flux

[ron58]

i looked and did not see a thread on flux,but i am not that good with pc's,anyway i just wanted to know if anyone has used kerosene for flux? i read this on the abs forum and thought i would ask what yall think about it.

[Ed Caffrey]

It does work. I tend to use it mostly when I'm building a very complex billet, where I do not want to have ANY weld lines visible in the finished billet (most of the time you will not get weld lines when using Diesel or Kerosene, but you have to ensure that you heats are right). It also works really well if you happen to get a cold shut in a billet (when a cold shut happens, I let the billet cool down completely and then sit it in a container of Diesel or Kerosene overnight....let it drain off the next morning and weld up the flaw).

I still prefer using Anhydrous Borax most of the time, especially for welding the initial stack.
I'm not comfortable with a container of Diesel or Kerosene sitting within a few feet of the forge, and having it dripping around the shop floor....all it takes is one hot piece of scale and you can have a major fire on your hands! As with most other things we use/do in the forging shop, if you respect it, understand the risks, and act accordingly, then you should be OK.

[ron58]

thanks,i just wandered about it,and i read in the sane forum that diesel was not good to use but that don't make sense because they are pretty close in what they have in them,right?and i can find diesel easier than kerosene around here!i will try it some day but for right now i think i will stay with borax!