Does Salt REALLY Help As A Flux For Melting Aluminum Cans? 250 Aluminum Cans Into PURE Ingots

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Күн бұрын

Today I'll be melting down 250 aluminum cans and using Mortons lite salt to see if that helps as a flux. I've been told by numerous people that it will help limit the amount of slag/dross in the aluminum melting process so I am testing out this idea. I'm goin to use to foil balls filled with salt and add them in before I remove the slag and pour the molten metal. If you like this video, please give it a thumbs up and hit that Subscribe button.
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#aluminum #cans #casting
***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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Пікірлер: 347

@skeetersaurus6249 2 жыл бұрын

Having worked with commercial aluminum-foundry processes, I'll let you in on a secret (that isn't so secret): The flux used is a 48/52 blend of Sodium Chloride (aka 'table salt', less iodine) and Potassium Chloride (aka 'salt substitute'). Your results won't be 'quite as professional' as a commercial operation for one often-unpublished reason, however; commercial foundries ALSO ADD back key elements required to 'grade' the aluminum...whether it is Manganese (often used to make aluminum more durable), magnesium, even zinc...can be added in their pure forms (at various low-volume ratios) to create or benefit certain desired properties. Also, hot-forging the billet can and will GREATLY increase aluminum's strength (get a power-hammer and work the still-hot ingots, if you want 'super strength aluminum for machining strong parts out of it).

@VenturiLife 3 ай бұрын

Have you ever seen aluminum alloyed with Scandium?

@lukedodsworth59 5 жыл бұрын

For a true reading you should have done 125 cans with salt and 125 without salt and then weigh the slag. I think you will have noticed the difference. I've done this and it works. Salt also makes the molten metal thinner and pours so much more smoothly. But that's just my opinion. Keep up the good work.

@newman5754 3 жыл бұрын

Does this salt increase recovery of aluminium?

@jacobleeson4763 2 жыл бұрын

@@newman5754 well if you get less slag than obviously that means more aluminum

@jaydubaic21 2 жыл бұрын

@@newman5754 from what I understand it’s cleaner aluminum (some Aluminum dross doesn’t rise) so you may recover some but I would assume the weight measurements wouldn’t tell the whole story.

@bluewinterwolf 7 ай бұрын

Your right about the pouring smoother, salt is used to get rid of a lot of the bubbles in your cast for a more uniformed casting. Iv seen this done when people have tried pouring into small moulds, sometimes even big ones and have a load of bubbling and holes. So you are right. Didn't know about the slag part though.

@akakscase 5 жыл бұрын

I do a lot of cans myself. Two huge things I learned the hard way: 1) DO NOT press the cans down in the crucible. Let them collapse themselves. After every 10-12 cans give it a light stir and remove what carbon you can that is floating. 2) After pouring the crucible empty give it a quick scrape out and scoop out the scrapings. This will reduce the amount of residual slag for each pour and let you get better yield results. Doing this I get between a 75% and 80% weight return on aluminum cans.

@DavidDavid-uu3vi Жыл бұрын

IS THERE A WAY TO LOWER THE SLAG ...ITS TO MUCH ...40-50%

@vicferrari9380 10 ай бұрын

@@DavidDavid-uu3vino it just dirty stuff

@oldkingcrow777 10 ай бұрын

@@vicferrari9380I'm still an amateur, but is it possible that this person you're replying to is superheating from running too hot? In my limited experience I've heard that you can alter alloy state/mess with recovery yield when superheating certain lower (relatively lol) melt point alloys/metals. Like zinc, tin, etc

@TrojanHorse1959 3 жыл бұрын

The salt helps get the aluminum separated from the slag, it doesn't reduce the amount of slag. It worked great for Paul's Garage when he tried it.

@colbymg 5 жыл бұрын

Try dunking the cans as you add them: Start with melting an ingot, add a can, use a rod to push it under the surface until it melts, add another can, push under the surface, etc. when crucible gets full, pour most of it out but leave enough metal to be able to submerge future cans. This limits the availability of surface area to contact air and oxidize, reducing the formation of slag. aluminum slag is usually aluminum oxide, aka rust. More surface area = more oxide, which is why more slag from melting cans and foil. Same strat for foil I usually get ~75% recovery (4 lbs of cans + 1 ingot = 3 lbs of ingots + 1 ingot). Flux doesn’t reduce slag, it makes slag easier to remove (like the difference between removing crushed ice from water vs crushed styrofoam).

@checoschmidt82 4 жыл бұрын

Exactly, most of the slag comes from the paint of the can, having good cover for the cans can reduce slag and optimize recovery, I've seen as much as 85% in a Reverb. If you can have your furnace with a gate or door to help minimize oxidation plus try and shred the cans to smaller pieces and have molten Al at the bottom to provide cover might help a bit.

@newman5754 3 жыл бұрын

Does adding salt produce pure aluminium?

@newman5754 3 жыл бұрын

Does adding salt as flux increase recovery of aluminium?

@colbymg 3 жыл бұрын

new man adding flux makes it easier to remove the slag, so you would lose less metal when removing the slag, so yes!

@THX..1138 2 жыл бұрын

Yeah I agree...mostly, but I wonder if the issue is actually more to do with CO2 than O2. Commercial Aluminum foam products are made by introducing CO2 to molten aluminum... I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of the dross is really an aluminium foam formed from the large surface area of the cans coming in contact with and absorbing CO2 from the furnace as the metal melts....In Dave Gingerly's book I think he even mentioned he thought the ash layer his charcoal furnace built up on the pool of metal reduced amount of slag that built up. In any case I don't know what kind of furnace they use to melt down recycled cans, but I know they are crushed into basically solid blocks first. Though I'm sure this is done to make them easier to transport to the foundry, I'd bet it also has to do with reducing the surface area exposed to air as the blocks are melted down.

@TheMightyMormon 5 жыл бұрын

So, I use a salt, baking soda, and Borax together as a flux. I've heard salt is mostly to keep the metal a little more liquidy/less chunky, and the baking soda and Borax actually do the fluxing. However, since Borax is a little strong, I probably use somewhere around 40 baking soda 40 salt 20 borax

@nicktopo8380 2 жыл бұрын

borax oxidizes the aluminum..

@emersongarybryant1213 5 жыл бұрын

I was a metal man for 15 plus years leave a little alum. in the pot next melt goes a little faster

@akakscase 5 жыл бұрын

At the point that would have helped the crucible was already running pretty hot.

@Android811 5 жыл бұрын

@@akakscase More importantly, it will reduce the slag. The slag is from the thin walled cans being exposed to oxygen while melting to form Aluminium Oxide. If you submerge the cans into an already melted pool of Al, the can will melt without being exposed to any O2 except on the surface of the melt.

@TheChrisey 3 жыл бұрын

@@Android811 would be interesting to see how it behaves if you blast argon gas over it

@albertobernado4103 3 жыл бұрын

Reading some technical articles on the subject, the procedure that people do at home is wrong !! The correct thing is to use between 20 ~ 30% of the weight of the aluminum in salt and, in addition, the correct thing is to melt the salt first (aluminum in salt, not salt in aluminum) !!! The salt melts at 800 degrees, so if I understand, to lower that temperature, you mix 50% salt, and 50% potassium chloride (another salt with a slightly lower melting point). Only after that you start to feed the crucible with aluminum.

@dogodogo5891 3 жыл бұрын

for 20 kg aluminum then i need 6 kg of salt???

@stevecurtis961 5 жыл бұрын

Water all your videos this past week. I have been scrap finding for over 20 years. Got a ton of stuff to melt. Thanks for your videos. I am getting geared up!

@ArtByAdrock 5 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoy! 👍🏻

@stevecurtis961 5 жыл бұрын

Sorry for my typos. My phone is so dumb!

@MeltandCast 5 жыл бұрын

Ahh... The old 'Adrock Flick' - Gets the last of the metal back in the crucible every time... tidy !! 😃👍👍👍

@ArtByAdrock 5 жыл бұрын

Haha 👍🏻

@bubzy1000 4 жыл бұрын

had a little heart attack when i saw that :D

@akansara3881 4 жыл бұрын

Sir ji, which flux is used for melting bronze metal dross

@TheVideoGuardian 2 жыл бұрын

I think the purpose of salt flux is to increase purity by allowing certain elements to be removed, so if anything it should produce slightly more slag, not less. (Actually it depends on the flux, some are used to prevent oxidation which could result in less aluminum oxide and maybe less slag in that case.) It's probably not easy to test the purity of the ingots, but I wonder if it made a 'hidden' difference in the quality of the metal.

@darkunicorn1208 5 жыл бұрын

Excessively Overheating some metals will cause excessive oxidation which equals more dross than usual and overall loss of metal due to slag.

@stevenleppo7996 4 жыл бұрын

I have been watching you and BigstackD since you both first started. I moved way out of town to the country 4 days before you posted this video which is why I am late to this game, no internet or cell reception until now... I think a lot of these commenters miss the point of melting cans for casting, it is for casting projects and they are FREE for the most part. I have melted thousands of cans into ingots with my kiddos, just because they really enjoy watching them go from solid to liquid and solid again, on top of that, it might not make the best casting material, but for the purposes of learning and teaching they are FREE and provide a good source of materials. In many parts of the U.S. recycling cans is difficult or next to impossible for profit as they pay less than the gas it takes to get to the recycling center. Keep doing what you are doing, the casting each have their own little (sometimes big) flaws, but it is the value of the entertainment, learning tricks and watching for the common mistakes that make what you and BigstackD valuable to your audience.

@louisphoenix8941 5 жыл бұрын

I have an old book on melting scrap aluminum turnings from machine shop floors and scrap bins. It recommends ammonium chloride as a flux for dirty aluminum. Which is what soda cans are because they are coated with paint and plastic. Maybe you could try it instead of salt substitute.

@charliemcgee9803 Жыл бұрын

What is the book called?

@carlschnackel3051 4 жыл бұрын

I've noticed that when I use the salt, there is still lots of dross, but the dross is much blacker. It has less aluminum clinging to the dross when you use the salt.

@ChatterontheWire 5 жыл бұрын

I just melted 2 large bags of cans down on my channel a few weeks ago. I really dislike melting cans down, just so time consuming, at least with a charcoal/wood foundry! The slag I have, as someone else mentioned is much more powdery than what you seem to have, this may have to do with the type of heat being used to melt it. I've used salt periodically over the years when I've done cans and for me, I'd say it helps, but I've not used it as much as a flux putting it down in it, but put it across the top as a layer over the top of the slag and molten aluminum. To me, it has always seemed to help release the last of the aluminum in the garbage and made the slag much more ash like and less dense. Anyway, you'll need to do 250 without salt next time and weigh the 2 up and compare to know for sure if it actually helps or not! Note: I've always felt I lost 25% or more on cans, looks like much more if your numbers hold up.

@skeetersaurus6249 2 жыл бұрын

By the way, a lot of 'home forge working' fans who work with aluminum overlook a MAJOR FACTOR that professionals do not. Aluminum ingestion or inhalation can and does bring on Alzheimers Disease. Fumes from forge working, grinding dust, etc. will enter your body and accumulate in the brain. This is why you don't see too many 'aluminum cook pans' anymore. To prevent this, you want to use goggles and an 'inorganic particle filter' (like 3M's 5000-7000 series). Your clothes and skin will have the dust on it as well, and should not be worn 'in the house', but used as a removable garment (a Tyvex suit is best), and a shower immediately after work is HIGHLY recommended.

@iridios6127 2 ай бұрын

No scientific evidence of what.

@thewall7536 5 жыл бұрын

Hello sir I just supported the channel I hammered that like button. I look forward to watching your future videos.

@ArtByAdrock 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks 🙏 glad you enjoy 👍🏻

@luckygen1001 5 жыл бұрын

You are very close to what I got melting cans, six cans recovered as metal out of ten and four cans ended up as slag. I never used any flux covering because these home made fluxes do not work.

@keytefirerefining1355 5 жыл бұрын

Congrats on 7500 subs

@ArtByAdrock 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you 🙏

@Cory_Springer 4 жыл бұрын

I use these same molds, and one of them would always get stuck. Finally took my dremel and smoothed out some bumps on the inside.

@vogman 5 жыл бұрын

Interesting experiment mate. Only you can judge it as you know how things typically respond with your equipment. Getting lots of dross is a good thing as it makes the end ingot purer. And from this end the aluminium seemed to pour very nicely. It's typically a very sluggish metal. Do you think the salt improved the fluidity at all? All in all, a worthwhile job. Nice one : )

@ArtByAdrock 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks 👍🏻 It made it slightly flow better but that’s about it. It didn’t reduce the slag at all. I plunged it, stirred it, tried everything. I couldn’t film those parts as my cameras kept overheating.

@dustindaimar8441 4 жыл бұрын

@@ArtByAdrock The pour did seem very noticeably thinner than your other non salt aluminum can can pours.

@bao_huang2068 7 ай бұрын

@@ArtByAdrockExcuse me guys, let me ask First, what material is the ingot mold made of? second, what is the dose of salt when melting aluminum third, what consequences will I get if I add too much salt? Thank You

@kristym1459 5 жыл бұрын

Great video. Congrats on passing 7500 subscriber's.

@ArtByAdrock 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks 😘

@kristym1459 5 жыл бұрын

@@ArtByAdrock you're welcome

@nicholasreyes5893 9 ай бұрын

Got interested in melting aluminum for cast projects and i noticed that iodized salt as a flux made my aluminum ingots a lot more white compared to previous grey ingots. Have yet to polished them to see a difference in clarity. Also, have no definite proof but i think flux really made the dross more powdery and resulted in less of a loss, especially when i took my time to skim the top. Before there used to be large spongy clumps of shiny aluminum and dross.

@paulhill196 2 жыл бұрын

I like your videos and the comments it helps with my own furnace I've set up to run on propane or charcoal with an air compressor I'm testing this out to see how much heat it produces all the best Paul

@shexdensmore 4 жыл бұрын

You need to add enough lite salt until you get a light loose grey powder substance, then remover that. But it's also critical that you stir it all very well too.

@TheYouTubeWall 5 жыл бұрын

Just giving you a quick hello I'll be back after I finish watching the video in about nine more minutes LOL

@TheYouTubeWall 5 жыл бұрын

Okay that took a little longer than 9 minutes. I wasn't expecting the four commercials LOL. Not sure if I should leave a comment for your next project or not LOL cuz it's the same idea I had before make another version of a KZfaq button. Maybe using my version the KZfaq wall play button. Sorry I do not mean to pester you I would just love to do a collaboration with your Channel thank you sir. And keep creating your beautiful art

@ArtByAdrock 5 жыл бұрын

I’ll have to look into it as I have many projects already in the works

@TheYouTubeWall 5 жыл бұрын

Of course I totally understand. Thank you for even considering it. Have a good day bye for now. 😁▶️👌

@Thewulf56 5 жыл бұрын

Nice video, I like watching the pours weather its someone else or me pouring them, they always look awsome. Did you and Perry melt down Vegas last night, if you did, did you video it haha.

@ArtByAdrock 5 жыл бұрын

Haha no we just had dinner and a few beers on the strip 👍🏻 I wanted to melt down the entire bellagio but he advised me not too 🤣

@Metalstacker 5 жыл бұрын

@@ArtByAdrock LOL

@kevinwatson5833 5 жыл бұрын

In my experience the salt makes a specialized difference compared to other fluxes sprinkling the lite salt over the melted aluminum drops the aluminum out of the dross allowing you to remove the dross without losing alot of aluminium but this only what i have seen in my melts

@bigstackD 5 жыл бұрын

105° aye 🤔I would still have my jumper on . I’ll show ya a hot summer day when you come over 👌🏻👍🏻🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻

@ArtByAdrock 5 жыл бұрын

Haha it just begun.. wait till it’s 120 here 🍺😂

@inspectorflash 5 жыл бұрын

Aussi hot,..... cool Pacific North West makes it more difficult to get the perfect 🌡for melting outdoors, 58F

@olfoundryman8418 5 жыл бұрын

Never been to Vegas have you?... Martin

@timrauscher3965 5 жыл бұрын

Using a flux is not supposed to reduce slag. If anything it will make more slag. The reason for using a flux is to make the metal more fluid.

@xenaguy01 3 жыл бұрын

8:36 The only way to tell for sure is to do twin melts with equal numbers of cans. One using the salt flux, one not. Then weigh the slag and weigh the yield. I'd also try a flux of lite salt, borax, and baking soda. Also, try leaving a small pool of aluminum in the crucible after each pour. Gives the new cans something to melt into, keeping them out of the air.

@Joe-dw8sh 5 жыл бұрын

Just a FYI but that aluminum is wayyyy to hot keeping it that hot for to long will cause it to rapidly oxidize

@Mistertbones 5 жыл бұрын

That is true. As Martin the Olfoundryman says, never overheat your metal. That is the worst thing to do.

@freeman2399 5 жыл бұрын

That's where all the slag was coming from.

@akakscase 5 жыл бұрын

Using a smaller furnace would also probably help. Low oxygen environment reduces oxidation.

@bpark10001 5 жыл бұрын

In industry, they have a large vat of molten salt that the cans are dropped into. Air is excluded almost completely. I assume the "salt" they are using is some fluoride salt or mix containing fluoride and perhaps borax. This mixture is commonly used when silver brazing.

@Meatmarket2002 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks to these vids I decided to start this hobby. I made my first ingot yesterday and gave it to my neighbor who was fascinated with his kid. I was asked what Im going to do with the ingots I make and I really don't know, does anyone have a link to what to do after you have made them outside of shining them up and using them for decorative purposes? Maybe make a video.... unless you have one, ill check.

@ArtByAdrock 4 жыл бұрын

I have over a hundred vids on things to make. Go check them out 👍🏻 anywhere from coins to knives, swords, plaques. If you need help with anything just ask. I try and respond to everyone. I’m not your average KZfaqr that doesn’t care about their fans. I care about every single one of you 👊🏻

@Meatmarket2002 4 жыл бұрын

ArtByAdrock I’ve looked, so you have a vid that tells me how to make the molds from start to finish? Something basic and small but cool 😎. I saw the video on the coins, but really not sure how to make the boxes, or what it is you are putting in them to make the molds... I’m new as can be with this hobby... but I’m only buying canned beer now lol

@ArtByAdrock 4 жыл бұрын

Dewsh Bag I put up a vid a few weeks ago on how to make the boxes. It’s really easy. I recommend getting petrobond sand as greensand you’re can make for cheap but you’ll lose quality.

@Meatmarket2002 4 жыл бұрын

ArtByAdrock thanks so much I’ll look for the video tonight. You rock my friend, I’ll be watching probably all your vids over the next few weeks 😊👍😎

@ArtByAdrock 4 жыл бұрын

You’re welcome 👍🏻 let me know if you need any more help

@bigcountryscrapper6885 5 жыл бұрын

Great video bro

@ArtByAdrock 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks 🙏

@Metalstacker 5 жыл бұрын

That is a whole lot of beer cans 😂 I had that several times my camera got overheated 🙄 I like those molds!!

@ArtByAdrock 5 жыл бұрын

Haha yeah I had to keep putting it in the freezer to cool off 🤦🏻‍♂️🤣 so parts I couldn’t get filmed cause of it

@frankzahn7773 4 жыл бұрын

If you wait a little longer, giving the aluminum to cool and shrink, they will fall out.

@4WorldPeace2 3 жыл бұрын

Looks like you are using one of the newer Devil's Forge burners. What size crucible you like using for this melt? Have you considered melting the slag down for one more processing to try to extract the remaining aluminum? Cool and functional tongs.

@awldune 5 жыл бұрын

105, sheesh. At least it's a dry heat :P As a strictly armchair metal caster, I always thought flux was to reduce porosity rather than to help with dross?

@ArtByAdrock 5 жыл бұрын

Yeah it’s hot for sure these days

@akakscase 5 жыл бұрын

The flux helps a little with porosity (degassing works better) but really helps float impurities to the top of the liquid metal.

@Android811 5 жыл бұрын

@@akakscase Correct! Flux first to separate the slag, then degass just before the pour.

@kevinwhite4101 5 жыл бұрын

So what kind of additive do you use in aluminum? Normally to pull out the slig

@VerifyVeracity 5 жыл бұрын

Did anyone else notice that math was wrong @ 9:48 1472 / 13 = 113.23 (cans). I checked it because he had over half the total weight in poured bars (compared to the total weight of the cans before they were melted & poured), so the slag should be less than half the weight of the cans. Nice video Thanks for the upload.

@ArtByAdrock 5 жыл бұрын

It’s a total possibility my math was off 😂 probably had too many beers 🤦🏻‍♂️ oops haha. At least you enjoyed my friend 👍🏻

@anthonycarranza8313 5 жыл бұрын

I’d love to see some Fallout themed casting, I’m a huge fan of you and that franchise :) hopefully you figure out a solution to the slag!

@ArtByAdrock 5 жыл бұрын

With cans there isn’t really a good solution. There’s always going to be a lot of slag. Did you have anything in mind from fallout you’d like to see me make? Thanks for watching 👍🏻

@anthonycarranza8313 5 жыл бұрын

ArtByAdrock I mean anything would be cool to see! Maybe trying your hand at one of the Vault Boy Bobble Heads? Or a Nuka Cola Bottle? Just some ideas.

@jasonotero3686 3 жыл бұрын

Nice work try preheating the cans or material that you are melting to remove any paint,coating,etcetera may result in less slag.

@2003mitchdog 4 жыл бұрын

Does anyone know if salt helps cleaning out the dross in a crucible? Sometimes, trying to peel the dross out of my crucible when cooled, breaks chips off it. I've been using borax for flux, but there still is dross build up

@valentinulises7091 5 жыл бұрын

Buen vídeo Mándame saludo para tu próximo video

@fayeholloway872 4 жыл бұрын

Question, on your butane bottle that is used for forgeing(melting) is it just the bottle or is there some thing else in the inside?

@nathanwilliams1338 4 жыл бұрын

I'm curious on how you made your torch. Do you have a video on it?

@SilverScorpion 3 жыл бұрын

Great melt video. I need the info to polish up the bars

@AmericanJusticeCorp 5 жыл бұрын

Thin Aluminum with lots of exposed Surface Area is likely to produce more oxidized metal. Using Carbon in the mix may keep oxygen levels down near the metal. (This works with other metals, but maybe not so much with Al). Shredding it and compacting it would probably help. A garden chipper / mulcher might work for doing that. They also make lids for crucibles. Has anybody tried any of this to reduce the amount of slag that is left over? The reason I ask is that once Aluminum does oxidize it is hard to get it back to metal, so slag ends up just being wasted metal.

@vicferrari9380 10 ай бұрын

Aluminum is just very dirty to melt. The anodizing on it I believe is also a oxide layer.

@Boss-uv3bt 5 жыл бұрын

It’s not going to reduce your slag, there’s a lot of slag in cans from the coatings inside and out. Flux is used to reduce the amount of dross, the surface metal that oxidizes is dross. Cans also create a lot of dross because it is an extrusion alloy which has a higher AL content than a cast AL alloy. The more pure your AL the more dross you’ll likely incur. The best way to prevent dross is with a shielding gas and that’s pretty difficult to do with a gas fired furnace. Back to the slag, the best way to reduce slag is to melt clean stock, the cleaner it is the less slag you get, and cans are very dirty.

@barteknowakowski1962 Ай бұрын

Slag consists of aluminium oxide. You'd limit it by putting cans through small opening in the top of your owen. Also higher temperature speed up this oxidation reaction.

@mfs5493 3 ай бұрын

Salt is a degassing agent - slag refers to all the impurities, which can't be converted to alum.

@clintdoolittle1576 4 жыл бұрын

Hey I have 2 or 3 questions to ask u lol but 1st that's was a awesome video ok 1. Is the borax or salt aka (flux) does that reduce the slag that comes off the cans 2. Would u get more $$$ from returning the beer cans to the store or melting them down to sell to the recycling company 3. I would like to see a video from the question #2 I know u dont like selling ur ingots but it would b a awesome video

@Sigma_Eight 4 жыл бұрын

Bold move setting that red hot crucible down on the concrete... successful job though, you did good. Turned useless scrap into useable metal for another day's project. That's the thing about soda/beer cans, you aren't so much melting them down to cast with as you are refining them to get the colorings/coatings off (slag and waste) so you're left with pure metal. I think that's where a lot of people get mixed up.

@askquestionstrythings 5 жыл бұрын

There are two things you have to do to get better yield. 1) you need a pool of aluminum at the bottom of the crucible and the cans have to be submerged into the pool to melt. if you don't do this you end up generating a lot more oxide as the cans melt. 2) the flux has to be submerged into the melt left to sit and then the whole melt needs to be stirred. (caution on the cans need to be dry or there is an explosion risk) overall melting cans is a waste of time, the alloy used for cans is different from the alloy used for casting. Cans also have a huge surface area which is tons of aluminum oxide generating lots of slag.

@TotalServicesShows10 4 жыл бұрын

Make a comparison chart with different materials to reduce slag and give pros and cons.

@birbbirb6078 3 жыл бұрын

Salt was doing what it’s supposed to, it’s supposed to bind with the impurities and technically create more slag. More importantly it is for degassing the metal

@Pops1970 5 жыл бұрын

bigstackD sent me here...subbed.

@ArtByAdrock 5 жыл бұрын

Great! Thanks for watching and enjoy :) 👍🏻

@checoschmidt82 5 жыл бұрын

You need a flux, I also melt cans and other aluminum scrap at home and I use a flux from AMCOR, send me a message for more info and I can show you what my dross looks like. Salt by it self is not functional.

@BON3SMcCOY 4 жыл бұрын

I just started smelting aluminum and I've been looking for a good way to remove the slag. Any beginner tips?

@gothicangel6313 5 ай бұрын

Since salt is a rock, it'll MAKE more slag because it clamps up w/ the slag and aluminum. Salt also produces chloroform when heated. Salt and metal definitely don't mix. And I definitely wouldn't recommend anyone use it for said melting purposes. And the mining industry never did it either. Why? Salt is a rock. And the best way to clean the die off is literally burn it off. Japan's industrial aluminum can industry has zero slag because of it. Anywho. Thanks for the video. 🤙🤙🤙

@captainjerk 5 жыл бұрын

As I understood the salt thing, it was sposta degas the aluminium, not reduce slag. Seems you lost more in slag than you normally-doodly-doo! Seems to flow better, and not as many bubbles, so I say it has improved degassing slightly. Enough to warrant continued usage? Up to you, fella. LOL I know you're fond of reusing slag and making bigger messes (as am I). :D Thanx for the experiment! I know what yer gonna use those alli bricks for! A big huge outdoor sign that says "FUCK OFF!" that you will hang right outside your front door. Thanx Adam!

@ArtByAdrock 5 жыл бұрын

Hahaha yes I totally will! Just for you my friend 👍🏻

@Jordan-rb28 5 жыл бұрын

No, sodium bicarbonate is used to degass. Salt is used to separate aluminum from the slag making it a powder

@DobleWhiteAndStabley Жыл бұрын

I always used epsom salt when I cast. Not sure what the logic is behind morton lite.

@rengokuwon1999 4 жыл бұрын

U should have divided can in half and melt 1 group of can with salt as flux and another group without salt and compared the amount of slag from both groups, maybe next time. Thanks

@ruser0084 3 жыл бұрын

A valid scientific conclusion could have been reached that way. As it stands, we do not know whether or not the addition of salt made a difference.

@thecopperchicken8033 2 ай бұрын

If you added just 1 more layer of kale wool to that furnace it would become so much more efficient

@KurNorock 3 жыл бұрын

The salt doesn't stop you from getting slag. It is supposed to stop your aluminum from sticking to the slag so you don't waste good aluminum when you skim the slag off. Doesn't work all that well in my experience though. For whatever reason the salt just ends up stuck to the bottom of my crucible.

@newman5754 3 жыл бұрын

What percent of flux to aluminium by weight?

@beshkodiak 5 жыл бұрын

Try powdered chlorine instead of salt. Second, use a bottom draw crucible. It works like a gravy pitcher where the spout draws from the bottom of the pitcher so the grease on top remains after pouring. Or in your case, all the dross

@kevinhumphrey932 4 жыл бұрын

Do you have a video showing how to build your pot and a list of needed items thank you

@user-py6jp3fi3g 5 жыл бұрын

good~!

@ArtByAdrock 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks 🙏

@kaleoariola 4 жыл бұрын

Coild the slag be from the other impurities used to make them in to beverage containers? Like linings and colorings?

@ArtByAdrock 4 жыл бұрын

Yes that’s what a lot of it is

@silverstreak3710 Жыл бұрын

salt isn't meant for slag reduction..it's used to eliminate hydrogen gas fom the metal to make it less porous

@draculafire4870 5 жыл бұрын

Good 😍💪💪

@ArtByAdrock 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks

@akansara3881 4 жыл бұрын

Sir ji, which flux is used for melting bronze metal dross

@Emokingproductions Жыл бұрын

If the ingot is stuck wait for it to cool down metals shrink when they get colder

@jonathanfinger712 5 жыл бұрын

Ive been wakeing up every day waiting for aa ruber duck vid saw this and got so exitded then sad btw another live stream

@jaybroach980 5 жыл бұрын

I still get Rocky slag but it's not shiny when I use 20 mule team borax I've tried remelting my slag and it literally won't melt after I use borax

@belegcuthalion6397 5 жыл бұрын

I melt copper alot . Haven't used anything in the mix but I have heard that silica gel could help

@ArtByAdrock 5 жыл бұрын

Borax will help with copper.. just don’t overdo it

@hobbitreet 4 жыл бұрын

Your results confirm my results. Thank you. Great minds think a like.

@mikebransden452 2 жыл бұрын

Enjoyed your video. Why were 2 of the ingots black and the rest silver?

@mamamillwright458 5 жыл бұрын

250 cans of beer and one screaming liver 🤣😂🤣😂

@ArtByAdrock 5 жыл бұрын

Hahaha 🤣

@bigstackD 5 жыл бұрын

Angela Swaim yeah poor little Adam with his swollen liver 🤔he really should be drinking bud light platinum🤷🏻‍♂️

@mamamillwright458 5 жыл бұрын

@@bigstackD uh you guys are both gross! Tequila goes down so much smoother....but i guess you cant burn the bottle once you're done

@donniebrown2896 5 жыл бұрын

@@bigstackD nah.. Bacardi 151

@bigstackD 5 жыл бұрын

Angela Swaim yeah we start on beer then move to 101 turkey onto the tequila then into the garden for a sleep😉👍🏻

@KurNorock 3 жыл бұрын

If you wait a little longer for your ingots to cool, they will fall right out of the molds. No need to bang them around like that.

@frankzahn7773 4 жыл бұрын

melt all the can without using flux. Then melt the dross to a full crucible. then add the flux, half salt and half borax.mix it in then clean the dross off and pour the ingots. Repeat for the rest of the dross.

@davidnovak6310 3 жыл бұрын

Hey! Great video! Just one thing - "So 1472/13=113 cans" Not sure, if someone already noticed ;)

@that1guy82 5 жыл бұрын

So a can is less than half aluminum? Must b the color on the outside thats the rest of the weight. I wonder if u can remove that before melting?

@stevendooley4958 4 жыл бұрын

It isn't supposed to reduce the dross. it is supposed to help remove dross. If anything the dross should increase.

@JointerMark 5 жыл бұрын

I am curious as to why i am getting a powdery gray ash-like slag and you are getting such a dense slag. I am using an electric furnace and don't crush my cans first (i did at first but it seems they take longer to melt that way). I wonder if the aluminium is absorbing more carbon or something with the open flame? Maybe when they melt faster the epoxy/paint coating burns off more effectively? I am just using regular table salt so there may be a difference in the potassium of the lite salt and the sodium of the regular salt? I will have to try the lite salt and see if it makes a difference. Thank you for posting this video it is always interesting to see how other folks do things.

@travischristians4835 5 жыл бұрын

I use wax crayons as flux after I take the slag off or use borax it seems to purify aluminum,copper,brass real well

@Jordan-rb28 5 жыл бұрын

Yeah he's doing something completely wrong, I used to get aluminum filled slag like he is but if you mix the salt in thoroughly it makes a huge differencr

@askquestionstrythings 5 жыл бұрын

You are oxidizing the cans in your furnace. you need a pool of metal at the bottom of your crucible and the dry crushed cans need to be submerged into the pool to reduce the oxidation. Yes, NaCl regular table salt is not a great flux for aluminum, I've read table salt also tends to destroy the grain refiners in aluminum. KCl (potassium chloride) is better. Borax is a great flux for cleaning the metal and eating away crucibles. if you use it, use it sparingly. Overall melting cans for casting is a waste of time, the alloy used for cans is different from the alloy used for casting. Cans also have a huge surface area which is tons of aluminum oxide generating lots of slag. If your doing casting, take the cans to a recycler and use that money to buy a casting alloy.

@Jordan-rb28 5 жыл бұрын

@@askquestionstrythings this explains why my crucibles look like complete shit after just a few copper melts.. Never using borax again. Thank you! However, I'm not sure what the lite salt is if its KCl or what but it works wonders and unless you're doing this professionally, its great. And if you're melting cans as a professional, you're off your shit.

@askquestionstrythings 5 жыл бұрын

@@Jordan-rb28 you are welcome. Just note all fluxes will eat crucibles, borax is just super aggressive at it and most people use way too much. Crucibles are a consumable item which needs periodic replacement.

@mumsky 2 жыл бұрын

Can i have request, adding some carbon fix material, like coal, or Charcoal I heard slag produced because some material from metal react with excess oxygen

@daveboemio282 Жыл бұрын

Can you do anything with the slag?

@sirukin7849 4 жыл бұрын

The issue is that the can has paint and a BPA liner on the inside. If you were able to burn off the paint and BPA at the lower temperature of 360 degree's first you'd get much less slag. The dross forming when the paint and BPA oxidizing with the aluminum traps the aluminum in the dross. Presumably anyway. The paint and BPA liner of each can probably weighs about 2-3 grams. The rest is pure 3004 series aluminum. 95% aluminum with 1% manganese and other additives.

@lloydrees7674 3 жыл бұрын

I like to Big Skull at the end of the video, do you have a STL of this your willing to share/sell?

@rdvankarabiber5516 2 жыл бұрын

hello, how many kilos do you melt with 1 tube?

@valsodar6723 2 жыл бұрын

Try amonium chloride Instead table salt as a flux.

@joelpichette 2 жыл бұрын

ok was it worth melting these cans, considering the price of propane?

@nicoleetoo 3 жыл бұрын

Hello dear friend! You need to use around 1% to 5% in weight of salt + borax (50:50) and another 1% to 5% ammonium chloride for degassing.

@coltonthiesfeld2320 5 жыл бұрын

Would it be neat if you make a LIGHTHOUSE with it. It would be cool to see you do one.

@ArtByAdrock 5 жыл бұрын

I will look into that 👍🏻

@coltonthiesfeld2320 5 жыл бұрын

Awesome

@didibrant7326 Жыл бұрын

If you were to sell the aluminum bricks, how much could you get per pound? Taking the stuff to a recyclinv center is worthless these days. I've saved 5 years 5 months of cat food cans all cleaned. One cat ate Fancy Feast, the other Friskies ( bigger can) so I have about 1980 cans of each. Is there a better place to take them? I have no idea what words to use on Google to find those places.

@markjust86 3 жыл бұрын

Does flux reduce slag? I thought it was to draw out the impurities? Surely that would technically make more slag?

@ralphmourik 5 жыл бұрын

What does reduce the amount of slag for melting cans is not getting it orange hot, red/pink is enough. I use a large old fire extinguisher for a cruicible in wich I always keep a puddle of molten Alu, when you add cans and push them under a lot less oxidation takes place. you got just over 50% of good Alu (Typo in amount of slag cans, should be 113 😋 ) The way I do it I usualy get 70-75% good Alu from cans without any flux. Just FYI for anyone interested 👍😋 Cool to see you and Perry together today, hope to see some cool collaborations in the future. 💪😎🤘

@ArtByAdrock 5 жыл бұрын

Yeah normally I’ll get about 70% return. The salt seemed to do nothing for me at all 🤷🏻‍♂️

@ArtByAdrock 5 жыл бұрын

I thought I put 113 🤔 oops I’ll have to go check that again haha. I was up until 5am doing it so that could have been the problem haha

@askquestionstrythings 5 жыл бұрын

You have to submerge the flux packet, let it sit for a little then stir the whole crucible with a graphite rod. Otherwise, the flux is likely to just oxidize on the surface and not give a benefit.