[TheForge] Drying Borax (was: Welding flux?)

[Jerry Frost]

A vacuum sounds like a workable idea Paul. How much would a suitable  
vacuum chamber setup cost? A pressure cooker isn't really a safe vacuum 
chamber I got straightened out on that idea a few years ago when I 
suggested it on the old ArtMetal list for a home made vac chamber for 
sputtering. Words like "*implosion*" and "*bomb*" make an impression on 
even me. that turned into a long thread too.

I like the way the thread is going but I'd still like to know if someone 
out there has used *Petterson #2 HT* flux for forge welding.

Jer


On 7/22/2013 9:27 AM, Paul Sperbeck wrote:
> Cool, a rattle can for flux...
>
> I tried a vacuum pump connected to a modiied pressure cooker. Might have
> worked but i didnt' want to leave my cheap HF refrigeration pump running
> for 6 hours. Maybe a combo of the vacuum and heat... besides with the
> NSA everywhere I didn't want to encourage folks to buy pressure cookers...
>
> paul
>
> On 07/22/2013 11:57 AM, Bob Ehrenberger wrote:
>> We have a wood burning cook stove so I just put the borax on a cookie sheet
>> and leave it in there for a day or two.   I use a hammer to break up the big
>> chunks, and then a steel pipe like a rolling pin to powder the rest.  A box
>> of borax lastes me 2 or three years, so it's not such a big deal to spend a
>> couple hours on it every three years.
>>
>> I just had an idea,  maybe a heavy can with some bearings in it, mounted in
>> a paint shaker.  It should work if you can keep it all together.  I may have
>> to keep my eyes open for a can that will mount in my shaker, comething like
>> a one quart turpintine can.
>>
>> Robert Ehrenberger
>> Shelbyville, Mo.
>> eforge at centurytel.net
> <snip>
>