[TheForge] Welding flux?

[Jerry Frost]

I checked that website too Bruce and there's little in common with 
what's on the can. I'm hoping someone on the list has given it a try or 
has a can and gives it a try.

Jer


On 7/18/2013 5:40 PM, Bruce . wrote:
> A web search turned up some potentially useful information:
>
> http://www.force-industries.com/brazandwelding.htm
> http://www.force-industries.com/msds-sheets.htm
>
> "PETTERSON #1 BLUE FLUX was specifically formulated for the torch
> brazing of steel in addition to torch welding brass, bronze and
> copper. It cleans and flows to form a strong bond on rusty, greasy
> steel and malleable iron. Additionally, Peterson #1 destroys all
> oxides and floats them to the surface. Conforms to AWS Class. BF3-F."
>
> MSDS:  http://www.force-industries.com/documents/550-PET1-2.pdf
>    Composition: Boric acid & borax.
>
> Okay, that blurb is hyperbole.  " ... destroys all oxides..." no way.
> "...floats them to the surface...", well that's what a flux is for!
> Notice the simple composition.  FWIW, I've found boric acid sold in
> Family Dollar stores as bug poison.
>
> The MSDS is a bit amusing too, as it lists as "incompatible /
> materials to avoid" --
>     --- potassium (a soft-as butter metal that explodes if you put it
> in water), and
>     --- "acetic hydride" (a name that makes no sense to me.  "Acetic"
> usually means CH3-CO-something.  "Hydride" means a hydrogen atom that
> tends to have a negative charge (rather unusual, but not unheard of).
> Together they mean nothing to me.  Maybe they meant to write "acetic
> anhydride" -- a water-reactive compound used, among other things, for
> making acetate plastic.)
>
>
> "PETERSON #2 FLUX is the same as Peterson #1 but with an increased
> high-end temperature range. It is a bend of flux and metal which
> synergistically perform at temperature. Conforms to AWS Class. FB3-J"
>
> MSDS:  http://www.force-industries.com/documents/551-PET2-2.pdf
>    Composition:  Boric acid, sodium chlorate, and iron oxide.
>
> Well, that blurb also seems to have been written by somebody who
> didn't quite know what he was talking about.  Iron oxide -- and they
> don't specify which of the several -- is not "metal" but metal oxide.
> Neither boric acid nor sodium chlorATE (an oxidizing agent), nor the
> abundant atmospheric oxygen has much hope of reducing iron oxide to
> iron, so forget the "metal" part of the blurb.  Note that sodium
> chlorate is a fairly powerful oxidizer, so treat it with some respect.
>   Many fluxes are chemically active, so reading the MSDS is a good
> idea.  To their credit, the MSDS warns you of this.
>
> So, neither of these matches the composition Frosty read.
>
> Nonetheless, the original point is alternative fluxes, and I'd like to
> hear what others have to say, too.
>
> On Thu, Jul 18, 2013 at 7:22 PM, Jerry Frost <akfrosty at mtaonline.net> wrote:
>
>> Petterson #2 High Heat Flux. The can says it's for brazing, bronzing, etc.
>> cast iron, steel, SS; torch welding, brass, bronze, etc. It's a dry powder
>> flux and the claim is it melts low temp, works on greasy, rusty and dirty,
>> it cleans, deoxidizes and floats scale off and is no more toxic than hot
>> borax. The usual, don't get it in your eyes, breath it or eat it, may be a
>> skin irritant. It's boric acid, borax and iron.
>>
>> Here in Wasilla a 1lb. can is $23.00+tax. I'm thinking it just might be
>> worth experimenting with forge welding. Seems like the same ingredient list
>> as most forge welding fluxes.
>>
>> Anyone have any experience with Petterson fluxes in the forge? There are a
>> few.
>>
>> Jer
>> ________