great vid that said Zinc funes most certainly WILL kill you. we lost Paw Paw Wilson the blacksmith due to zinc fever. go ahead and google him and his death.. it WILL kill you and it will also make u wish it had killed you. be VERY careful with zinc fumes folks.

As a person that worked as a mold operator in an aluminum foundry for four years, everything in this was spot on and concise!

Safety equipment and practices include: - leather apron (leather is sufficient for this temperature range) - welding gloves - leather sleeves / arm guards - full length pants, long sleeves and clothes of natural fiber (melted plastic, e.g. nylon or polyester, sticks to skin) - face shield Assume that molten metal will spill or splash at some point: - leather boots with thick soles - leather spats for shoes so molten blobs don't drop in - clear away any clutter - concrete can spall (even if it doesn't look moist) because molten metal can flash moisture into steam; best to use a box or tray of dry sand - never put your head over the furnace; a gasping reflex can pull superheated air into your lungs and cause blistering (doesn't work well for breathing) - bucket of cool water you can stick a hand or foot in to stop burns from getting worse - someone around to call 911 if needed; show them how to turn off the furnace - nobody talks to and distracts you when handling molten metal. If they think that getting you to screw up would be funny, they can come back later. You'll probably be fine, however spills and splashes happen, crucibles can crack, break or be dropped; metal can leak out of molds (high hydraulic pressure for dense molten metal); you can trip on things. Put a little effort into taking some basic safety precautions.

Pro tip for welding brass, ditch the tig. It welds beautifully with oxy-aceteylene and a slightly oxidizing flame. The excess oxygen eliminates the zinc fumes entirely, plus it doesn't pop spit or do any thing else weird. This is the process that I use to repair antique radiator tanks.

This video should be "required reading" for anyone melting metal. This channel should be subscibed to by all foundry wannabes. Always love the way you openly share your ever expanding wealth of knowledge. Also good to see so many foundry tubers commenting here and sharing their great knowledge as well.

Great information! Its so nice to see a non clickbait video that doesn't waste peoples time :D

Excellent content. Show us more of this, the tricks of the trade, the casting issues, vent holes etc. I have not begun yet, but I have my furnace and basic gear, just need more education before I fire it up!

Fantastic. Thank you. I've been circling the idea of casting for a long time. These are the videos the world needs more of. Why is a tictok star getting millions of views for eating a tide pod, but this video, providing actual skill and information, is not. Just ridiculous. Please never stop! And thank you.

This video needs way more attention from people who do metal casting! I myself knew just about everything you talked about already. Now if I only had more time to put this knowledge to use, so many projects I have waiting to be finished or even started. 😅 Thanks for all this great info! 👍👊

Very informative! I cast 35 years ago. I have forgotten most of it. If you don't use it you lose it. Thanks again.

Great advice!

These are all fantastic tips. I've done lost-wax casting, but large-scale foundry work is clearly a different animal. THANK YOU!

This is one of the most informative videos I have come across detailing troubles, dangers and nuances of smelting and casting. Thank you for spending your time and sharing your experience!

A whole video packed with usefull information and tips without all the rambling nonsense filler. You have achieved something very rare on youtube and I appreciate that. I hope your channel gets the attention it deserves and Thank you

Thanks for making this; lot of important information regarding health/safety - better safe than sorry :) Looking forward to see more content from you!

The best video for us who had to learn some facts on our own, break things in the process and spend a bunch of money in repeating attempts. This simply explains it all. Thank you!

WOOOW hold up, you mentioned engine parts for aluminium alloy, which is true HOWEVER caution is advised, those block can be made out of magnesium as well, which will burn your whole shop down. So be careful guys, just saying.

Well said, nicely explained. Love it 👌 have a good one 👍

You have a fantastic journey going on, thank you so much for sharing, I'm retired Skill Trades, and multi media artist, and I thoroughly enjoy watching things that I never got around to doing. AWESOME 😎

Just started researching this craft and I must say , after watching at minimum 10 others this 1 video had so much more information then all those combined. Thanks for sharing and best wishes in your work.

Thanks for your practical advice and information. The English grammar and the outline that you used was perfect in my opinion, and also enjoyably to listen to. Thanks for a great video.

So much excellent information. I’ve been working on my own “what I didn’t know” video for beginners, can melters, and ingot stackers, and you hit the great points on the head.

This is some mighty informative video. As I am about to get into casting myself (just tiny personal curiosity projects) I really appreciate a lot of those tips as they just saved me a lot of screwed up tries. Thank you very much for making this.

I really appreciate the fact that you waited until the end to ask for a subscription or like you gave us something of value and had every reason to ask. I subscribed and liked

Finally! Someone who talks in a language of crafters! You don't HAVE TO have a high quality setup, but if you want high quality end result, it's going to take an investment of either money or time. Thank you sir. This is the exact kind of informational video i like.

Thanks for this most informative lesson. I bought a little furnace with the intention to cast in lost wax. Your videos are my lessons on how to achieve my goal. I'm at the stage of preparing the furnace, crucible and making the dross scoop, crucible ring, etc.. Your videos have made me aware of the dangers and precautions to take.

Wow, what an excellent video on foundry basics! As a beginner, this was an incredible learning experience for me. I love your explanation and how it's practical and easy to understand - it's clear you know where newbies should start. I'm happy I found this before going down the rabbit hole of other content. Your video has given me the confidence to explore more about the trade and see how others do it on KZfaq. Thanks for enlightening us, and keep up the great work!

As a wannabe and a willbe, great video and reason to pay attention to detail when I start setting up shop, Thank you!

Excellent video! Thanks for the tips. I'm moving toward building my own furnace, and this was all great advice. Also - you speak very well! That's nice to see with KZfaqrs. Keep it up.

Thanks for making this video!

Hi I’m just about to start my casting journey. I have made my furnace almost ready for burning. I will go with brass. Anyway. You just gave me a lot to consider before I head diving in to the unknown. Thank a lot. Was a really straight forward education video. I have learned quite few important things Well done 👍

I did a little sand casting years ago as part of some machining study. I wanted to be able to make some parts for antique restoration, so I was looking around for info. I really like this video, simple , concise information. I watched a couple of others and they’ve help a lot. Good vid !

This has been one of the most helpful videos I’ve watched. Thank you

Excellent stuff! 👍👍 I will add that a respirator shouldn't be optional or only for melting brass. Melting and casting puts out all sorts of bad stuff in the air that isn't good for breathing.

WOW, A WHOLE WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE. THANK YOU SO MUCH

I just started dipping my toes into casting and your video is the first I have seen that was USEFUL! Your presentation comes across as friendly and helpful and not condescending. Great work. I will be following you for more info.

Absolutely fantastically done and safty was placed right out front. Very professional, well done!❤

Have learned more watching this video than a lot of others. As a sculptor who knows a lot of this, having practical first hand knowledge that was earned by trial and error is priceless. Great video. Would love to chat more when I get my own foundry going

Real life info. Cast a lot of silver with lost wax and some bronze with sand. Thanks for sharing

I can attest to the danger of Zinc fumes as we used to call it 'zinc flu,' when burning through steel with oxy-acetylene if you burned through galvanised steel parts and ingested the fumes you were usually laid up the following day. Nice explanative video;-)

Thanks again for taking us on your casting journey, you are fun and informative, a great combination 👍😊

That was the best casting video I’ve seen to date. Well done my man! 🇦🇺🤜🏼🤛🏼😎🍀🍀🍀

I would like to point out that the aluminum alloy used in beverage cans is a very high-quality alloy. It is 3104 aluminum which has primarily a bit of Manganese in it as the principal alloying element. The alloy is used because of the ability to cold work it in a deep drawing process to produce the can body from a disc of aluminum. It does not need to be very strong but does need to be very ductile. All of the aluminum alloys are formulated to meet the requirements for a specific purpose. 3104 does not make a good casting alloy because it lacks fluidity when molten. This is why most aluminum alloys meant for casting have a high silicon content. Yes, you could add your own silicon to a melt of beverage cans. First refine the aluminum from the cans to get a nice clean ingot with no adulterants, weigh your ingot and add anywhere from 3% to 6% in weight as silicon. And there you go, you have just made a good casting alloy. The little bit of manganese will probably not affect the casting fluidity. hth

This was a very helpful video. I have worked with metal most of my life, on aircraft or in a weld shop, but not casting it. This was really informative and well done. Especially important was safety, wear a respirator and protective gear. Thank you for taking the time to make this.

Thank you for this fabulous information, all the details which could be learned by trial and error, you save us a lot of error, thanks again.

Great info, I started with thinking yeah "I've heard all this", but then it got into much more specific information that is great to know getting into it even if you aren't going to utilize it yet

Thanks for the shout-out regarding the ceramic shell. Happy to help!

I have pored over so many online resources, but none have been as helpful and straightforward as this one - thanks!

You've really expressed your learnings well in this video. It would pay for people to take note. Well done!

Man, I appreciate the calm and approachable delivery of info here! Thank you!

That right there is a great video! I would love to see you make a detailed video on making a furnace. I keep going back and forth between making or buying.

Absolutely informative. This was one of the best videos that I have seen really help me. Avoid a lot of mistakes. Thank you for the time and patience to make this video. You are awesome

Wow, quite a bit of useful information there, ThanX! I can't tell you how many times I've seen video titles like "Making your own Forge or Foundry" only to see them build a Furnace instead! I tip my hat to you sir ;) To all the rest of you naysayers out there, it's called a dictionary and I suggest you refer to it often. As Indigo Montoya would quip "You keep saying that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

What a great video! I have been home casting for many years and I know all the points you have raised but I think for a newcomer this is a go to video and you explain it perfectly. Well done!

Thank you for all the free knowledge from experience!

OUTSTANDING VIDEO!!! SO So much Excellent information! Thank you!

Wow! So much quality info delivered so concisely! ❤

Wow. So much great info! Perfect length and good things to know.

So nice to see the many safety tips and lots of information!

My first learning video. Fantastic information, Thank you!👍

Fantastic! Neatly summed up the majority of the topics that should be prevalent on a beginners mind when considering this hobby. I was gonna start just welding up some old tanks to make an oven so to speak, but thank you for saving me hours of trial, error, and frustration!

Nice, several aspects I was aware of, though some I hadn't considered and I appreciate the knowledge of technique and safety passed along. Thank you.

Wow first video I watched on casting Have not done casting in over thirty years. Great advice. Great shared lessons learned

By far the most informative video I've come across on this topic! Thanks for sharing!

Best video of intro things for casting that I've ever seen. You put a lot of content in those 15 minutes. Thanks!!

Thank you for sharing your knowledge!

I've been doing bronze casting awhile, and some of my mistakes were explained well here(hydrostatic pressure and shrinkage). very useful and entertaining, AS ALWAYS.Thanks

Great, to the point and perfectly delivered. Thanks.

There's tons of priceless info in this video for a beginner. Thanks for posting!

Amazingly high quality video! So much great information, so nicely packed. I actually watched the whole thing...and without skipping ahead...which I never do. Bravo!

I Think Your A Caring Decent Human Being For Teaching People What You Know About This Subject

Thank you. I think you have saved a lot of lives and heartache, myself included. I was going to venture out into this bullion making but will now do so cautiously. God bless you, Sir!

Excellent presentation and excellent content. Great ! Just one remark : bronze is usually copper with 5-20% tin plus additions. There is also aluminium bronze and silicon bronze.

Solid advice, thanks for your video!

That was the most helpful video I have ever seen. You answered all the problems I've been having. Thank you so much.

You provided a very informative video. I have been interested in metal casting for a long time. The basic instructions you have provided will help make my future work much more rewarding, and I can plan for a safer foundry and a safer working environment. Thank you very much. Your video is greatly appreciated.

This is the pinnacle of what the Internet was made for. Stellar information and presentation style. Instant sub. Looking forward to learning more from you and your amazing work 😁👍🏻

Great video. Thanks for the lessons!

Great video!! Thank you for all this great information.

Thanks for sharing your experience. A lot of important information for security measurements.

Very informative, thanks for all the great advise

Wow, if I could send myself a video two years back it would be this one.. So many crucial lessons in here and great explanations about casting. Thank you very much, you've earned my subscription!

Brilliant education on casting. I now realize there is much more to casting than merely a small gas furnace. Thank you so much. You have saved me a ton of money !! I will look for a foundry who can do the casting work for me

This vid was so informative! Thank you. I learned a lot.

Great tips. Thanks, they are all worth knowing. 😊

Really enjoyed this. Dont stop.

Love it, I'm founder since 2007. This is great video for people starting up. Keep up the good work

Thank you. Very useful for someone who was thinking about melting cans to cast household objects.

Excellent video!! thank you for sharing information

That was great! You brought up several issues I would not have considered. Great job!

Wow, so much useful information!

I found this information very useful. Thank you for sharing your experience with us.

Real good work - Great Video Job & Great Info! Thank You!

I didn't know the term hydrostatic pressure. I've watched so many videos about melting metal. I have a ton of knowledge and zero experience. That is what you have taught me. Thank you! 😊

Just about to get into casting, and all te tips are very helpful. Thank you.

I really like this video. I am glad I watched. Very informative.

Thank you for an excellent well thought out video for the beginner. About to purchase my 1st forge to form large round stock aluminium bar to turn parts in my lathe & wasn’t sure where to start. I will start with a quality set up with safety in mind. Thank you again.

Dude you just saved anyone looking to get started in this hours of headaches. Thankyou very much. Very good presentation and very well put together. I’d love to see some more videos on the lost wax casting and learning to cast hollow

Spot on ! valuable info for anybody starting out. Greensand once conditioned you keep it in an airtight tub and it will always be ready. Bronzes are normally copper/tin plus numerous other metal depending on use.

Of ALL the KZfaq videos I’ve seen, over many different topics/hobbies/crafts/skills, this has got to be one of THE best I’ve EVER seen!!! It’s both clear and concise, making it informative and understandable. There is an inherent humility with the delivery, that I appreciate VERY much. Too many KZfaqrs let ego and personality get in the way, or spend the entire video yelling at you. I’m very grateful that you shared your opinions, while leaving me with the informed choice to decide for myself. This is my first video of yours, so I’m excited to see more. Keep up the great work!! 😀👍