Finally got the forge weld on this Damascus billet to stick after 5 failed attempts

Turns out my flux was way too old and clumpy, which I only figured out after watching a 2018 video from a smith in Montana. Anyone have a good source for fresh borax that doesn't clump up so fast?

3 comments

3 Comments

jamesm481mo ago

Try anhydrous borax from the pottery supply store.

aaronclark1mo ago

Good call from @jamesm48 on the anhydrous stuff. The regular borax from the grocery store has water in it, which can mess with certain mixes. The pottery supply version is pure, so it acts more predictably for things like flux in metalworking or making your own glue. You get way more control over the final result.

blake69118d ago

That bit about "more predictable" is spot on. I had a buddy who tried making his own solder flux with regular borax for a jewelry project he was working on. He kept getting these weird bubbles and his joints wouldn't hold right, super frustrating. Finally I told him to spring for the anhydrous stuff from a pottery shop, and he said it was like night and day. No more popping or sizzling, just a clean, solid bond every time. Funny how a little water can wreck something like that.