- Does one need both boric acid and Borax to make prips?
Yes. The formula is 3 parts boric acid, to two parts each borax and
sodium phosphate (which can be trisodium, disodium, or monosodium
varieties. Most people use (and often have only heard of) the
commonly more available trisodium phosphate, also called TSP. Borax
and boric acid are both also needed, in the proportions above. If
your “three parts” amounts to about 96 grams, with the “twos” around
64 grams, or close to it, you can end up with a quart of concentrated
solution, but it need not be this concentrated. More dilute is easier
to dissolve, but then you need to apply more…
2. Does one need to use another flux in conjunction with a
prips flux? A paste flux for example.
Sometimes. Prips can be used as a soldering flux, if the joint is
very clean, and the solder is very clean. works better with medium
and hard solders than it does with easy. Prips is not an especially
“active” flux, so while it makes solder joints possible, it does not
promote solder flow as agressively as do the more active white paste
fluxes (or even some of the liquid fluxes such as batterns). The
other fluxes, though, are often less effective at preventing fire
stain/fire scale, so if you use them, try to limit where they are
placed to just the areas of the joint. In a pinch, of once you’re
used to it, Prips can be used for soldering, especially simpler
joints. But most people add some actual soldering flux to the
joints.
3. If TSP is hard to get ahold of and Cascade varies from state
to state has anyone come up with an alternative. Do you really
need it can you just use denatured alcohol and borax....
If you intend to make \Pprips flux, you need all three componants.
Other mixes amount to different products. plain boric acid powder in
alcohol is a fine fire scale fire stain preventative on yellow gold
alloys, but it just does not work on silver, with the surface tensions
of the metal tending to reject the boric acid coating. that, I
think, is the function of the TSP, to allow the melting mix of borax
and boric acid to wet and adhere to the silver. However, if you
wish, and are persistant, a classic method was to use just borax,
which had to be applied mulitple times and 'burned on" in order to
finally get a good cover coat. check the description of the process
in Seitz and Feingold’s “Silversmithing”. It’s a lot more work than
using Prips.
TSP may be hard to get in some areas, but it’s never impossible. In
some cases, though, you have to bite the bullet and actually order the
stuff from chemical suppliers, rather than trying to get it cheaper
at hardware stores. But check paint stores first, if the hardware
does not have it. Some of the paint stores, especially those
catering more the the professional builders rather than the home
users, may be more likely to carry it. And read the labels
carefully to be sure it contains tri sodium phosphate. Words like
“meta silicate” should not be there, and such products won’t work.
On another note, does it make anyone nervous going out to buy a
bunch of strange chemicals:detergent, roach poision, alchohol,
acid, phophates etc. I am always worried they are going to report
me for starting a meth lab. lol!
You’re buying the wrong stuff for a meth lab or other such nefarious
stuff.
Now, if you want multiple gallons of anydrous ammonia, (normally
used as a fertilizer), or large amounts of both fuel oil and ammonium
nitrate (also a fertilizer), then you better be in a position to
demonstrate farm use, as the first is a commonly stolen ingredient in
meth production, and the other two combine to form a powerful
explosive…
You may, however, wish to comport yourself during your buying spree
by masquerading as a normal person. If you dress very shabby, and
wander around the shop aisles clutching your precious found
merchandise to your chest while muttering incoherantly about the
wonders of modern chemistry and the hyponotic effects of, and
wonderful magic you can bring about with burning hot flames, you
might find yourself drawing attention 
Peter