Is flux worth using during metallurgy?
Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2022 2:00 pm
In short: no, flux is not worth using. Continue reading for the experimental data.
I spent a few hours making bronze in three different ways with varying levels of purity.
Test #1: For the first two tests, I used blooms only. I mixed together five copper blooms and one tin bloom. All blooms had been smelted with charcoal. Examining each individual bloom revealed no message of impurities.
Result: A bronze bloom with several serious signs of impurities.
Test #2: I mixed together five copper blooms and one tin bloom. None of these blooms had been smelted with charcoal. Examining each individual bloom revealed no message of impurities.
Result: A bronze bloom with several serious signs of impurities.
Test #3: For these next two tests, I used ingots only. I mixed together five copper ingots and one tin ingot. The ingots had been smelted with charcoal. (Examining ingots never gives information about impurities.)
Result: A bronze bloom with a few small signs of impurities.
Test #4: I mixed together five copper ingots and one tin ingot. None of the ingots had been smelted with charcoal.
Result: A bronze bloom with a few small signs of impurities.
Test #5: For these final two tests, I used a mix of blooms and ingots. For this test, I mixed five copper ingots and one tin bloom. Each ingot and bloom had been smelted with charcoal.
Result: A bronze bloom with several serious signs of impurities.
Test #6: I mixed five copper ingots and one tin bloom. None of them had been smelted with charcoal.
Result: A bronze bloom with several serious signs of impurities.
Conclusion: Ingots probably do not keep track of how pure the metal is. When smelting ore, don't bother using charcoal; simply cast the metal into an ingot.
I spent a few hours making bronze in three different ways with varying levels of purity.
Test #1: For the first two tests, I used blooms only. I mixed together five copper blooms and one tin bloom. All blooms had been smelted with charcoal. Examining each individual bloom revealed no message of impurities.
Result: A bronze bloom with several serious signs of impurities.
Test #2: I mixed together five copper blooms and one tin bloom. None of these blooms had been smelted with charcoal. Examining each individual bloom revealed no message of impurities.
Result: A bronze bloom with several serious signs of impurities.
Test #3: For these next two tests, I used ingots only. I mixed together five copper ingots and one tin ingot. The ingots had been smelted with charcoal. (Examining ingots never gives information about impurities.)
Result: A bronze bloom with a few small signs of impurities.
Test #4: I mixed together five copper ingots and one tin ingot. None of the ingots had been smelted with charcoal.
Result: A bronze bloom with a few small signs of impurities.
Test #5: For these final two tests, I used a mix of blooms and ingots. For this test, I mixed five copper ingots and one tin bloom. Each ingot and bloom had been smelted with charcoal.
Result: A bronze bloom with several serious signs of impurities.
Test #6: I mixed five copper ingots and one tin bloom. None of them had been smelted with charcoal.
Result: A bronze bloom with several serious signs of impurities.
Conclusion: Ingots probably do not keep track of how pure the metal is. When smelting ore, don't bother using charcoal; simply cast the metal into an ingot.