Of course for forge welding of bloomery iron often no flux is needed as the
silicates in the iron makes it "self fluxing". If you needed more, clean
quartz sand or powdered glass could be used as the high temperature that
such iron can withstand helps to liquify the scale.
Thomas Powers
> Anders & All
>
> Some of us blacksmiths use limestone dust (as is used on grass lawns) as a
> cheap flux for forge welding. It seems to work OK. It is probably easier
> to find in out of the way places, like Merv, (Turkmenistan), Syria, Cyprus
> & the Caucuses.
>
> Ralph (Gus) Gustafson, AScT
> Keating Forge
> Victoria BC
> (250) 652-1864
> [log in to unmask]
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "FELL, Vanessa"
> <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Monday, August 14, 2006 6:00 AM
> Subject: Re: Borax as flux
>
>
> Anders
>
> I suspect borax was not used before the medieval period. If I remember
> correctly, the sources of borax are USA and India. Although it was
> mentioned in the Mappae Clavicula (9-12 centuries AD), it is thought there
> to have been natron or argol (wine lees ie tartrate). But boron is
> notoriously difficult to detect (eg by XRF or SEM). There are other salts
> suitable for fluxing at high temperatures, eg potash from plants.
>
> Vanessa
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Arch-Metals Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
> Anders Söderberg
> Sent: 14 August 2006 11:23
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Resin as flux
>
> Thanks!
>
> When do You think borax may have been introduced as a flux in Europe?
>
> I've seen Medieval crucibles from Sweden (12th century and onwards)
> looking like the've been heavily exposed to some very potent flux (borax?)
> in the melting process, and sometimes even i n s i d e the crucibles
> which I think is important here. When studying Viking crucibles (pre
> 1050-1100) I don't necessary find those characteristics.
>
> I've just been a week at the Experimental Arch. Center at Lejre, Denmark,
> trying different fluxes in casting-on molten silver on solid silver,
> together with a colleague. Sometimes with amazing results. Sometimes
> failing.
>
> Anders
Thomas Powers
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