Tried forge welding with a borrowed flux and ruined 3 billet stacks

Been making damascus billets for like 2 years now using borax as my flux. My buddy said try this fancy anhydrous borax he got online, said it works way better. First billet delaminated on me mid-twist, second one pitted like crazy, third one just fell apart on the anvil. Turns out his flux was way too aggressive for my mild steel and 15n20 combo. Back to plain old 20 mule team borax for me. Has anyone else had a flux swap blow up their whole welding process?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_anthony18d ago

Surface moisture on the steel probably reacted with that anhydrous stuff and caused it.

patricia_gonzalez18d ago

Yeah @the_anthony, that's what a buddy of mine figured out when his toolbox caught fire.

wadew5118d agoOG Member

Used to think moisture was harmless, but your buddy's toolbox fire changed my mind.