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Thread: Which Flux Powder?

  1. #1
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    Default Which Flux Powder?

    Which is the right flux powder to use for melting scrap silver for casting?
    Linda

  2. #2
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    Whatever works.

    I tend to use borax & charcoal; I'd try ammonium chloride if I had any on hand.

  3. #3
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    You must have a chemical cupboard stuffed full Peter. I do have borax powder - the kind you use for cleaning. Is that the same as you get with a borax dish? But I don't have ammonium chloride - where do you get that? Lots of sodium chloride, though.

    Perhaps I'll have to buy a dedicated one - was looking at easy flo flux powder and tenacity, but the first had a low temp limit, and the latter said it had to be mixed with water. So I'm confused.
    Linda

  4. #4
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    I have a bit of an assortment... I usually buy powdered borax from the local Chinese grocers (along with bicarb by the 3kg bag) - and borax is borax (sodium tetraborate decahydrate).

    Easyflow & Tenacity fluxes I have around too; I only use them with Easyflow & Silverflow solders though.

    Rose Chemicals might have ammonium chloride?

  5. #5
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    How do you mean clean?
    Linda

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    On the Cooksons Knowledgebase it says you can just use Borax paste from the borax cone. I have only got one of the tiny scorifiers so is that OK or do you REALLY need borax powder?

  7. #7
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    The only difference between the borax I buy as powder and the borax in a cone is the cone is stuck together; they're both decahydrate (10 molecules of water to 1 of sodium borate). There will be a bit more water in the paste than there is in the powder, and that's it. But the water will be driven off at the temperatures you're aiming for!

  8. #8
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    Cheers both!

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