[TheForge] Re: Welding flux?

[Mike Spencer]

Jerry wrote:

> I've recently been introduced to anhydrous borax and while it's no
> different 20 mule team once hotter than about 230f it wets the stock
> and doesn't foam, foam being more likely to ride a little steam
> layer off the stock. I have a little iron ladle I keep by the forge
> and just melt some borax when I need the non-foaming version, dip a
> little out and wipe it on the stock. Works but it's a hassle.

I think I've posted this before...

I got annoyed with the foaming so I melted a bunch of borax in an iron
ladle, poured it out onto my steel welding table.  It hardened up into
a brittle, glassy, black puddle.  Broke that up and ran it through a
an old meat grinder -- a grain grinder would be better but I only have
a good one in the kitchen -- and then ground it a little finer using a
rounded hammer face as a pestle.  Doesn't foam at all.  And it keeps
well, doesn't instantly (or even slowly) absorb water from the air and
revert to the hydrated form.

I don't do a lot of welding so I don't keep in practice. Means I need
all the help I can get when I want to casually knock off a weld.

- Mike

-- 
Michael Spencer                  Nova Scotia, Canada       .~. 
                                                           /V\ 
mspencer at tallships.ca                                     /( )\
http://home.tallships.ca/mspencer/                        ^^-^^