For Dave Tollefson re: Cycle Designs flux pastes.

[Mark Kelly]

The problem with Cycle Designs flux pastes is not the flux pastes: it's the tub in which they are delivered, which does not seal properly.

My simple solution is a 1 litre resealable container with a water tight lid. Put a small amount of water in the bottom, put the CD flux tub in the container, seal the lid. Lasts as long as you want without going manky. Same cannot be said for the label, so write what is in the container on the outside.

[David Tollefson]

Thanks for that. Seems strange that similar tubs from Henry James of the Gasflux stuff don't have this problem, or the fluxes themselves are less prone to going all rock-hard tapioca.

[Andrew R Stewart]

The Gas Flux plastic (the small ones) do dry out with tightly sealed lids for me. But this takes weeks to do. Of course simple wetting and mixing cures it... This is really only a problem during the Spring/Summer as I do almost no torch work then. Andy.

[czernysz]

I use electrical tape to seal flux lids. A better sealing container is a good idea.

[Pi Guy]

FWIW, I have some SSL flux that has been sitting for a couple years. It's got some nice, solid chunks in it. I have relegated it to practice use but it actually seems to work just fine. Applying it is a little obnoxious though.

[Andrew R Stewart]

Has anyone tried to use hot water to dissolve flux that has dried out? Andy.

[David Tollefson]

And to address my original question: Is there any reason to NOT use Gasflux Type-U (silver brazing flux) with Fillet-Pro? The only input I've seen on that question was unterhausen responding on the MTBR forum to say that's all he's used. Any chemistry types wanna weigh in on that?

[edoz]

Has anyone tried to use hot water to dissolve flux that has dried out? Andy.

Yes. I've dealt with clumps by breaking them up and stirring it back into the mix with some water.
Nowdays, I have a squirt bottle of water on my shelf next to the flux and standard operating procedure is to open the tub, squirt a tad bit of water in, and stir the whole thing up completely before I use any. It sounds involved, but it's a 20 second process and it keeps my flux nice and creamy until the tub is empty.

[David Tollefson]

Yes. I've dealt with clumps by breaking them up and stirring it back into the mix with some water.
Nowdays, I have a squirt bottle of water on my shelf next to the flux and standard operating procedure is to open the tub, squirt a tad bit of water in, and stir the whole thing up completely before I use any. It sounds involved, but it's a 20 second process and it keeps my flux nice and creamy until the tub is empty.

For the CD silver flux, this doesn't do it. Those hard granules don't just dissolve.

[Andrew R Stewart]

And I have done much the same as Eric has, just did this a couple of weeks ago. I crushed as best possible the chunks while stirring too. The flux worked as it should when heated but the application to the ready parts was a bit less then ideal. I remember years ago reading some of Freddy Parr's warming up of flux prior to application. Hence my question about going to hot water to rehydrate dried out flux. Andy.

[EricKeller]

I was wrong on MTBR, I use Harris Stay silv and Safety silv because I can buy them at the LWS. There isn't much difference in silver brazing rod that would affect which flux to use. Flux is mostly about the base material. I use gasflux LFB flux, and they work great. Back when people asked Freddy Parr about this, he was only insistent that you not mix fluxes. This seems like good advice. I would say that Cycle Design fluxes are obviously different chemically from everyone else's silver fluxes. I really haven't given them enough of a chance to say that's a good thing, but initial impressions were not favorable.

I have heated up borax powder in the microwave and it makes a paste. I expect that very hot water added to other fluxes would do the same if they get really chunky. I don't imagine that there is some sort of permanent chemical reaction going on in the flux that would stop it from dissolving in hot water.