What's your flux?

[Michael Gordon]

I just started into my first tub of cycle design LFB Light Flux, and as much as flux can, this stuff rocked my world. It was a game changer in comparison to previous brand I was using.

The consistency was like that of the cream filling in Twinky. It was easily brushed and evenly spread on the surface I was preparing to braze. During heating, it went from white, to bubbly black, to clear when it was time to start feeding my filler, and I got more than enough working time out of it. To the soak tank it went, where it came off easily in warm water, and fairly quickly I might add. Only a small amount of charred flux was left behind which came off easily when I cleaned up the joint with my files.

This is no shameless plug... just looking to share a positive experience with the rest of the community.

What flux do you use?

Regards,

[David Tollefson]

I use the Gasflux Type B from HJ (for brass). I had a lot of problems with the LFB light burning. Maybe something wrong with my technique, but I have a lot less problems with the Type B.

[NBC]

use the LFB too, and sometimes system 48 when i play with silver ! it's awesome, yet to try the brown flux on stainless...some day !

the stuff works brilliantly, doesn't really char very easily, and is a doddle to clean up...hot water and a toothbrush :)

was using SIF a while back, i find it useless, it burns badly, doesn't really soak off in water, and was horrid to clean up...never again !

NBC

[Norbert]

Hi, do you know any European alternatives for Gasflux "B" type blue paste? That´s what everybody uses for Lugged frames, I´ve tried it, It´s awesome. But at the moment if I have to order 10lbs from the US I end up paying almost 200$ for something that worth only 75$, that´s nonsense for me, sorry. Please don´t recommend me using silver, I don´t like to use it, I´m still in the learning phase. I hope there is anyone else here brass brazing lugs. Thank you.

Norbert Tóth

[Eric Estlund]

Have you asked them about European distribution?

I imagine SIF 101 flux paired with their 101 rod works a charm.

[randonneur]

The bicycle academy in the UK sells it.
The Bicycle Academy Ltd - Fluxes

Marco Pringle

[rellis]

Ceeway in the UK sells both SIF products and Cycle Design rods and fluxes.

[Norbert]

Hi, thanks for the answers. Yes I asked them, They gave me a few tips but non of them stock the blue paste. I´m using Cycle Design at the moment, but the blue paste worked better for me. Haven´t tried SIF 101, but it´s a powder flux, I know you can dilute it with water, but is it the same as a paste flux? I don´t think that the gasflux paste is diluted with water only.
Now I can see there is a SIF ECO Paste flux, is there anyone using it? Do you have any experience?
Do you know about anyone brass brazing lugs in Europe who I could ask maybe? Thanks

[Eric Estlund]

Weldability | Sif - Sif 101 brazing flux 500g jar (FO100050)

If I was in your position (as I guess I once was), I'd order a few from several mfgs and see what happens. When you find one you like, order it and just sort of figure out the costs. If you like GF blue and your local vendors can't/ wont get it from you, then see if GF has any ideas on the best way to get you what you need for a price you can stomach. Freight might be expensive, but if it's the stuff you like there you go.

[Norbert]

"Power flux" -that´s cool, do I have to be a Jedi to be able to use it? but seriously thank you Eric for the advice, that´s what I´m doing at the moment. I thought maybe It can be helpful to listen what do others experience, so I could reduce the number of fluxes to try, but I do agree with you, the better is experiment yourself. At the moment I ordered two types of fluxes one from Poland and other from Spain, both of them are Gasflux dealers but they offered me their own product because they don´t have GF in stock (i´ll let you know how they worked for me). At the moment what I see here in Europe is that often criticized beginners tend to use silver not just because it´s easier to use (or it seems easier) but because it´s easier to find consumables for. I´m not that typical I do like to choose the hard way, and what usually happens to me is that the hard way gets even harder when you are halfway already.
By the way, the problem I have with cycle design LFB flux is that it gets dry very easy (compared to GF plue paste) and if I dilute it with water, it won´t be like it was before anymore, It burns down very easy, and it´s difficult to get a thick film of flux over the workpiece, it just drops down when you are heating it.

[DanB]

If I was in your position (as I guess I once was), I'd order a few from several mfgs and see what happens. When you find one you like, order it and just sort of figure out the costs. If you like GF blue and your local vendors can't/ wont get it from you, then see if GF has any ideas on the best way to get you what you need for a price you can stomach. Freight might be expensive, but if it's the stuff you like there you go.

One option might be to try and organise a group/bulk buy, so that the shipping costs can be spread between a number of different people. I know I'd be interested in buying some Gasflux Blue. I've used SIF101 and the Cycle Design flux, and of the two I find the Cycle Design stuff vastly superior, but I'd like the chance of trying the GF Blue as well.

[czernysz]

One of the reason the cycle design stuff gets dry fast is the container don't seem to be as good as gasfluxes, plus getting flux in the containers threads doesn't help. For all Flux thats In storage, I seal the lids with electrical tape, helps. Decanting the flux in a good glass container isn't a bad idea, but I'm pretty lazy.
I haven't noticed any negative effects of diluting water soluble fluxes. Although this was poo pooed a long time ago,on another list, being a member of AWS, and I'll read anything, article about water purity and how it affects flux among other things, I use clean bottled spring water and always mix well before use. No problems.