@@LeeintheWoods …way, way, way back… when the world was simpler, in March of '22 😉, I received my first furnace. I didn’t even open the box, until I could pay the 'cover charge’. And, that self imposed cover charge was to build my own tools‼️😊(Tongs, lifter, etc.) At that time, I didn’t even know how to cut, shape, or weld metal… so, I had to learn them first. Prefect timing cause RU-vid University was just about to start 🤣, truthfully, it gave me time to understand the true dangers and how to possibly avoid the. 😊
Kudos for most inefficient forge. Smaller barrel and crucible would improve speed of heating and ability to get to temp faster without using as much propane. You should probably adjust or get an electric furnace
Lee, I’ve seen some of those ant hill castings. They look awesome. I hope you find one that will take a successful pour. My brother and law melts lead to pour into fishing jigs. He has a tea cup crucible and a propane torch. I think he’s spent enough on molds, hooks and plastic bodies that he could have bought out the inventory at Bass Pro Shop! I’d send you all the aluminum cans I have but… my 11 year old grandson crushes them, sells them… and buys hunting or fishing gear! A man whose hobby includes fire has his priorities all sorted out!!!
Thanks for watching Dave. No worries on the pop cans. I'm glad your grandson puts them to good use. Lead melts at a pretty low temp so it's pretty fun to work with. We'll be trying out the ant hills this summer once the ground is a little dryer. I'll be sure to share.
Nice... Ive been wanting to get into melting my own metals down as a hobby also... this looks like a simple easy to use setup you got here do you mind sharing what brand it is/where you got it? And maybe the approximate cost it took you to get started doing this small batch stuff?
I don't mind at all. This one is a Canalhout brand. I'm sure it's a Chinese deal. I got it off eBay for $334. I also got the ingot mold from eBay for $34. All being said I'm probably $400 in on the set up. I do plan to get more molds and some different size crucibles.
@@LeeintheWoods thats honestly a very small investment when it comes to investing in new hobbies so I'm glad to hear that entry level is pretty much attainable by anyone with some time and effort. I appreciate you're quick responses and help with numbers. Cheers brother!
i love the furnace. and the metal doesn't solidify all that fast. the key is to build up a little funnel with sand around the entrance, and once you start pouring, you dont stop until the crucible is empty. just dont expect a tiny ant nest to take all of that material.
And yeah youre right about the inside of the can.. it actually has a plastic lining to keep the beverage from coming in contact with the aluminum. The aluminum layer is really thin too, i seen one of the youtube chemistry guys disolve the aluminum leaving just the plastic bag inside with the beverage still sealed inside it was pretty cool. Edited some spelling. Cheers
@@LeeintheWoods ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-xBQEnVR7y9k.htmlsi=r1-nlSIF366ktwZA this is a link to one of the RU-vid videos where they disolve the can leaving the inner liner, the one where he leave the soda inside is one of the related videos. Cheers!
The impurities in the cans will give you a feeling of stability and control but make no mistakes because if water is combined with the aluminum your probably going to die if you are close. I witnessed a aluminum cable plant that was completely destroyed when a casting furnace cracked and emptied into a water pool.
