Linda Bucklew Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 Looking for a recipe for flux using borax and and Dreft laundry soap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Cochran Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 (edited) I have seen a few different recipes but never one that mentions dreft by name. The only dreft I know of is a liquid so I am unsure how you'd use that. Maybe someone more knowledgeable than I will see your post and have something for you. If you add your location you might find someone here is not far away. edit This is the wrong sub forum btw. Maybe one of the admin can help you move it to a better place. Edited February 28, 2015 by M Cochran Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 Welcome aboard Linda, glad to have you. If you'll put your general location in the header you might be surprised how many of the IFI gang live within visiting distance.I'm thinking there was a little miscommunication. Borax is a common laundry additive, not a detergent. You do NOT want detergent in welding flux. Plain old Borax works well though there are improvements can be made.My old recipe was about 3-4 pts borax to 1 pt. boric acid. Welding suppliers carry fluxes in their gas welding/brazing area that serve nicely. Read the ingredients and look for borax, boric acid and maybe iron powder. There are many commercially sold forge welding fluxes as well.Maybe Teenylittlemetalguy will pipe up with the recipe he's been experimenting with.Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teenylittlemetalguy Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 I am working on a good flux but not ready to share yet, soon I hope. I would like to put in a good word for boric acid as it melts at a lower temp so it protects sooner than borax. But they both work good enough.what are you welding? What fuel source? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 Could this be a confusion with the super quench recipe that does use things like dreft but doesn't use borax? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 (edited) Good question Thomas, if she's trying to reproduce something she heard about in conversation, especially at a meeting or conference you could be exactly right.Now you have me thinking about Superquench, why not put borax in it? I'll have to dig out a thermometer but I'll bet a borax solution has a higher boiling temp than water and borax is a surfacant so bubbles wouldn't form as easily. That's primarily what borax seems to do as a wash additive, I toss a bit in the dish washer, it does a better job preventing spots than finish, etc.Linda: please chime in, we need a little more info to be able to help out. Specifically we need to know what you want to do with the recipe.Just the term "flux" has different meanings depending on context. For instance "A flux" can be something to aid in flushing a system. Castor oil was sometimes given as a flux to clean the bowels.Well, let's hope that didn't muddy the question beyond salvation.Frosty The Lucky. Edited March 1, 2015 by Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda Bucklew Posted April 4, 2015 Author Share Posted April 4, 2015 I am using this as a welding flux. Thank you for your advice, it is appreciated Thanks. Frosty , appreciate your input!I have seen a few different recipes but never one that mentions dreft by name. The only dreft I know of is a liquid so I am unsure how you'd use that. Maybe someone more knowledgeable than I will see your post and have something for you. If you add your location you might find someone here is not far away.edit This is the wrong sub forum btw. Maybe one of the admin can help you move it to a better place.Thanks M Cochran. they do have dreft in a powder form, wanting. to put together a welding flux, just not sure what the best ratio of dreft to borax would be. Appreciate your reply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 I don't know what Dreft is so I'll let that lay. My home brew welding flux is 3-4 pts borax and 1pt boric acid and it works noticably better than straight borax. However I tried a commercial flux from the welding supply. It's powder intended for gas brazing, silver soldering, welding cast iron, aluminum, etc. It's anhydrous borax and boric acid and was about 1/4 the price of buying a "forge welding" flux from a blacksmith supply and it works a like a charm. Just read the labels of the commercial fluxes and see what's in them.Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 (edited) Lye is a caustic base and borax is a base. I haven't hear of lye in forge welding flux, I'd sure be nervous even handling it let alone putting it in the fire and hitting it. At least till I saw enough evidence to convince me it's not more dangerous than helpful.Frosty The Lucky. Edited April 4, 2015 by Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swedefiddle Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 Good Morning,Steve McGrew, in Spokane, put this list together. It is available on the NWBA web-sitehttp://blacksmith.org/forge-welding-flux-recipes/I hope I don't get spanked by posting the web address. See blacksmith dot org, look under resourcesNeil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 Gee Neil, I thought you liked a little spanking action.Good resource, thanks for the link.Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobody Special Posted April 15, 2015 Share Posted April 15, 2015 (edited) Wow. That's a cool list, but a little worrisome. Potassium ferrocyanide? That's pretty safe, but get a little in your etch bucket and you've got hydrogen cyanide gas. And potassium nitrate....well, my wife's told me firmly and repeatedly that I'm not allowed to play with homemade gunpowder anymore.Reminds me though, I've still got a couple of dirt dauber nests on the front porch to grind down and try as flux. I know I've read about using them somewhere.... Edited April 15, 2015 by Nobody Special Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobody Special Posted April 15, 2015 Share Posted April 15, 2015 (edited) Also, there seems to have been a change in the powdered Dreft product. This is what I found for the ingredients on an MSDS for the older product.Enzyme(s) (unspecified)000000-00-3 Surfactant(s) (unspecified)000000-00-4 Sodium carbonate000497-19-810.0-30.0Subtilisin (proteolytic enzyme)009014-01-1<0.1Isopropylamine dodecylbenzenesulfonate026264-05-1 Alkyl (C10-C16) benzenesulfonic acid, sodium salt068081-81-210.0-30.0 Edited April 15, 2015 by Nobody Special Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted April 15, 2015 Share Posted April 15, 2015 As I recall dirtdauber nests were mentioned in one of the Foxfire books, (book 5 most likely). Probably work better for old real wrought iron than modern steels though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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