blacksmith99

Not to be argumentative, but if you have enough heat to melt the borax what difference does it make? You still have to go back in the fire for a welding heat. As I said before, use which ever you like. Once melted on the metal they are both anhydrous. Regards, M

Keep an eye on Ebay. The shipping is horrible, but I sucked it up and got a nice Logan 6" shaper. I know you are in Alaska, it might help to check in on the shaper Forum on Yahoo. Once in a while one will show up. Regards, M

The only I would add is that cutting oil is not really a lubricant. Most lubricant type oils will work, but not as well as real cutting fluid. If you are just doing a few jobs now and then, try Tap Magic. Most industrial supply places can get it. It really does make a difference. I use an acid brush and brush the Tap Magic on when I pull the drill out of the hole to clear the chips. And as the name says, it's great for tapping. Regards, M

Hi Guys, Borax is very hygroscopic. It loves water. The difference between 20 Mule Team and anhydrous borax is the anhydrous has had the water removed. If you leave it open to the atmosphere it will eventually absorb water until will foam up just 20 Mule Team. As far as borax goes, take your pick, one foams the other doesn't. The anhydrous is a little easier to deal with but it costs more too. When you put borax on hot metal, it converts to anhydrous. The water gets boiled out. That's what all the foaming is about. After you weld with borax, if you don't get it all off, or if it's stuck say down in the crevices of a basket handle the borax eventually absorbs water and it expands. That's when the white residue shows up, it's just hydrated borax. If you are making pattern welded billets then the borax is pretty much all gone by the time you are done with the billet. Warm water will eventually dissolve borax out of cracks and crannies. EZ-Weld and Crescent are the same formula, EZ-Weld contains metal filings. Many years ago the EZ-Weld company used an industrial slag in their flux. When Superior Flux bought EZ-Weld they also bought the slag that the original company had left. Eventually it ran out. Superior Flux worked a couple years before they found another source for a slag that would work in their flux. During that time many smiths quit using EZ-Weld because it really didn't work as well as the original. Some say it was an Anti-Weld Flux. Ha! Most people that use EZ-Weld agree that it's almost as good now as the original. One issue that I have with borax is that it's kind of greasy and slick when it's molten. The pieces really slip around a lot. I like Crescent for most things, when I have a weld that's hard to get I will use EZ-Weld. The filings really help keep the two parts from skidding around a lot while I'm getting the weld tacked. The filings also help a little with metal loss in the weld. As far as sparking, I really don't use that as an indicator. You're almost too hot at that point. Although some smiths like to wait for sparks. You can certainly weld without flux, you just have to get up to the melting point of the scale. At that point the scale becomes the flux. It melts and coats the material. I think my welds look better with flux. As I said, I really like Crescent. It cleans up really well. No white residue. Peter Ross uses borax and Crescent depending on what he is doing. Bob Patrick reaches for EZ-Weld most of the time although I've seen him weld with a lot of different fluxes. The boric acid in the borax would make the flux more aggressive. Most chemical reactions get more active as you heat them up. The boric acid might help with getting the borax to dissolve in water after the welding is done. Some guys swear by borax and metal filings from their bandsaws. Use what works for you, and ignore anyone who says it's wrong. REgards, M