in equal parts this will be more fluid also. The  
drawback to that mix is it will add carbon to the steel surface and  
may screw up your hardening if it is not all removed  in grinding.

Jim


On Feb 16, 2009, at 4:05 PM, Chuck Robinson wrote:

> Hey James,
> Thanks for the heads up.
> What was the approximate temperature of the metal you dipped in the  
> "Tar
> Baby"?
> My billets will be about 1500 F when dipped.
> Chuck
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "James Binnion" <jbin at well.com>
> To: "Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Monday, February 16, 2009 4:57 PM
> Subject: Re: [TheForge] Borax (Was: A36 vs 1018)
>
>
>> 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
>>
>>
>>
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James Binnion
jbin at well.com