How to Make a Free Aluminium Melting Furnace 

I have melted aluminum cans in my fire pit, I melted it in a soup can.

There is no info what so ever in the first 30 secs 😅

Hero in disguise, thank you,let's get melting

this is nothing more than just basic metalsmithing. this method has been in use for thousands of years before steel was ever invented. this is how copper, bronze, tin, lead and aluminum were cast

Vienna sausage cans, spam cans, kitty food cans . . . And the lids!

How did it go? I'm curious!

😄😄

the topic of this video is FREE

Hi, great to hear you’ve tried it. Have you tried charcoal? Obviously you’ll have to pay for it but the furnace should be much more efficient. Hope that helps

"I also noticed that the crucible kept falling over" balancing the fire tube and the molten ally on very thin edges of those bricks is asking for trouble

You could make a stand that the can sits on it might work and charcoal would work best or just cut down trees weeks prior to melting

Or just go to the effort to make a legitimate furnace with firebrick lining and so forth

What did people go back to before the drawing board was invented??🤨

You would be correct in your assessment. Overall, the method as demonstrated in the video will work to melt Aluminum, it's true. However, it's a really inefficient way to go about doing it. To put it nicely, it's a very BAD way to go about it. You'd be better off digging a hole into the ground or a bank of dirt! Why? The dirt would act as a superior insulator thus you would burn less wood and the temperature would be higher. Yes, it works but there are far better ways to go if you want to be serious with casting Aluminum and do it in a far safer manner. Soup cans are usually good for a melt but often fail before you get even a single one completed so beware! Wear some serious PPE and use some channel locks to hold onto the top of the can when you pour. NEVER get under the can with any part of your body. Be prepared for the worst because if the can lets go, you'll have molten Aluminum spilling wherever and whatever is burnable can/will get burned or ignite itself and burn. That includes your clothes and your skin! As far as what methods to use which are superior, search up other video clips where folks use a wide variety of methods to construct a furnace while using different fuels or electricity. With electricity, you can use heating elements in a furnace or use the induction heating method which is super fast but is expensive for the equipment. Depending on what you can scrounge up, are willing to pay for and based on your talent... you can invest a little time, energy & money or a lot. You can make do and get by... maybe... or do it right from square one and produce excellent, consistent results. My best advice is to see what others have done and make an informed decision for yourself. Try to hook up with a hobbyist or two in your area (or a group!) and get some time in helping them out and ask them to teach you the ropes. You'll get a much better idea as to what you really want to do and how far you want to go with metal casting. You'll also potentially save yourself a lot of the previously mentioned time, effort and money. Some folks get really excited by what they see in a video then once they experience it? They decide it isn't for them. The smart play is to get educated, get some experience and make informed decisions. Best wishes! - Max Giganteum

I guess your set up could really gain from a cleaner burn.

Hmm maybe that can size is slightly to small for a decent chimney-effect (sorry for my lacking English, by the way. I assure u, I don't want to patronize. Ur clips are awesome and really educating!) If you're keen to try bigger setups: try to get hold of a drum from an old washing machine. I know I don't have to explain it to you but for the the benefit of other readers: simply spoken the steel and it's thickness those drums are made of will usually take extremly long till it's burned out/brittle. And you could mess with application some sheet-metal to manage air flow.

@@michaelabratzel6371 that's an excellent idea as well!!

The lowest tech option I’ve seen, but one that works and is cheap Enough for someone who wishes to tinker with metallurgy.

old construction brics has area that makes holding them easyer he is using that area for casting

"tin" cans are really just steel cans with a thin layer of tin

Yes it would. I try to use charcoal if I can

Forget charcoal... it's usually too expensive compared to natural gas. Yes, I know that you can make it yourself and some folks can attain it super cheap or for free... and some folks can also get coal as well. If that's true, go for it. Even so, they don't burn very clean in most home built furnaces. Based on cost for the average guy at home though, it would be better to build a proper gas furnace. Best wishes! - Max Gigantum

Try a magnet, if it sticks, yes!

Hi, the wood is probably good for one melt. You should be able to melt some but it might be best using charcoal as the heat will last for longer. Also, a tin can is only just large enough to fit a aluminum can in, so if you crush them they might not fit. Hope that helps

Yes but it's a waste of time to melt Aluminum cans even if you crush them first. There's not enough mass to make it worth it. Attain some substantial scrap aluminum from wherever you can such as a small gas engine block that's non-repairable or used up pistons from an automotive engine. There are other parts as well such as an aluminum head that's shot. The quality will be much greater than cans too. The truth is that Aluminum can be found in all sorts of items... but try to stick to scrap that's worthwhile. Cheaply made products contain crap Aluminum which is OK if you're making something ornamental. If you want to cast useable parts, use Aluminum that was originally cast into engine or transmission parts. They'll be made from an alloy that's superior. Best wishes! - Max Giganteum

I bought a brand new Toshiba T1000 way back in 1987 😅

yes you can melt tin on a stove

I think he meant steel

Fun fact: when he states "tin" he means steel. He's probably English. When they say "tin" or "tins" they're referring to steel items. Another fun fact: copper does NOT make for a good crucible you dolt! Epic facepalm! - Max Giganteum

The amount of oxide is not too bad, it tends to be just a thin layer on the surface. I use a spoon to remove just prior to pouring.

if you can cover the pot with some wood chips inside they will form a reducing atmosphere and turn your oxide back to metal. i did this a lot with a teapot casting fishing sinkers

​@@drakekoefoed1642 how? They'll drop into the metal, is that a problem or will you just scoop it out before pouring?

​@Dardomor I think it'll either burn off or just float to the top. Either way skim the surface before pouring.

​@@BPunlimited1337 It turns into a skin on the top of the liquid

You can find them online with a wide range of prices and quality. If you cast seldomly, manufacture a small crucible out of a section of steel pipe - weld a cap on one end. Stay away from galvanized pipe unless you grind the coating off of it! Best wishes! - Max Giganteum

Ha yaar merko bhi janna hai

Hi, normally about 20min. I have had it take longer sometimes, I’m thinking it’s something to do with different types of wood.

@@MetallurgyData hi, what would you say is the best wood for burning? Thanks!!

@@matthewburns6843 tree wood

I personally use madrona. It's an oily hard wood it doesn't burn up too fast but it burns extremely hot and less smoke ,I have found. But I do suggest that removing the 'bark' as to help reduce the smoke also

@@raymondo162 really ? I Didn't thibk about using wood forming in trees ! Thanks for the usefull tip !

Tin cans aren't tin, they're steel.

I don't think they've made them from completely tin in decades.

Tin cans are steel, tin foil is aluminum. It's just a colloquialism.

Hi, the temperatures won’t be high enough to melt brass and copper. You’ll need lump wood charcoal but still might struggle with this setup.

One word: Negative!

???

Big boy bookworm! I'm only on page 23...?

Why wouldn’t you want to do that? ;)

@@MetallurgyData because the way you showed to do it is clearly dangerous. and dangerous with fire and molten metal is VERY dangerous indeed

I am using melted aluminum to fill voids in my natural made melee weapons.

? You are joking? Im just guessing.

Crucible. Not a fancy name... a real and legitimate name for an item commonly used to hold molten metal. Look it up and educate yourself. - Max Giganteum

Apparently has never seen that play or seen the movie

Nothing is as expensive as it's made out to be

Well yeah. Tin is too soft and can't be processed to be tough, and it crumbles in cold temperatures. It's great for alloying with other metals, but it's kind of a crappy material on its own.

@@luke_fabis It’s also more expensive than steel.

You don't have a single magnet lying around your house? Also, you should seek out some assistance with your finances if you're spending $50 on a paint can. While being an internet troll seems fun, it leads to a meaningless sad "free" of any relationship with other humans existence. Enjoy your free content 👍

Stfu

It's a regional thing. Many times Ive heard it pronounced a few ways

He's most likely in England, Australia or New Zealand. The English pronounce it as "Al-ew-minium". Why? There are those that believe the guy who first created Aluminum from Bauxite named it that... and pronounced it that way. You can research up the oft controversial topic and do some reading... it can be somewhat amusing to us engineer types. Peace & good vibes! - Max Giganteum

One of the few words the Brits still actually pronounce all of the syllables . . . and you complain ?