hey

it seems that everyone uses Mule 20 team borax for amateur (me) forge welding.
however, in any tutorials i have found, it just says to use it, it doesn't say HOW!
i can get it in this white powdery stuff, but apparently it come in liquid? do you just sprinkle it on or what?

i believe the liqiuid probably has other ingredients that would ruin a weld, and it would spatter when poured onto a red hot surface. i use the white powdery borax and it works just fine.

just sprinkle it on lightly. Too much flux is as bad as not enough. If you don't like the way good old 20 Mule bubbles up. Stick it in the oven in a glass dish at 350 or so for a couple hours, then break up the big lump and you have dried out a lot of the excess water. Oh don't let your Wife / Mother or other female catch you cooking off borax in her oven in her glass pan. Most get ttesty about those things.
Finnr

20 mule team borax is what I use.....the white powder.
From what I've read on this site alone, I've discovered that there are many different ways to use the stuff.

Some smiths 'roast' it a little to get rid of excess moisture. I've heard others recomend adding iron filings and other things to aid in the 'fluxing' process.........mixed with borax.

I get the piece or pieces I intend to weld to a red heat and sprinkle a 'pinch' on each scarfed area (where the weld is going to be)

The borax will liquefy when it comes in contact with the red hot iron......and look shiny or glassy.

anhydrous borax is what you are making by cooking it, but just a few minutes in the open and it is not anhydrous (void of water) anymore, if you just stop and think about it, all the water will evaporate as soon as you sprinkle it on hot metal.

I Forge Iron

old formula, 4 parts powdered borax, 2 parts boric acid, 2 parts WROUGHT IRON FILINGS, (FINE BANDSAW CUTTINGS) or from filing wrought iron over a spread out paper.

Note that fluxes with added iron/steel are not as good for pattern welding as they are for simple welds.

Also high alloy steels are often hard to weld and require a much more aggressive flux.

i just keep it in a crucible near the fire so that it stays molten so i just put it on with a peice of twisted rebar it acts like a pen works fine

I tried mixing steel filings w/ my borax; didn't like it. It made the work piece(s) throw sparks when much cooler than what I was used to, confusing my judgment of proper welding heat. I look at the color of the flames, and look for sparks. I try to weld mild steel just before it throws sparks, or at the hottest, when the edges just start to sparkle. The filings burnt much quicker, affecting both the flame color and sparks, and I wanted to weld before the piece was hot enough. (I should say, I’m still a novice at welding)

I bought anhydrous from US borax co. According to their website it does not reabsorb moisture under normal conditions. I love it and will not use 20 mule team again if I can help it.