Is Melting Aluminum Cans Worth It? - Pure Aluminum Ingots From Cans
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- Опубліковано 6 лют 2019
- Is melting aluminum cans worth it? Today I'll be melting a huge box and two bags of aluminum cans that I had laying around. Melting all of these cans took about 4 hours total. I ended up with almost 10 pounds of pure aluminum ingots that I'll be re-melting for future castings. If you like this video, please give it a thumbs up and hit that Subscribe button.
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Thanks For Watching!
***DISCLAIMER****
This video is for entertainment purposes only. Do not try and replicate this at home unless you know what you are doing. Molten metal is extremely hot and dangerous so always use precaution and protective gear when melting metal.
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This aluminum was melted for future art projects I’m working on. Check out my latest ones to see why 👍🏻
im sorry to burst your bubble artbydrock ... the question is ,is it worth it ? so is it worth melting all those cans ?
i dont know how much time you put into this but 4 kilo's aluminium go for 3€ ...... so was it really worth it ?
i would say no
not even close
of course you do this for fun but is 3€ really worth this much time for you ?
go buy some more solid aluminium pieces melt those down and then make your aluminium art ...
also you probably wasted much more then 3€ in gass ...
Hey, if you don't mind, how much is all of this stuff, like the giant heat thing, the metal melting bowl etc?
Total it prob cost me $200. I made almost everything so that saved me money for sure. But you’ll need a foundry and burner, propane, a crucible, lifters, Tongs, molds etc so it can get pretty pricey. However it’s a lot of fun especially when I turn the metal into art 👍🏻
@@ArtByAdrock ok, thanks
I know you probably heard this but if you shred the cans they will melt faster and will have less slag
Not gonna lie, I was expecting an actual cost-breakdown from this, compared to ingot prices. You've got your time, about..what, eight gallons of propane, materials, in the case of smelting, just about everything is a rapid wear part...I note you need a new crucible, for example. How much money do you have into this project? The "Beer" is a side consideration.
Meanwhile, you can get ingots for $3-4 a pound of ebay plus shipping.
So, serious question, "Is it worth it" wasn't answered here, in a real sense. You enjoyed it and you got a viable material you can use for other projects, that's AWESOME. "Just doing it because I enjoy it" is a viable reason to have and run a setup like this.
"Is it worth it" is a value estimation. "Could I get the same material for less money if I sourced elsewhere" and the answer seems to be "almost defiantly".
However, you could improve performance a bit...if you used a press or a shredder to reduce the aluminum can volume, you could fit more material and have more efficient fuel usage. Those hand-crushed cans cost you a lot of time and fuel.
I don't know how UA-cam monetization works but this video has over 100,000 views how much is that worth in money from UA-cam sponsors. That could change the whole is it worth it arguement
@@ronsoccercoach Not really, it just changes the question from is it worth melting aluminium cans. To is it worth filming me melting aluminium cans for views. Or in this case, is it worth filming me melt aluminium cans for views in a clickbait title video.
@@vavielstarchaser241 good for him. When looking at this as an outside observer, I feel like "is it worth it" isnt answered. At all. In any real sense that matters.
It's presented as a informational video, and it's not, and that's disappointing as fucking hell.
Why don't you get that?
I'll 2nd that c'c'... Dracker's post was the most satisfying thing about this video... and I 2xspeed skip-watched it.... yeah, it would have seemed more efficient to mechanically crush/shred the cans and turn them directly into "something awesome"... but, maybe the artist knows best?
I wish more people on UA-cam would be better at making the sound as high quality as this
As a fellow artist I appreciate the process from collecting the cans to the finished piece. Art is a process not a product.
Make aluminium Christmas decorations and sell for $1.50 each.
Thts a great idea 💡
I don't see why not
I like this one, and it was cool to see you talking at the end. I feel better now- I've been saving cans now for a long time! Thank you🖐️
Damn that would’ve taken all bloody night 🙄. If you ever do this again and you probably won’t leave a tiny bit of molten aluminium in the crucible and don’t empty it completely 👍🏻that’ll save a heap of time when adding the next lot of cans🤘🏻. Mmmm lots of ingots 🤤
Yeah I was going to but got carried away with pouring cause it’s too much fun 😆🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺 next time I will for sure
Hi guys🤗
Or use two crucibles so one could be getting hot whilst he's pouring. It also reduces the heat stress since the other one can cool off a little bit before it goes back in the foundry.
@@ThePrufessa like😃😎
I'm a huge fan of perpetual systems. They're so efficient. I use one with my wood burning. I have two burners because they start getting too hot to handle after a while. So I turn the second one on and let it heat up once the first one starts getting hot.
I live in London and there’s countless of cans in the streets I am starting on becoming a forger as a hobby.
How is it coming along? Have you been able to turn it into a business?
Fyi a forger is somebodey who makes knifes
That’s not true. Forging is manipulating steel to make a different shape. It doesn’t have to be knives, it can be anything. 😉
@@IntrinDesign it can be a viable business if you can arrange cheap fuel and cheap labour to collect tons of scrap metal
@@gageosteen614 fiy a forger is someone who works metal (mainly steel) during its plastic state of heat. They don’t just make knives, look at black bear forge on UA-cam, he made plenty of things that aren’t knives and swords.
Awwww love the survival Warrior music in the background. Love your videos!
Thank you 😊 glad you enjoy 👍🏻
Hey loved the video. I have been wanting to make my own forge
Subbed and liked man. Awesome content.
absolutely fascinating.A beautiful job!
Thank you 🙏
At least this man is saving the earth good job bud
Justin Y wouldn't say something like this you... Imposter
I know this is an old video. But I've been watching you for years and this is the first time I've ever seen what you actually look like
Dude the sound on this is so nice!
Yes, it's worth it. Even though the metal is too soft to make machine parts, it's still fun to make art stuff with it.
That was pretty cool
Plus i more. Loved watching this, was looking at buying a small forge tonight. I was a canmaker for 30 yrs and hate cans,,,,empty ones! I use em to make shingles for shed roofs,,,free roofing apart from a few tacks. Will cut up ally cycle frames produce a decent cast alloy to turn down on a lathe? I mean with paint on it? Art from cans, love it.
I'm new to this, I was wondering if melting down the cans raises or changes the grade of metal in any way. Also is there a profit to be made from doing this if so?
*That epic music though xD!!!*
Hi I liked this video and subscribed. What are you going to make when you melt them again? Looks like a fun hobby to learn. Thank you
Here is a question, is it better to use propane as your heat source on a clay graphite crucible to melt aluminum cans or could I use say charcoal and a blow dryer. Looking for some advice. Thanks
Solid cookies 👍
I love the proses and the results it's pretty satisfying
what something is worth is what you trade it for. Its value is what others credit you with. You shared a personal passion for free and those who enjoyed it will give back positively. Those trying to add up your total cost are missing the point. we are all volunteers of our time and the rewards are self-evident in nature's equity program. I see your individual reward is not the worth of your stockpile of raw metal but its leveraged value to anyone needing it. If I needed a block of processed aluminum I would gather 150% of the processed weight I needed and offer a trade of my raw for your processed material. Equity without fiat currency.
I use boid'arc and a hair dryer and fly through the cans. Wasting time is watching tv and looking at Facebook. Don't know his art but it's something to say; made this out of pop cans when the piece is in the gallery.$ you go dude. Boid'arc
Cinematic soundscape experience. Very nice.
Loved the vid. Ive been stocking up with cans but need to make my own furness do you have a vid how you made yours. I've old bottles and am thinking to just play and see but yours looks great 👍. Any help much appreciate.
Thanks. I don’t have a video but it’s super easy to make. Just cut the top off of an old propane tank, cut a hole on the top of the lid and on the bottom of the tank and line it with kaowool. It’s very simple. 👍🏻
Turn the slag in to figurines for D&D. Crappy tin and alum leftovers is perfect for table top.
I’ve done a few figurines in the past so that’s a good idea. I’ll have to do more 👍🏻
hi....I have a ton of aluminium cat food cans...they have a plastic coating on the inside. will these work for ingots or will the plastic make a mess of things?
When removing your muffins its easier to just get a five gallon Home Depot or Lowe's bucket, fill it 75% with water and knock the muffins out into it.
They cool instantly, no need to fuss with picking them up to drop into something and you can just leave them there till your finished then simply dump the water out when you're done, thus having them all together in one container at the end too.
Super Sir, what all we can can create with Aluminium blocks melted or buyers are their?
do you rinse or dry the cans beforehand? What if they have any pop or beer drops left inside;. Will it spit when heated? Thanks.
love your choice of music and also love the Rick Grimes photo you have on the wall
Thank you 🙏
Oh you should do something walking dead theme! if you have already I'd love to see it. @@ArtByAdrock
I did Neegan’s Bowie knife from the walking dead. Search my channel for that one. It was a while ago
ArtByAdrock yeah I found it and watching it now ha. Really loving your vids. Originally was watching BigstackD and that’s how I found you. Once again loving your music choices.
AMBROSIA EVANS thank you 🙏 glad you enjoy. BigD’s a good friend of mine and I love watching his vids as well 👍🏻 I’ll let him know 🍺🍺
While I do like the meltings, my value of worth would be if the price places would pay for the almost 10 pounds of pure aluminum outweighs the 10 cent refunds on most of those cans. I was kind of hoping for something along that line of info. But I suppose it does save on materials for future projects.
Very cool 👍
Nice video mate : )
I tend to find you get about 50 / 50 with cans… 50% metal and 50% dross. BUT if you have access to plenty of cans and IF you enjoy casting, then it’s always worth doing. That’s the fun of it!
Exactly! Now I can make more fun things 👍🏻 pure aluminum doesn’t just appear out of nowhere. 🤷🏻♂️ unfortunately
Yes but has anyone checked to see if the Aluminum is machinable? You should poor it into a form and see how well it does on a lathe.
Take a muffin or two that you already made and melt it in your crucible first then dunk the cans into the molten aluminum - melts them faster and significantly reduces dross.
Or you can save the dross and then add a few heaping tablespoons of salt to it and melt the aluminum out of it.
The companies can make 32 cans from one pound of aluminum - I found following my first suggestion gives me a return of about 40 cans making a pound of recycled aluminum and that's very good from what I've read.
Sean foltz
If u start it off with some molten aluminium and submerge the cans straight into the liquid metal to melt, you will get much much less dross than that.
The reason cans yield so much dross is mostly cos its really thin and it oxidizes due to exposure to the atmosphere.
@@CraigLYoung , I made leveling feet for my foundry by machining four of my ingots on a lathe. I'd love to say that I came up with that idea, but my design is based on TAOW's who also did the same (ie. machine feet out of cast ingots), although his feet were melted from an old ladder. Mine were from melted cans. It machines very easily. It's quite soft. I've considered buying some silicon and trying to covert the melted cans into something closer to 6061 aluminium, although I'm still new at this and have many other things to figure out before I try my hand at alloying.
So, what is the cost of purchased ingots vrs the amount of fuel and value of your time?
The aluminium used for drink cans is different to that used for aluminium castings like engine parts, they're different alloys. One is optimised for extruding out thin shapes, the other for making tough thick pieces. I would love if you did a video comparing a simple rod of aluminium made from cans to a rod from aluminium castings, and see which one breaks easiest.
You mean like carbon and purity content?
Like the use of cookie sheets 👍Does it off gas when melted? Also... trying to recycle foil, can i boil of the food stuck to it first,and then melt it down?
Very neat project. As a lifelong project doer .. I love it. Still the project needs to be of create value. I guess I could make my own nickles or something!!
Wow. The crucible,lived
Looks like you visited my grandpa and uncle. Lots of bud light and Budweiser cans.
Hahaha 👍🏻
Around ten years ago I built a foundry furnace based on the babington burner. It ran on used fryer oil, which I got for free, rather than expensive propane. The furnace and crucible were one unit, and the flame was directed into it and made direct contact with the metal. I don't think it would be good for ferrous metals as it might add extra carbon. Anyway, it worked great for melting AL cans.
what is in the center of that propane tank? How do I make a set up like that to melt aluminum and where do I get the stuff I need to make the set up? Thanks
4:12 bigstackD is that you??!?😂
A perfect example of why recycling is not the saviour of the planet
Are those standard baking trays your using
Like a couple of other folks I was hoping to see a cost break down!!! BUT since you didn't provide one, let me just say that I have been kicking the idea around of building my own forge, and NOT for the reasons of just melting aluminum into ingots!! In fact I have been researching on how to make actual parts I want and need!! And even though I don't own a machine shop at all....the costs to buy the parts I want to make I can still machine most of my own things at home as long as the parts are "simple" to make for myself!! And in my life nothing is ever "simple" or even remotely "easy" so I have to build a lot of my own things just to own the things I want to start with!!! In this "modern day" not everybody has money growing on trees and frankly I am so fed up working to get no where, in the end that other then tired, flat broke, I have NO REWARD for the work I have done or I am actually doing!! In one case a guy just told me "I can guarantee you $50K a year and I told him "You are full of shit!" because I know it was just a hook to get me to go back to work for some dead end job that will just exploit my talents and pay me WAY BELOW what I am actually worth to DO the work I am physically doing in the first place!! I know this because it has happened to me time and time again in my life, where I found myself doing the work of 9 people and only getting paid like I am a "new employee at part time job like Burger King"!! I am too old, too tired and too fed up with being paid shit wages for the work I am ACTUALLY DOING to begin with!! And I highly doubt some company is going to start paying me a "new hire" $25 an hour for skills they will just exploit from me anyhow for $7 an hour!!
I hear ya on that. People never get paid what they are worth through companies. As far as my video is concerned I never mentioned anything about money and people are taking it the wrong way. I melt for my own personal art that I do and sell my pieces. If I was doing it to try and make money from ingots then it wouldn’t be worth my time at all.
Please can you talk about the cost of melting and the set up you have?
I’d really love to make my own forge. I’ve got a ton of aluminum and copper wire I’d like to melt down and make a table top of of
You should. Its a very simple build 👍🏻
Wife’s love the smell of burning epoxy 🙂
Looks like it was totally worth it!
Got lotsa ingots for future pours! :D
Gonna be a great spring buddy!
Thanx for a great pour-session Adam!
Do you want to build an aluminum snowman?"
What effect would introduce controlled amounts of pure oxygen into the melting session?
Ok worth it for future use on good stuff (maybe) cost wise I was curious about how many cans used x propane used x price of aluminum if resold type scenario lol. But hey cool vid subbed
I hear ya. Maybe I’ll do a break down of all of that in a future video 👍🏻
1kg of Scrap aluminium in the uk £0.50p ..you have about £8.00
Pretty cool👍🏻 Thanks for sharing 💥💥💥
No prob! Every weeks something different so stay tuned 👍🏻
excellent crucible melting pot. how did you make the ingredients to stick to the inside of it, and the cup ?
most excellent melt down procedure.
What do you mean make the ingredients?
the stuff that protects the outer propane can. and the cup that you use to melt in.
The cup is a clay graphite crucible and the lining in the tank is kaowool 👍🏻
Fun hobby though cool vid
recycling beer cans. there's a slight poetic justice to that and a good thing.
I thought it'll be price comparison for ingot per gram vs gass you use.
But nice share, im waiting to see how itu turns out :)
Here’s the link to the last one from all these ingots.
ua-cam.com/video/aomxg10gcbU/v-deo.html
Looking for the type of charcoal to use for my melter but ended up in a gas melter video, I still have a lot to learn about myself.
I would like to ask a question. Always interested in early exercise amd recycling. Metal detected as a kid for fun. Question, does the cost of melting exceed the value or increase it. Is collecting amd making a small crusher more profitable in taking in? So interesting. Also I see new short hand held detectors for coins, love early days at the coast. Sellers retail lie, Opinion on a set up to search for coins or jewery or coins as a hobby and possible profitable way to also exercise? Thanks, I suscribed.
What is the pressure on the LP input?
All a sudden I have the urge for Christmas cookies...
Haha yeah I does the same thing to me 🤣
Great video lots of talk about flux what do you use for flux.
Thank you! It’s nice to here someone not talk about the damn price haha. I usually use borax as my flux as it seems to work just fine! 👍🏻 thank you for the comment and kind words 🍺🍺
Is it actually best to water cool them or let them cool gradually?
Looks like you could cut way back on your fuel consumption. Once you get up to melting temperature you just have to maintain. I built mine with two burners. Once I'm up to temp I shut one off and cut the psi by about 25 percent. 30 pound propane tank has lasted me about three hours so far and still not empty
You rock! Can you make the mack truck bulldog on the hood of the mack truck?
I love aluminum cookies with sugar on top. 😋😁
Nice video!)
Thank you 🙏
What does everyone do with these aluminum ingots? I was thinking about doing this but don’t know what I’d use the ingots for. I’d like to make fishing weights or slingshot ammo but aluminum is too light.
Seems more worth it if you're melting a tonne at a time. I say we keep mining as much metal material as possible while improving recycling technology. Best for long term.
3:14 I thought your propane tank had caught fire for a second.
Did you remelt the slag later?
Wat can u use the for
Enjoyed the video. Thanks for sharing. Molten aluminum is fairly reactive, like molten lead, so there's always going to be more dross than you want (it quickly combines with oxygen). I read all 109 comments and your responses to them, as I was "watching" your video and they addressed all but one of my thoughts. Some of your viewers may try doing this in a closed garage or shed. Aluminum vapors usually take years to accumulate and cause problems, so maybe stress the importance of ventilation or an exhaust fan. Thanks for the video.
Thanks yeah I agree. 👍🏻
Aluminium vapours are the last of your worries. I'd never do this in an enclosed space. In a propane or charcoal foundry, maybe this would be less obvious as the fire from the foundry itself may obscure what's going on with the melting cans, but I use an electric foundry, so any smoke and flame that I see is obviously coming from the crap on the cans. You have at least three sources of various fumes from the cans. One is the dried up dregs of whatever was in the can. This is unlikely to be too concerning. You also have the paint from the outside of the can. It's not easy to know exactly what this is or what fumes could be coming from that as it breaks down and burns. There's also the thin plastic coating inside the can that prevents the drink from directly contacting the aluminium metal inside the can. Again, not sure exactly what fumes this might produce, but I wouldn't be surprised if there were some aromatic organic compounds in there. Whatever the source, melting cans does produce some unpleasant fumes and smoke from time to time that I wouldn't want accumulating in any room I planned to be in. If I'm melting under cover, I always have the garage door and at least one other door or large window open, although I prefer to do it outside if weather allows.
@@brettski74 You forgot another hazard, probably the most deadly....
Burning all that propane produces a lot of carbon monoxide. If that is allowed to build up, you will just fall asleep and die.
Keep ventilated.
how many cans of propane do u use?
how long does it take to melt all them cans?
do u get more money for bricks then cans?
So how long between pouring into moulds and having them solid enough to knock out of the moulds?
It was about 20 min between pouring and took about a minute to solidify enough to take them out of the mold
So from authors explanations and actually seeing what he uses. Reg used stuff is between 50-100 bucks American. And that even counts the muffin pans. Most can be picked up at rummage sell. They are already drink x amount of cans of whatever. That doesn’t even matter or count unless they pay more for trash service if they have too much. He said that propane usage for this video was about 5-10 bucks which is about 1/2 tank when he made it. End of the day, average everything out, maybe 12 bucks spent on this video, besides taping it. Shut up people. Do what you love to do.
Love the content. Love what your doing for many passions. Love that you can teach everyone at the same time.
So was it worth it? Does the cost involved versus any final profit make sense.
Cans from your sponser? 😂
I melt cans in huge amounts, its my main source for aluminium, and they are FREE because I collect them everywere i can
👍😂👍
Yes! It’s a very free easy source 👍🏻 just takes a while and there’s lots of slag but whatever. It’s worth it to me to melt 😊🍺🍺🍺🍺
@@ArtByAdrock I was wondering why there is so much slag? I know the cans are painted, but that shouldn't amount to much. Are they using crappy aluminium in the cans?
Yeah I’m pretty sure they coat the cans in other things as well. The tops I always save separately cause they’re pure so I’ll be doing a video on that sometime soon I hope.
Hit an auto mechanic or somewhere that specializes in tires and try to score some aluminum rims - typical car aluminum rim weighs around 19 pounds and has a scrap value of $7 - you can usually score them for $5 each or less, sometimes free if you tell them why you want them. You can cut them into manageable pieces with a reciprocating saw and they generate very little dross.
But they're not free you say?
It took him four hours to make ten pounds of free aluminum - I can cut up and melt down a 19 pound rim in about half that time so factoring in what I make at my day job my time is worth far more than the $5 or less I paid for the rim.
Make sure to either have photos of what you make on your phone or if its small stuff, bring a few pieces with you.
I made paper weights using the Han Solo in carbonite my old Slave One toy and carry a couple of them when scrounging rims - I'll show it to the guy at the garage and they'll often times trade me rims for them - four ounces of aluminum for 19 pounds.
@@seanfoltz7645 Brilliant 👍 I will look into this, so should you @ArtByAdrock 👍
I think I have that many monster cans under my bed
Quick question the crucible I see that is cracked is it dangerous to use it like that or is it fine for someone who is very experienced in this like yourself?
It is dangerous to use for sure. It could fall apart while picking it up spilling metal everywhere. I wasn’t too worried about it but you always wanna use safety gear just in case.
I'm so happy 'cuz your channel is raising so fast, a great hug for you ma boi
Thanks buddy! 👍🏻 cheers 🍻🍻🍻
My question is how much does it cost to melt the cans, and what is the value of the melted aluminum afterwards compared to premelt.
You should do this over sand over cement pops from moisture and can throw the Metal
Here in Vegas we never have any moisture so I don’t worry about that. Except for the occasional oops I did in a video a few weeks ago when it rained and I exploded brass everywhere 🤷🏻♂️
Maybe fashioning a bottom spout so as the aluminum melts it runs out, or use a big crucible
This guy doesn’t have a drinking problem.. he drinks so he can support his casting addiction.
Where can I get that cookie or muffin tray you used in the video? I’m melting down some cans at my house and I like the shape that makes lol
I think if I remember I got it off amazon 👍🏻
Is slag useful
very good friend, but it would have been better to use the molten aluminum in some functional area as I do not know, that of a bicycle or some clutch lever of a motorcycle.
but it is good that you promote recycling since we have the planet all contaminated.
congratulations for your video
What do you do with all the slag? Is there any thing good you can get out of it or is that just waste?
I set it all aside and I’ll remelt it later. I should be able to get a lot more from it 👍🏻
@@ArtByAdrock wow.
How many metal biscuits did you get?
It will become a future business as well a hobby too. Like gold / silver, it hold value as a form of trade for goods regardless who's in charge at the time.
I love your rick grime poster.
Thank you 👍🏻
No problem hahahahaha
I'm poor so Ive been making steel crucibles,
They hold up pretty good usually at least a year and they won't crack if handled roughly
Invest in a shredder it makes it alot easier
Financial turnover vs spending on this is required to be calculated.What do you think, the spending of Gas, cost of used cans and final producf whats the savings , one can make?
I built a propane furnace from a 134a bottle but I also built a wood burning furnace from a propane bottle, it works even if I'm out of propane.