Thanks for sharing! I wouldn't say this has any financial benefits, I'm willing to accept the cost for the fun of it! The tanks of propane I use are about $20 each and usually last 3-4 melts!

I'm happy to answer your questions! You are correct, the matter being scooped out is slag, I know it's slag because the impurities tend to either float to the top of the molten metal or sink to the very bottom, depending on density. So I'm for the most part removing all of the slag that is less dense than the aluminum! And the cooling with ice and/or water is purely because it gives off a satisfying sound and takes a lot less time than it would to wait for it to cool with air! There isn't really any practical benefit when pouring ingots aside from time and the fun of watching the ice melt and then boil off!

@@zestyjonssmeltery321 I appreciate your reply. I have access to a fairly good amount of scrap aluminum. I mostly just drag it down to the scrap yard. But some of the smaller, better quality aluminum I’ve considered melting into ingots. Heavier bars in a smaller package just seems like a better way to make money and a lot less likely to cut my hands open like the big, jagged stuff. 👍🏻👌🏻👏🏻

Could be a more efficient way to handle the bars! It would be worth asking if they pay a different price after you've melted it or not, as the exact alloy composition could change after you've done so, not sure if it would be significant. Also factor in the cost of gas! Best of luck if you go after it, melting is fun!

@@zestyjonssmeltery321 the scrap yard said they pay the highest price for 6063 bare scrap Aluminum. But by my melting it down, it takes away their ability to grade it because the item has been melted. They said they get so many varied scrap items it would be impossible to determine the metallurgy of each item. So I would actually lose money by melting it down. Same for other high grade scrap metals. Factoring in the cost of a new crucible, gas, etc. I’d be losing money. What I can do is melt down the lowest quality aluminum I get and sell it for the lowest price. But it’s really more of the fun factor in this than making a premium on my castings. Thanks for your thoughts!