What am i doing wrong???? Borax

[Truffle & Podge]

Brand new dish and brand new borax cone, followed instructions but the flux is drying within milliseconds even when it's really watery (forget a nice cream) leaving just powder on the bottom of the dish and a very frustrated me :-()
What am i doing wrong?

[mizgeorge]

I don't use borax any more, but when I did, I used to give a new dish a really good soak (overnight) to condition it. Might be that it's absorbing your water too quickly as it's new?

[Truffle & Podge]

Think you may have hit that nail on the proverbial head! If i soak it in hot water will it work quicker? tools here now wanna get started! X

[Dennis]

Even the cat won't drink out of a borax dish. As George hinted, some of us use Auflux (also called Auroflux), because it doesn't bubble and swell as much and can be dispensed into a small dish/lid/palette from a dropper bottle. Dennis

[medusa]

I usually tip a cup of water into my dish about half an hour before I start so it can soak in and add more as I go. As I'm currently an very occasional user, there never seems to be much seasoning going on. I actually have some oroflow (sp?) but have never managed to use it properly. Going wrong somewhere but not sure where.

[Anna Wales]

I've always used Auflux up until re-starting last year. I decided to try Borax and I have to say I'm converted.

[Goldsmith]

Regular use will soon seal the new borax dish, just don't wash it out for a while. Way back when I was an apprentice one of the silversmiths in our workshop used to mix his borax on an old piece of roofing slate, he had used it for some time because the hardened borax had formed a wall around his borax cone swirling area.

James

[Wallace]

I love using borax, it has so many colours to go through from a lovely pristine white to a deliciously best not ask murky dark grey! I let mine cake up and then OCD happens and I clean it all off! I have seen a marble version of the borax plate... I think Les has one he posted a wee while back. I covet a marble version if only to satisfy my OCD-ness.

Instead, for now, I have resorted to Argo-Tect when I can't be faffing around making any Prips Flux. I like Argo-tect and Prips as they help reduce the fire scale if I have a piece I need to reheat many times. Lately it has been mostly the Argo Tect as I have been a tad busy and unable to do a brew session for the Prips.

I may have to invest in an old marble ashtray that my gran used to have - it has a nice little dinked area a cone would be at home dancing around!

[art925]

Instead, for now, I have resorted to Argo-Tect when I can't be faffing around making any Prips Flux. I like Argo-tect and Prips as they help reduce the fire scale if I have a piece I need to reheat many times. Lately it has been mostly the Argo Tect as I have been a tad busy and unable to do a brew session for the Prips.



Argotect is my anti-firescale / flux of choice also.
Les

[ps_bond]

I plastered the engraved section of the ring I just repaired with Argotect; no significant dulling of the inscription after I'd cleaned it off, so a quick go with 3M radial brushes was all that was needed.