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

[Jerry Frost]

True Pete but the battered blender's already bodaciously, badly, beat. 
Now, I suppose a planishing bit in my air hammer'd work. AND I might 
have to give it a shot if nobody here stops talking about drying borax 
and tells me how Patterson #2 HT flux works for a forge weld. <hint hint>

Jer


On 7/22/2013 12:55 PM, Peter Fels & Phoebe Palmer wrote:
> That needle scaler ought to beat the battered blender.
>
> On Jul 22, 2013, at 12:40 PM, Jerry Frost wrote:
>
> Okay, I think I see what's happening in the oven  now. Borax being water soluable and hydrophilic changes from a water holding solid to a dissolved state at heat and sets up like cement when it dries or cools. Yeah, that's intuitive speculation but it fits what I've observed. The trick would be driving off the water at a gradual enough rate it doesn't form steam to dissolve the borax. Basically I THINK the borax is turning into hot mud when it foams rather than melting and sets like concrete when it cools or dries. The cooled foam isn't easy to grind at all. the best method I've seen used is to sprinkle a thin layer on aluminum foil, heat and when it cools just roll the foil up and crush as you wish. If you make the layer too thick it just tears the foil to shreds when you try to break it up.
>
> What I thought was a typo was miscommunication, I thought you were talking about driving off hygroscopic moisture. I just didn't read carefully enough, mia culpa.
>
> Funny thing, we had a yard sale toaster oven that used to live in the kitchen I picked up for the shop. Good grief Bruce, if it turns out you and I think alike I'm blaming the TREE. <grin> I LOVE yard/garage/whatever sales I've made some wonderful scores, one of our best was a high quality, say $500 +/- spinning wheel for Deb for $50 and the gal MADE us take about 10 trash bags of processed wool. One of my best recent finds was a needle scaler for $2.00
>
> Jer
>
>