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Dennis
22-11-2011, 07:25 AM
All the Girls Love Magic Boric. The instructions say just dip your item in the solution. It will prevent firescale and act as a universal flux. In fact Magic Boric runs off metal like water off a duck’s back. Even warming the piece first, as is the custom with flux, makes little difference. However, add a drop of washing up liquid and Boric spreads. Should we do that?

Does it work as a flux? Yes, my copper test piece straight out of pickle shows that all four pallions, flowed in turn: Hard, Medium, Easy and V.Easy if placed with a brush wetted in it. Incidentally here is an opportunity to compare the colours. They would be indistinguishable to my eye, on small items at least.

Does it prevent firesceale on silver? The newly unwrapped test pieces were heated to a medium red colour twice, pickled and then re-polished with Silvo wadding.
The first was not pre-treated and shows firescale all over.
The second was immersed in Magic Boric before heating. You will note the absence of firescale on the bottom right, where the liquid began to pool on heating.
The third was first brushed with a saturated solution of boric acid in meths. There is still some patchy firescale on the top left.

Conclusions?
1. There is no need to shun the lower melting solders on account of colour.
2. I was unable to reproduce all the claims made for this product. Dennis.

caroleallen
22-11-2011, 07:39 AM
I haven't done any experimentation like you Dennis, but I must admit, I'm not really sure how to use it. I put some in a jam jar and have to stir it up every time I use it as it settles on the bottom. It doesn't appear to stay on the silver and as you say just runs off. Jury's still out here.

mizgeorge
22-11-2011, 10:32 AM
I seem to have good results with boris. I let it thicken a little and swirl in the lower part of the solution which seems to 'stick' a little better. The metal does have to be very clean. I find it works best if I start with gentle heat, which seems to spread the boris over the whole piece.