Get the Most Aluminum From Melting Cans

Тәжірибелік нұсқаулар және стиль

Want to learn sand casting using your 3D printer? I can teach you!: paulsmakeracademy.mykajabi.co...
Where I get my crucibles: amzn.to/3WtGoFG
amazon affiliate link*
Today i show you how to get the most metal out of melting aluminum cans at home. I use the improved mini metal foundry i made in another video, and turn my recycling into pure ingots. Also there are some tips to improve the metal easily for better results.
This process was gathered from tips from many helpful sources, thank you to everyone that offered input.
Mailing Address:
1818 Milton Ave STE 100 # 1973
Janesville, WI 53545-9998
We have a community Discord server. To join, send me an email at vloggarage@gmail.com, or click here: / discord
Follow me on twitter at / vloggarage
Instagram: / pauls.garage
Patreon: / paulsgarage
Music: "Quirky Dog" by Kevin MacLeod. incompetech.com/
#metalcasting #meltingmetal

Пікірлер: 426

  • @PaulsGarage
    @PaulsGarage5 ай бұрын

    Want to use your 3D printer to learn Sand Casting in your home shop? paulsmakeracademy.mykajabi.com/joinus

  • @sethhowell2278
    @sethhowell22787 жыл бұрын

    this is easily one of the most interesting casting vids ive seen. NO ONE addresses the difference in pure vs not, and what its missing, or how to adjust it. great vid man!

  • @PaulsGarage

    @PaulsGarage

    7 жыл бұрын

    +Seth Howell thanks! I only talked about the silicon content thing because I'm a massive nerd lol

  • @shikiaura
    @shikiaura7 жыл бұрын

    Heart disease in our metals is a real problem. Thank you for being so good to your metals!

  • @vividjoey8030

    @vividjoey8030

    6 жыл бұрын

    I hear you :)

  • @dale9896
    @dale98963 жыл бұрын

    Mate thanks for the tip. I admire your dedication to smelting aluminium while it was so cold where you were!

  • @MrJimbobdudeguy
    @MrJimbobdudeguy7 жыл бұрын

    Im glad to have seen this video, thank you for posting it. I have just started forging and using the salt on my last 4 videos i was able to reclaim ALOT of alum from my dross. Also included my first attempts of sand casting... learning alot

  • @walter2990
    @walter29902 жыл бұрын

    Glad you've progressed beyond this stage!

  • @PaulsGarage

    @PaulsGarage

    2 жыл бұрын

    Yeah cans are no fun. Now only cast aluminum, and I'm about to switch to only cast aluminum wheels or purchased ingots.

  • @connorgreen1676
    @connorgreen16766 жыл бұрын

    I thoroughly enjoy watching your videos. Not only am I learning something but I am very entertained while doing so.

  • @PaulsGarage

    @PaulsGarage

    6 жыл бұрын

    thanks! i'm glad you like them :D

  • @THEAngryProjects
    @THEAngryProjects7 жыл бұрын

    nice video man i'm getting started in aluminum casting and really you give me some nice tips that i didn't know any thing about keep up the good work

  • @PaulsGarage

    @PaulsGarage

    7 жыл бұрын

    Thanks! glad i could help

  • @jamesdepaul3410
    @jamesdepaul34102 жыл бұрын

    This was very informative. Thank you

  • @flippingnation3482
    @flippingnation34826 жыл бұрын

    Amazing video! Was actually surprised, I subed and liked your video!!

  • @alexanderrr1825
    @alexanderrr182510 күн бұрын

    Useful video for beginners. Thank you.

  • @edgeeffect
    @edgeeffect6 жыл бұрын

    I haven't watched any "Paul's Garage" for a while... I forgot how cool it is.

  • @NathanielOutdoorAdventures
    @NathanielOutdoorAdventures3 жыл бұрын

    That was really cool and great info. Thanks

  • @richarddavies7728
    @richarddavies7728Ай бұрын

    Some of the old timers used to put a thick layer of charcoal in the crucible on top of the metal working on the theory that as it burns it creates a layer of CO2 on top of the liquid metal to keep the oxygen away and prevent oxidation. The man who told me has been dead for decades now so I can't ask him what metals he used it with or how thick a layer but it might be worth experimenting with.

  • @alexanderrr1825

    @alexanderrr1825

    10 күн бұрын

    Makes sense. Another way is to put argon into the furnace or to bubble it up through the metal inside the crucible. This requires a tube that resists very high temperatures.

  • @therealtigerlilly
    @therealtigerlilly3 жыл бұрын

    I really like your humor and your videos are good And interesting Thank you

  • @CandSMINING
    @CandSMINING3 жыл бұрын

    Been looking for a alum flux. Thanks for sharing. We are now subbed.😎⛏⛏🔥🔥

  • @mohammedm2110
    @mohammedm21107 жыл бұрын

    You are really funny man! Totally enjoyed watching your videos. Keep creating awesome content:) You deserve more subs!

  • @PaulsGarage

    @PaulsGarage

    7 жыл бұрын

    Thanks! glad you enjoyed :D

  • @homegrowntomatoes1
    @homegrowntomatoes16 жыл бұрын

    Hey Paul, I just found your channel and your metallurgy tips are quite helpful. Now I will look around and hopefully find how you built your furnace. Thanks, Kenn

  • @PaulsGarage

    @PaulsGarage

    6 жыл бұрын

    I built a new once since this video, I have a few videos on it, something about a fire brick foundry furnace in the ttle

  • @MarkMichalowski
    @MarkMichalowski3 жыл бұрын

    Only two and a half years late to your vids, but better late than never! I'm going to try the Lo-Salt tip tomorrow because you're right - the amount of dross from cans is horrendous. In fact today I ended up with a smaller alumuffin (oooh, I like that!) than the one I STARTED with, despite adding a bucketload of cans: the amount of dross (and aluminium bound up in it) was greater in volume (if not weight) than the alumuffin. Love your channel - have a sub! :)

  • @explosevgamr5349
    @explosevgamr53497 жыл бұрын

    after MANY hours of serching,(literally just 5) I have found my favorite KZreadr for melting mettle. your hilarious

  • @explosevgamr5349

    @explosevgamr5349

    7 жыл бұрын

    also, how do heatsinks help? is it like the computer kind?

  • @PaulsGarage

    @PaulsGarage

    7 жыл бұрын

    +explosev gamr the heat sink was just a thick chunk of aluminum to form a molten pool first. Cans are too thin and when they melt they oxidize, plunging them into an existing pool first helps prevent that.

  • @jeffcauhape6880
    @jeffcauhape688027 күн бұрын

    Awesome. Thank you.

  • @misterdecaro
    @misterdecaro Жыл бұрын

    Thanks Paul! This a great tip! I have been collecting aluminum cans for awhile waiting for spring to start casting but was having doubts about using them because I kept hearing the same: they are a good cheap source of alumimum/they are garbage, don't use them. Relieved to know I can use them for casting projects. BTW, I enjoy many of your videos and the information you share. Thanks!

  • @PaulsGarage

    @PaulsGarage

    Жыл бұрын

    Hi stephen! this is a pretty old video, i would suggest using the aluminum from cans for making alloys like aluminum bronze, but I wouldn't use them alone for castings unless you have a mold with plenty of head pressure or something. This stuff will have a higher shrinkage rate and higher surface tension. Nothing that can't be compensated for, of course, but it's not ideal. I used these to make aluminum bronze (90% copper, 10% aluminum). It's great.

  • @abdelkaderabdulla5468
    @abdelkaderabdulla54683 жыл бұрын

    You're the best Paul

  • @benjamindeverell1123
    @benjamindeverell11236 жыл бұрын

    the lines you talked about comes from gasses in your mix, i've seen people use baking soda to combat that with reasonable outcomes. and the shrikage in the center of your ingots comes from having no silica (and also i think in part from the gasses)

  • @kenstockton7793
    @kenstockton7793Ай бұрын

    This was fun, like the muffin pan mold,😊 forgot the Pam😊 hair dryer❤ Love your Proper English, you must be related to me we have our own family dictionary 😅 good job

  • @petee716
    @petee7167 жыл бұрын

    Another good video Paul. If you find out what the can alloy actually is and what the silicon content of 356 aluminum is you can crush up the right amount of silicon and toss it in to improve the casting properties of the can metal. You can do the same thing by adding some aluminum from pistons because they're very high in silicon. Burning teflon is super poisonous.

  • @PaulsGarage

    @PaulsGarage

    7 жыл бұрын

    Hi pete! I probably could crush up the silicon and add it to the aluminum, but i have lots of cast aluminum already and i don't want to waste the silicon. I might be able to get a hold of some junk pistons, though. Making everdur is something i want to do as soon as i get the next furnace built, though.

  • @jeremygrovowens896
    @jeremygrovowens8964 жыл бұрын

    Finally the answer I was seeking. Off to remelt that shiny dross with some salt. I plan to use an ugly ingot to establish my pool for can melting. Look into fireplace gear for stirrers and grabbers. My "store" bought furnace kit came with some but not nearly as durable as my old fireplace tongs.

  • @diymaster101
    @diymaster10110 ай бұрын

    Thanks bro

  • @richardgrant4366
    @richardgrant43663 жыл бұрын

    Thoughtful comments on how to reduce aluminum dross!

  • @shawndoe2834
    @shawndoe28347 жыл бұрын

    Awesome Video Paul - Thanks. Really liked 1) The Flux Experimentation - was cool that you fluxed the dross & squeezed out a bit more Aluminum and 2) Very interesting how to gain a better quality of Aluminum by adding %5 copper. For a while I was scrapping & collecting copper. A lot of the newer electronics save on the cost by using a super thin Copper coating on Aluminum wire for electrical conductivity. So I have quite a bit of Copper coated Aluminum wire that I thought was basically crappy Aluminum. However Thanx to your video the Copper coated Aluminum wire might just melt into a slightly better quality Aluminum!!! The one thing I wandered about was the dross in the crucible - if you had thick gloves or a better pair of tongs I wandered if you turned the crucible upside down & tapped it on the cement if the dross would fall out??? Thanx Again: Shawn

  • @PaulsGarage

    @PaulsGarage

    7 жыл бұрын

    Thanks! THe fluxing worked really well, i was surprised. Someone recently told me that 95% aluminum with 5% copper is called duralumin if you want to look that up. It's a pretty decent alloy. I didn't record it, but i did actually turn the crucible over and bang it on the cement to get some dross out. Not all of it came out, though. Quite a bit stayed stuck in there. I don't have a way to scrape it out, but melting cans left FAR more crud in there than melting scrap cast aluminum, so i probably won't do cans again. All the dross was a good thing later, when i did the keychain casting video the crucible actually got a hole in the bottom of it and the dross and crud plugged it up so it was a very slow drip. I was able to pour and everything without losing any significant metal out the hole. It's in the garbage now, though.

  • @Toto-ko5on

    @Toto-ko5on

    7 жыл бұрын

    Duralumin: 3,5-5,5 % Cooper; 0,5-0,8 % Magnesium; 0,6 % Manganese,94-95%Aluminium,Si=0.2-0,5%. (Cans are actually made from two alloys 5004 which is 1% each of Manganese and Magnesium used for the body of the can and 5182 1% Manganese and 4% Magnesium for the lid.(data from Olfounryman channel)) As you can see, your recipe with Cooper is so close...

  • @Toto-ko5on

    @Toto-ko5on

    7 жыл бұрын

    Fighting recipe with dissolved metal crucible:mix ''liquid glass'' with refractory clay, or kaolin, or bentonite (cat litter), or chalk and paint every time before melting.Paint everything what you immerse in molten aluminium. Works very well!And cheap...

  • @Gryphon2026

    @Gryphon2026

    6 жыл бұрын

    Toto hey I'm trying to understand what you're saying but I'm not sure I do . Could you explain what you said a little better ? Because I'm really interested in what your saying. Thanks !

  • @jeek3452
    @jeek34524 жыл бұрын

    Hello Paul! Im just getting into forging but I dont know what to hold the crucible in, any tips?

  • @eviltwinx
    @eviltwinx7 жыл бұрын

    Hey Paul, love the video and the humor! I kind of follow the same procedure you recommend for melting cans. I need to try adding the flux during the melt, that seemed to help pull more AI out from the dross. Thanks for the tip.

  • @PaulsGarage

    @PaulsGarage

    7 жыл бұрын

    Thanks! it does help get more metal out of the dross but i'm worried that it is over fluxed . I think if i mix a bunch of heat sinks in with the melted ingots though it should balance out the mix, and i'm not sure how the flux will effect it when i mix it with copper to make aluminum bronze, but i guess i'll have to try it out and see!

  • @TheSquigy
    @TheSquigy7 жыл бұрын

    your self commentary is brilliant

  • @PaulsGarage

    @PaulsGarage

    7 жыл бұрын

    Thanks! glad you enjoyed :D

  • @jd2931
    @jd29312 жыл бұрын

    Dope thanks

  • @jurosmilkovich1427
    @jurosmilkovich14276 жыл бұрын

    This is the Perfect YT Video. How many years have I thought about it, wondering about it

  • @PaulsGarage

    @PaulsGarage

    6 жыл бұрын

    not sure if bot comment...

  • @NoahBenzing-ru5st

    @NoahBenzing-ru5st

    5 ай бұрын

    @@PaulsGarage Again.... LIES! Your TWO BOTS won't even let you mindlessly click thumbs-up on your YT video comments! ~NMB

  • @falloutmaster1019
    @falloutmaster10197 жыл бұрын

    Paul you can make a really good cheap propane burner just look up "how to make an aluminum foundry" by the backyard scientist. mine got hot enough to melt copper easily and you wont have to deal with refilling the charcoal every few minutes and you wont have a bunch of ash to deal with when your done melting to. fair warning make sure you have a thick and durable crucible because i have all ready burned holes in some of mine. good luck.

  • @PaulsGarage

    @PaulsGarage

    7 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for the tip. I'm goign to make a propane burner before too long. With hardwood lump charcoal i never get ashes in the bottom of the furnace, but it burns out so quickly i can't get the thing reliably hot enough for copper.

  • @jasongrinnell1986

    @jasongrinnell1986

    3 жыл бұрын

    It’s a furnace not a foundry! Just saying.

  • @GodMaxDrinkerofTea
    @GodMaxDrinkerofTea7 жыл бұрын

    Best way to Start a Video charmx would love it

  • @GodMaxDrinkerofTea

    @GodMaxDrinkerofTea

    7 жыл бұрын

    and also this video was quite _salty_ wasn't it? hehe

  • @PaulsGarage

    @PaulsGarage

    7 жыл бұрын

    +MaxPlayAll yes indeed, I'm afraid the aluminum is going to suffer from high blood pressure after all that salt

  • @GodMaxDrinkerofTea

    @GodMaxDrinkerofTea

    7 жыл бұрын

    Paul's Garage lets hope the best for you

  • @thejoshmoss
    @thejoshmoss7 жыл бұрын

    Really cool videos, I'm in the same process of learning this stuff right now. I did get to do a little sand casting in high school but, the instructor handled the furnace. I've been gathering the things to make one much like yours, do you plan on using gas with this one?

  • @PaulsGarage

    @PaulsGarage

    7 жыл бұрын

    Probably not with this furnace, but it's possible. I plan on switching over to some kind of gas at some point in the future, but the next furnace i plan to build will be designed with charcoal in mind just like this one. There's no reason i couldn't use a propane burner with this furnace or the next one whenever i get around to it, though. I wish i got to do this in high school, the closest I got was lost wax casting small things (like rings) in an art metals class and the art teacher handled the torch.

  • @JK-zl7vv
    @JK-zl7vv7 ай бұрын

    Borax makes an amazing flux for this process.🤠👍😁

  • @c62west
    @c62west11 күн бұрын

    Thanks!

  • @PaulsGarage

    @PaulsGarage

    9 күн бұрын

    Thank YOU very much!

  • @chrisjeppesen2993
    @chrisjeppesen29936 жыл бұрын

    when you ram up the furnace lid prop the steel band up 1/2 inch above the bottom face of the refractory. this will keep the steel hoop cooler and it won't expand so much.

  • @taitelennox4514
    @taitelennox45147 жыл бұрын

    I love your videos.

  • @taitelennox4514

    @taitelennox4514

    7 жыл бұрын

    Keeeeeppppppp iittt uuuupppp!!!!

  • @PaulsGarage

    @PaulsGarage

    7 жыл бұрын

    Thank you, good sir!

  • @edgeeffect
    @edgeeffect6 жыл бұрын

    That's a really nice big chunk of silicon you've got there!

  • @PaulsGarage

    @PaulsGarage

    6 жыл бұрын

    +edgeeffect I'm trying to resist the urge to flintknap it. Imagine a chrome arrowhead!

  • @codelicious6590
    @codelicious65903 жыл бұрын

    Is it silicon carbide that's in cast aluminum? You can see it in the grain structure when you observe a broken piece. Shiny little specks. The shrinkage is natural and occurs in all molten metals to differing degrees as they cool.

  • @duncanhorne962
    @duncanhorne9622 жыл бұрын

    Cut up cans, ring-pulls, tops & bottoms of cans, & the shards covered In paint dross wise, this I just got to try, aluminium seems to be the easier to start off, so looking for electric smelter 3-4 kilos yes I have plenty of beer cans, all cut up & ready for smelting any advice you could possibly offer would be gratefully appreciated, many thanks, yours truly! P/S, thanks for the flux Info.

  • @brettbaratheon9776
    @brettbaratheon97767 жыл бұрын

    Paul, new subscriber, love your style and knowledge. Question: how did you affix the blow dryer to the pipe for air induction? The diameter of the blow dryer I purchased is much larger than the 1" pvc. Just screw it and tape it or what, Paul? Great videos. Thank you!

  • @rcpi9336

    @rcpi9336

    7 жыл бұрын

    When I melt I just tape it, I will still leave small gaps in the tape so that the hair dryer doesn't completely die. If you are not worried about murdering the dryer, just affix it to the pipe with miles of tape. If you watch the video you can see that Paul did the latter with a bunch of grey tape, this of course gives the advantage of MORE FIRE!

  • @PaulsGarage

    @PaulsGarage

    7 жыл бұрын

    +RC pi yep exactly. Lots and lots of tape, that's what I did. I taped it to a 2" to 1" reducer thingy and screwed that into a 1" pipe

  • @markfryer9880
    @markfryer98807 жыл бұрын

    Subscribed to your channel as well, I suspect you will be a channel well worth watching. Mark

  • @Creator_Nater
    @Creator_Nater2 ай бұрын

    Thank you for being entertaining. Now to see if you have anymore videos....

  • @movingtorichmondva
    @movingtorichmondva6 ай бұрын

    would using borax done the same thing? Getting ready for my first pour!

  • @kenmcmullan9330
    @kenmcmullan93304 жыл бұрын

    Space laser sound effects at 09"30! So, what was your yield in terms of weigh of cans in vs weight of cans out?

  • @winehand
    @winehand7 жыл бұрын

    Very informative vid, thanks. did not catch the name of the flux you used though - can you please comment on the name and is there other fluxes we might use, seen candle wax and sawdust used with lead - might those work for aluminum too?

  • @PaulsGarage

    @PaulsGarage

    7 жыл бұрын

    it's Lite salt/Losalt, basically just low sodium table salt from the grocery store. I'm not sure sawdust or candle wax would work with aluminum.

  • @LinuxBadukNMore
    @LinuxBadukNMore6 жыл бұрын

    Paul, would you know if you could successfully use your foundry as a black Smith forge to make knives and such?

  • @PaulsGarage

    @PaulsGarage

    6 жыл бұрын

    +ajinthevalley NS probably yes. The burner would work fine and it can get the metal to orange hot, but you would need better insulation if you want welding temperatures. Also the design is meant mainly to hold a crucible so the shape might not work for holding certain work pieces.

  • @ThePeterDislikeShow
    @ThePeterDislikeShow11 ай бұрын

    can you just use regular table salt? I don't know where to get potassium chloride.

  • @jarredsegal6842
    @jarredsegal68425 ай бұрын

    Yup I’m definitely happy I kept a goodly amount of old 400mh lamp ballasts Tonnes of aluminum and a tonne of copper Sad I sold the first batch of copper rather than melting it to pure but atleast I kept all the aluminum shades and ballasts 😊

  • @bradliston8990
    @bradliston89907 жыл бұрын

    So you can fish the crap off of the top before you pour it, I've been doing that and it's made pouring much easier. I just smashed some scrap steel to make a spork type thing with a long handle to fish it off. Plus it's fun to play blacksmith and hammer stuff. I've never done the lite salt, but that is pretty great. I'll have to do that with my next batch.

  • @PaulsGarage

    @PaulsGarage

    7 жыл бұрын

    The scooper is a good idea. I need to make one of those up. The spoon with channel locks just isn't capable of getting the dross out with the cans, there was just way too much of it. The dross left over is non-metallic though so that's nice, i think i got all the aluminum out with the lite salt.

  • @PastorTonyManuel
    @PastorTonyManuel7 жыл бұрын

    thanks for the flux tip, i have some large chunks of aluminumy dross i might try to reheat later

  • @PaulsGarage

    @PaulsGarage

    7 жыл бұрын

    You're welcome! I was able to pull a lot of aluminum out of the dross, even after fluxing it a lot the first time, you should have good luck.

  • @charleslangshaw4860
    @charleslangshaw48604 жыл бұрын

    What happens when you drastically overheat aluminum can it be remounted and be good

  • @kendallsnyder701
    @kendallsnyder7017 жыл бұрын

    Great video and tips. I was just about to melt some aluminum. Do you know about how many cans you melted and what was the recovery rate. Is it smarter to get the 5 cent deposit or melt it. (Melting is more fun) Just thinking return rate even though I will probably still melt because I love having ingots. Thanks!

  • @PaulsGarage

    @PaulsGarage

    7 жыл бұрын

    unfortunately i didn't count the number of cans exactly. in general, i think getting the 5 cent deposit and then using that to buy scrap cast aluminum is the most cost effective way to get the most materials, but where i live we don't have the 5 cent deposit. I wont get a cent from these so i just melted them lol

  • @brothersbrothas414
    @brothersbrothas4146 жыл бұрын

    Does this salt method work with all metals?

  • @samueltaylor4989
    @samueltaylor49896 жыл бұрын

    Yes

  • @Earthstar_Review
    @Earthstar_Review5 жыл бұрын

    Does mixing salt into the aluminum change its properties much?

  • @kuigalaxy5226
    @kuigalaxy52267 жыл бұрын

    i have this bucket full of aluminum i also found this in the woods also in a old building with so much more i have to go get its like a 3hr walk tho so yayay lol

  • @themadman5615
    @themadman56156 жыл бұрын

    well you just got a new subscriber

  • @PaulsGarage

    @PaulsGarage

    6 жыл бұрын

    +The Mad Man glad to hear it! Welcome!

  • @joey-cn6mt
    @joey-cn6mt7 ай бұрын

    A longer mixer might be a good idea!!!.

  • @remyverbeke9632
    @remyverbeke96327 жыл бұрын

    Hey ! I really liked your video and content in general, but I've got a question : what kind of gloves are you using ? Because where I live there are no ''high heat'' resistant gloves for sale (or at least I couldn't find a store wich did sell them...) so I wondered if it was that big of a deal if I hadn't these ''high heat'' gloves (I do have other gloves, but they can't withstand these kind of temperatures). So what would you recommend ? Should I order ''high heat'' resistant gloges on internet, or will the gloges I already have do the work ? (I do not plan to get my hands inside the furnace of course, just to get the lid on or off and to refuel)

  • @PaulsGarage

    @PaulsGarage

    7 жыл бұрын

    I use a couple different gloves, don't remember which ones are in this video. one pair is just gardening gloves (100% leather), and the other is a pair of welding gloves. I talk more about them in a video somewhere about foundry safety equipment, but basically the welding ones are better. I think foundry gloves or fireman's gloves would be better yet. I don't know which high heat gloves you are talking about, but the higher heat resistant the better probably. You don't need to get your hands in the furnace to get cooked.

  • @remyverbeke9632

    @remyverbeke9632

    7 жыл бұрын

    When I spoke about high heat resistant gloves, I hadn't any kind of gloves in mind, just a pair that can withstand high temperatures. Anyway I ordered welding gloves on the internet yesterday, that can withstand tempertures of up to 500°C (I know the furnace reaches temperatures way higher than that, but I think it'll be ok as long as I don't drop molten metal on me...). But thanks a lot for your answer !

  • @motoktips3024
    @motoktips30246 жыл бұрын

    Why didn't you remove the crap before you poured... lol

  • @jerryschronicles9140
    @jerryschronicles91406 жыл бұрын

    If u add sulfur to ur flux it makes an unstable explosive please keep this in mind when doing scrap melting if their is sulfur in ur mix up can get explosive bubbles to full out bang. Use borax instead of salt if u think there might be sulfur present.

  • @Zorgoban
    @Zorgoban4 жыл бұрын

    I always thought silicon is added to the aluminium for casting to make it flow better. So Question: Why is the silicon from the casting a problem when you're going to use the aluminium for casting?

  • @emceha
    @emceha17 күн бұрын

    What about crushing cans, could it help?

  • @brettpeterson7078
    @brettpeterson70787 жыл бұрын

    Can that homemade smelter melt copper

  • @mexdek2061
    @mexdek20615 жыл бұрын

    Hey paul and paul watchers ever gonna come back to the charcoal foundry? More inportantly does anyone know what kind of fumes come off of this kind of foundry setup? And how to possibly avoid those fumes?

  • @PaulsGarage

    @PaulsGarage

    5 жыл бұрын

    Nope, I gave the charcoal foundry away to someone. The fumes are probably the same as a charcoal grill, plus whatever comes off the metal being melted

  • @ThePeterDislikeShow
    @ThePeterDislikeShow11 ай бұрын

    Can you clean your crucible with hydrochloric acid when you're done?

  • @Zillustration
    @Zillustration7 жыл бұрын

    Hey Paul - Paul here... good tip with the copper addition to the aluminum. I'm casting sculptures, and was wondering how to do away with shrinkage... mostly notice it in the Sprue, not the cast pieces below. I'd hate to find out the hard way. Subbed.

  • @PaulsGarage

    @PaulsGarage

    7 жыл бұрын

    +zillustration hi Paul! Adding copper won't really help shrinkage as much as silicon, and aluminum will always shrink somewhat. If your sprues and risers are of sufficient size/locations, you shouldn't have damage to the piece. Are you doing lost wax or something?

  • @Zillustration

    @Zillustration

    7 жыл бұрын

    search zillustration or paul zdepski on FB - i have some public on my page... plus pics of my furnace. Will be trying lost wax, but currently using Super Sculpey to make my models, then casting in fine green sand. A friend of mine is a jeweler, so he's got the super fine stuff. Great detail with finer sand.

  • @___xyz___
    @___xyz___5 жыл бұрын

    Did you try plunging soda ash into the aluminium?

  • @ChirpysTinkerings
    @ChirpysTinkerings7 жыл бұрын

    great videos, Adding the copper to it doesnt help it machine better, it helps it flow better into the molds. Your ingots show it alot better between the cans/extruded aluminum to the cast where as the extuded/cans ingots were rounded at the top due to the surface tension, and the cast ingot has more of a sharp top to it where it flowed out more into the shape of the ingot tray. Adding copper to extruded aluminum does help it flow alot more, but you do get the same amount of shrinkage, and in sharp corners, you may end up with what's called hot tears, where the metal shrinks in tight corners and splits, making for a weaker part, but to overcome this, just add fillets to everything, which is common pattern making practice anyways. Also they look different because the cast ingot has had time to oxidize alot where as the new ones havnt, eventually after sitting a few months, they'll both look the same. I usually just use a sharpie to write on what each is, or just throw them in seperate buckets.

  • @PaulsGarage

    @PaulsGarage

    7 жыл бұрын

    huh i heard the copper helps it machine better from someone else, but you would know better than me! Good point about the tops of the ingots, i hadn't thought about that. the cast stuff definitely seemed to flow more nicely. Good idea on the sharpie, i havent marked them yet but they are in separate piles, plus the can ingots have the really cool crystals on the surface. I wish i could get a close up camera shot of that, it would make a cool picture.

  • @shrewking
    @shrewking7 жыл бұрын

    love the new video i wonder if you chemically treated the cans before to remove the paint and plastic if you'd end up with a lot less dross the pans i use are extruded and im 90% certain pure aluminum and i generally get very little dross. i think surface area has alot less to do with it and its mainly the vinyl paint, and plastic coating that is responsible for the dross.

  • @PaulsGarage

    @PaulsGarage

    7 жыл бұрын

    Thanks! I think you are right, the plastic is the main problem. i'm sure there is a way to remove the coating with something, but i think just using extrusions is probably easier. there is so little metal in a single can that i doubt it's worth the effort.

  • @ChirpysTinkerings

    @ChirpysTinkerings

    7 жыл бұрын

    no, if you remove the coating, you expose more aluminum to the air before hand, which will cause even more oxidization before you even get to start melting it. Most of the dross is from the side walls of the cans due to such thin aluminum. Try throwing aluminum foil in a fire, its like that. If you wanted maximum metal out of cans, you would just cut the tops and bottoms off of the cans and use only those, the side walls dont really have any metal to them.

  • @PaulsGarage

    @PaulsGarage

    7 жыл бұрын

    thats a good point, the sides of the cans are stretched pretty thin, and the plastic would form a nice barrier. I bet as the plastic burns it would eat up some of the oxygen in the can, too, preventing the aluminum from oxidizing. the top is a different alloy, too, if i'm not mistaken, but it's just a couple percent manganese or something like that.

  • @edgeeffect
    @edgeeffect4 жыл бұрын

    I've been saving all my aluminium-y dross looking for a means of "refining" it.... I'll flux the crap out of it next weekend.

  • @masilelamthunzi2394
    @masilelamthunzi2394 Жыл бұрын

    Hey Paul please tell me what can I do with chrome glass

  • @PaulsGarage

    @PaulsGarage

    Жыл бұрын

    Not sure, sorry!

  • @MrCoalcracker79
    @MrCoalcracker796 жыл бұрын

    instead of salt you could use borax.

  • @thefourthtuxzt3078

    @thefourthtuxzt3078

    6 жыл бұрын

    Borax is like 5 times more expensive than the aluminum.

  • @___xyz___

    @___xyz___

    5 жыл бұрын

    I remember being told that borax shouldn't be used with aluminium. Not sure if it's true, though.

  • @mareksvrcina5279

    @mareksvrcina5279

    5 жыл бұрын

    thefourthtuxzt have you meant salt instead of aluminium? Anyway, borax is still very cheap. In my country, it costs ~$2 for half a kilogram :)

  • @Orc-icide

    @Orc-icide

    5 жыл бұрын

    +thefourthtuxzt Aluminum is free when it comes in the form of discarded cans. 5 times free (0) = free (0).

  • @NoahBenzing-ru5st

    @NoahBenzing-ru5st

    5 ай бұрын

    @@Orc-icide Just like your Mom and wife bro! ~NMB

  • @dantekania7212
    @dantekania72127 жыл бұрын

    where did u find the 10 qt steel bucket and the 2.5 qt bucket? i can't find em anywhere

  • @PaulsGarage

    @PaulsGarage

    7 жыл бұрын

    +Dante Kania I got them at a home improvement store, specifically Menards.

  • @cheerfultrout4381
    @cheerfultrout43816 жыл бұрын

    With the copper, would a layer of oxidation be an issue like with the aluminum do you suppose?

  • @PaulsGarage

    @PaulsGarage

    6 жыл бұрын

    +Cheerfultrout yes, in fact copper oxidizes more aggressively I believe. People often use cover fluxes or stuff charcoal in the crucible to take up the oxygen when doing copper.

  • @111raybartlett
    @111raybartlett4 жыл бұрын

    Stamp a C on there for "Cast" and one for "Can" so you can keep track which is which

  • @jbaker7903
    @jbaker790321 күн бұрын

    Look out for cans with ANY moisture in them, cause if you put a can with moisture in a pool of molten aluminum you'll get a REALLY interesting explosion!!!

  • @LearningByGaming
    @LearningByGaming7 жыл бұрын

    Awesome video! I'm very surprised how many aluminium bars you were able to create with this amount of cans. Has the area in front of your garage turned into a place for ice skating after you've emptied the bucket? :-D

  • @PaulsGarage

    @PaulsGarage

    7 жыл бұрын

    it did get icy! We got freezing rain that night so i wasnt concerned about the water from the bucket, the whole city got covered in ice lol

  • @grenadebunny8434
    @grenadebunny84347 жыл бұрын

    hey Paul what metal container did u use to melt the aluminum in?

  • @PaulsGarage

    @PaulsGarage

    7 жыл бұрын

    In this video i used a steel crucible, but i would actually recommend not using steel. The thing died after the very next use (the keychain video) and now i have to replace it. I would suggest a graphite clay crucible for melting anything.

  • @edgeeffect
    @edgeeffect3 жыл бұрын

    I make my initial pool with bits of cast aluminium.... don't know if that helps much at all but it's what I do.

  • @andrewbeardsley8605
    @andrewbeardsley8605Ай бұрын

    I like your coat!!!

  • @MEPS003
    @MEPS0037 жыл бұрын

    Hey good videos! I just made a dual propane set up. I took an 8 gallon bushel tub and used a 5 gallon pale for the center hole. I cast the propane torches right into the cement. My crucible is an old steel firefighter scba (self contained breathing apparatus) tank cut roughly in half. I use a soup strainer/ladle to scoop the crap off the top. Never used flux though but I will start. With the charcoal set up (same as propane but with one hair dryer) I could melt 400 cans (based off of weight) before I had to pour. I did this twice before there was too much ash in the bottom...would run through two bags of charcoal though. That's why I switched to propane...haven't melted any cans with propane yet, I could let you know how it turns out. I'd like to melt brass too. Keep up the good entertainment!

  • @PaulsGarage

    @PaulsGarage

    7 жыл бұрын

    Thanks! Charcoal works pretty well but i'm using hardwood lump charcoal which burns a lot hotter (and gets used up a lot quicker). I think lump is overkill, but propane should work super quickly. One word of warning, my steel crucible was eaten through and started leaking after a few uses, you might want to swtich to graphite clay crucibles. A high power propane set up can even melt steel, and you don't want that when it's full of aluminum!

  • @GenieInAFantaBottle
    @GenieInAFantaBottle6 жыл бұрын

    Oxygen turns iron into rust, and yet we breath it. 8)

  • @SiegePerilousEsauMaltomite

    @SiegePerilousEsauMaltomite

    5 жыл бұрын

    We rust too, In the form of reactive oxygen species aka free radicals.

  • @bkailua1224

    @bkailua1224

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@SiegePerilousEsauMaltomite You could stop breathing

  • @1889michaelcraig
    @1889michaelcraig3 жыл бұрын

    Aww man I was hoping it had caulk in it. I thought thats what binded it all together lol

  • @marzocchi92
    @marzocchi926 жыл бұрын

    mad max reference !!

  • @PaulsGarage

    @PaulsGarage

    6 жыл бұрын

    Mediocre!

  • @ratrecycling8265
    @ratrecycling82655 жыл бұрын

    another funny vid! I used wood & used hair dryer on medium. Also used vegetable oil, or fat! gives it a boost! Got the idea from vegeoilguy from yt

  • @andreww1225
    @andreww12253 ай бұрын

    So regular table salt?

  • @ScienceBros
    @ScienceBros7 жыл бұрын

    Your really funny and your content is hilarious. +1 sup

  • @PaulsGarage

    @PaulsGarage

    7 жыл бұрын

    Thank you, good sir!

  • @RodrigoPereira-nq3je
    @RodrigoPereira-nq3je7 жыл бұрын

    I made the plaster and sand furnance today but i didnt make the lid, il it make to much of a difference for aluminium ?

  • @PaulsGarage

    @PaulsGarage

    7 жыл бұрын

    the lid would help it melt aluminum faster, but it will still melt. there is a guy named makerj101 who used an open fire for aluminum casting, so hot lump charcoal isnt even required.

  • @RodrigoPereira-nq3je

    @RodrigoPereira-nq3je

    7 жыл бұрын

    Paul's Garage ok thanks

  • @KyHighlander59
    @KyHighlander597 жыл бұрын

    Paul, is the silicon used to make hard drive platters the same as the silicon you're speaking of?

  • @PaulsGarage

    @PaulsGarage

    7 жыл бұрын

    possibly. Pure elemental silicon has many uses, including as an alloying agent, but it's not particularly easy to find.

  • @brianbejan575

    @brianbejan575

    7 жыл бұрын

    KyHighlander59 i think you can make it using thermite

  • @TroyeWelch

    @TroyeWelch

    6 жыл бұрын

    No- that is a thin, polished iron oxide on aluminum platters that you're thinking of. There is very little silicon in hard drives (only minute quantities inside the solid state devices (chips, transistors, diodes, etc)

  • @MerchantMonk
    @MerchantMonk4 жыл бұрын

    You've got what around your window?

  • @sd906238
    @sd9062386 жыл бұрын

    So if I'm going to cast some Al parts which do I use cast Al or pure Al?

  • @PaulsGarage

    @PaulsGarage

    6 жыл бұрын

    +Floyd R. Turbo use cast for cast

  • @kreynolds1123
    @kreynolds1123 Жыл бұрын

    Note on aluminum can alloy Typically it's 3003 From Wikipedia The alloy composition of 3003 aluminium is: Aluminium: 96.8 to 99% Copper: 0.05 to 0.20% Iron: 0.7% max Manganese: 1.0 to 1.5% Silicon: 0.6% max Zinc: 0.1% max Residuals: 0.15% max

  • @Auden.
    @Auden.7 жыл бұрын

    good thing we have mountains litteraly of cans

Келесі