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Smoke
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Marvelux flux
Apr 16th, 2026 at 10:37pm
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Is this stuff better than wax or wood shavings for cleaning up really dirty lead while alloying?
  

I refuse to spend my life worrying about what I eat. There is no pleasure worth foregoing just for an extra 3 years in the geriatric ward. John Mortimer
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bpjack
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Re: Marvelux flux
Reply #1 - Apr 16th, 2026 at 11:05pm
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Run away fast.  That stuff is nasty.  I use flaked carnauba wax per a recommendation from Walt Melander of NEI fame.  Available on eBay or Amazon among other places.  I light it after sprinkling some on the melt and let it burn.  If I am lucky, I will have remembered to take down the paired smoke detector that goes off in the garage as well as the shop where I am casting in front of an open door with a fan blowing out.  If I forget about the detector, the family comes running after the one in the attached garage goes off. 

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Cbashooter
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Re: Marvelux flux
Reply #2 - Apr 16th, 2026 at 11:28pm
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I used marvalux a few years and everything above and arround the pot rusted from the fumes.
YES on Walts flux,it smells so good.
  
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Jonathan
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Re: Marvelux flux
Reply #3 - Apr 16th, 2026 at 11:37pm
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   I have been using Marvelux for ten years or so and have no problems with it. It works well and produces little smoke which is important to me. I used to use a bit of beeswax but the smoke made it impossible to flux inside without opening windows and using fans, not too practical in cold weather.
  
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JerryH
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Re: Marvelux flux
Reply #4 - Apr 17th, 2026 at 12:38am
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Like bpjack and Cbashooter said, don't go there! Horrible stuff! I use bees wax, and yes it smokes a bit, but it doesn't corrode everything around it.
  

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westerner
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Re: Marvelux flux
Reply #5 - Apr 17th, 2026 at 5:04am
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Marvelux flux rusted me pot. I use old bullet lube. I use a striker to set it on far which burns up the smoke. I never cast bullets in the house. Don't think the fumes er good fer ya.
  

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SteveStevens
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Re: Marvelux flux
Reply #6 - Apr 17th, 2026 at 8:40am
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Marvelux questions will always get you white or black answers with no middle ground.  Grin
I have used it for all of the 50 years I have cast bullets and still using the same Lyman pot I started out with and never knew there were issues until I read about them but I still use it with no problems. I do now also use a spoon full of sawdust as it really helps keep the tin and antimony alloyed instead of floating on top.
When melting down scrap lead I use sawdust and gun grease seems to do same job at least cost
  
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gunlaker
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Re: Marvelux flux
Reply #7 - Apr 17th, 2026 at 9:07am
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I've been using it for many years too.  I can't compare it to anything else because I haven't really tried anything else.  My Lee pots have a little surface rust on the top but they've been in service a long time.  

Maybe I'll give those flakes a try and see how it compares.

Chris.
  
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silver
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Re: Marvelux flux
Reply #8 - Apr 17th, 2026 at 9:13am
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I’ve never used anything but paraffin wax and acacionally saw dust,
Being a cabinet maker I have lots of it but never used anything else. I like the wax better is there a problem with it?
  
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beltfed
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Re: Marvelux flux
Reply #9 - Apr 17th, 2026 at 10:13am
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Nothing but old candles for the last 70 years of casting. Ignite the smoke.
Tried Marvelux flux. the parrafin candles work better
to re alloy the dross tin back into the alloy.
beltfed/arnie
  
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Smoke
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Re: Marvelux flux
Reply #10 - Apr 17th, 2026 at 10:14am
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No problem with the wax.  I have about 300 lbs of really dirty lead and (clean) tin to allow up (30:1).  I was told that the Marvelux was much better at cleaning up than wax, so I thought I'd ask.

Thanks all.
  

I refuse to spend my life worrying about what I eat. There is no pleasure worth foregoing just for an extra 3 years in the geriatric ward. John Mortimer
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GT
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Re: Marvelux flux
Reply #11 - Apr 18th, 2026 at 1:04am
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Smoke,
I have an opinion on this that you can ponder... 
In the past I have had access to, and used a lot of range lead, several tons of it anyway.  I do prefer using Marvelux for the melt that is really dirty, but don't use your regular lead pot...
I use a cast iron pot on a cheap propane burner out in the middle of the yard.  Melt all that dirty stuff, flux heavily, pour into ingots, Then use wax to make your mix with tin - in another pot if needed.  I found a cheap cast iron pot made in the far east,  I stamped "used for lead - not for food" in the bottom of it.  Just be careful not to load it heavier than you can handle, ask me how I know that...
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Smoke
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Re: Marvelux flux
Reply #12 - Apr 18th, 2026 at 1:22am
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That's what I needed to hear.  The lead I have is really dirty.

Thank you.
  

I refuse to spend my life worrying about what I eat. There is no pleasure worth foregoing just for an extra 3 years in the geriatric ward. John Mortimer
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calledflyer
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Re: Marvelux flux
Reply #13 - Apr 18th, 2026 at 9:29am
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cast off bullet lube, pieces of paraffin, and old candles is the extent of my flux, and I can't tell any difference in the finished metal but the amount of smoke and fire are a little variable. of course, that may be due to the size of the flux load in comparison to amount of lead- or maybe the temp.
what I am really posting for is to ask you sawdust users if you just use that on bottom pour pots? I can't quite figure using a dipper thru a layer of sawdust and getting any decent bullets molded. tell me how that works if you do it that way, please. Huh
  
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Smoke
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Re: Marvelux flux
Reply #14 - Apr 18th, 2026 at 10:16am
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I've used shavings from a thickness planer when alloying up a dutch oven load of lead and tin.  It's a bit more work cleaning off the remains of the burned up wood, but it works pretty well for cleaning out the dirt.
  

I refuse to spend my life worrying about what I eat. There is no pleasure worth foregoing just for an extra 3 years in the geriatric ward. John Mortimer
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marlinguy
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Re: Marvelux flux
Reply #15 - Apr 18th, 2026 at 11:14am
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I've always used bees wax to flux, and smoke isn't an issue as I never cast indoors, and never would. I cast in the doorway of my shop with a fan setup to blow any fumes or smoke away.
  

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RSW
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Re: Marvelux flux
Reply #16 - Apr 19th, 2026 at 12:57pm
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Like marlinguy, I also use bees wax as a flux. I have a large block of it that I have been chopping off pieces for flux for the past 30 years. Bees wax works great but it does smoke so casting in an open, well ventilated space is necessary, IMO. For my 20 pound casting pot I drop in a piece of bees wax about half the size of my little finger (your little finger size may vary  Wink).
  

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Cat_Whisperer
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Re: Marvelux flux
Reply #17 - Apr 19th, 2026 at 1:36pm
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Smoke wrote on Apr 18th, 2026 at 1:22am:
That's what I needed to hear.  The lead I have is really dirty.

Thank you.


For the scrap lead I use TWO pots.  Melt and flux (borax) skim whatever I can off the top. Then pour that into the second pot, skim.  Reheat and pour back into t he first pot.  It's fast and gets the alloy cleaner than just stirring.  Also I use a weed burner to heat the alloy on the top with the turkey fryer underneath - really speeds it up.

I have used a piece of channel iron at a 30 degree angle to allow the melted alloy into the pot, leaving the crud (wheel weight clips etc.) in the channel.

for the pot used to cast with I use a hardwood scrap to stir with.  It keeps the inside of the pot clean even though I use borax.
  

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mes
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Re: Marvelux flux
Reply #18 - Apr 20th, 2026 at 4:59pm
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Bad experience with marvelux. Threw it in the garbage.  Probably wrecked the town dump which was closed shortly after.  Coincidence, maybe.

Sawdust works for the best for me.
« Last Edit: Apr 20th, 2026 at 5:08pm by mes »  

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calledflyer
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Re: Marvelux flux
Reply #19 - Apr 21st, 2026 at 9:27am
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Well, whatever the reason your dump was closed, it makes me want to ask how do you like living in a town that saves its garbage?
  
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