if it don’t make $$$$ it don’t make sense.

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

a bit of silccon dust or sand in the mold might make it easer to get them out... sorta like cookies, but instead of flour, putting in some grease or sand to release the molds could be a good idea... nothing with moisture tho. otherwise you have to wait till the metal shrinks.

Smaller Crucible or Ladle to slowly pour into those small molds. Nice try though, keep at it!

Nothing ventured; nothing gained! You got a lot of lessons from this. And, you didn’t get injured or break the bank in the process. Those deeper molds are a booger to remove. It’s a fine line between too cold and too hot on the molds. In a previous job, I visited my company’s injection molding plant…. They sprayed a mold release agent on the molds between each casting. It came in 55 gallon drums. I wonder if they sell it in a hobby sized portions? That might come in handy. Keep plugging away bud… those anthills await!!!

could you just use a ladle to have better control ?

need a smaller crucible for more control in pouring

Welcome to the Metal Casting universe‼️ An ingot is a ‘gateway drug' 🤣

Everyones spelling it wrong its Aluminium

That is the nicest metal melting foundry I've seen on youtube! Burners are equally as well done.

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.

Great job! Im 13 and own an 8n, doing a job like that sounds like fun to me!

Looks like fun! Also, that ancient root beer can is cool.

Note to self, do not leave aluminum things at Lee’s house. 😂

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.

Need you a devel forge bro not a metal forge there is a big difference lol

Oof, those cans are 10 cents a piece here.

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!!!

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

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?

🤠 Hi Lee, great to see you back - Tim

Gonna counterfeit some pennies? Did you know that one of the grave robbers who tried to steal Abe Lincoln’s body was a nickel counterfeiter?

The best content, IMHO is the kind that the creator enjoys doing/making.

Seems like you might have benefited from a front end loader which can be had for the 8N for like $300.

The tools that insert the fittings into the tubing. It saves your fingers.

Do yourself a favor and spend 150 bucks and buy the tool. You’ll think yourself later.

So I have a three-quarter inch mainline with 20 to 25 taps. Because that’s what I was told. Now I’m being told to use a 3/16 line and I am able to put 20 to 30 taps on it. So five seems a little bit shy of that. So I guess you just don’t know until you try it yourself. I Just re-ran all mainline to 3/16. And I am being told to use 5/16 drop lines from the trees and I can have up to 25 ish per run. Don’t know I’ll let you know in February. Thanks for your great video. I like to know that I’m not the only a newbie out there. Fred

When you said the southern tier, I thought do I say a location or Speidies.

I love it!!! More maple videos!

A burning ambition 🔥😎

It’s not quite cool enough to enjoy that here… but, I’ll be doing so in a few weeks! Enjoy bud.

That old ford sounds like it’s running on 3 cylinders????

Lee, that was rather darned nicely done! And, on one tank of gas! Here’s a tip for you… when cutting stumps. I’ve burnt up a couple of chains topping stumps. The sawdust will normally fill the kerf and keep it from pinching your bar and chain. But, if you do feel your saw bogging down or the chain smoking… poke a wedge in the kerf. In 1986, I bought Sassafras Valley and my first chainsaw. I hadn’t used one since I left my parents in 1971. I spent the summer clearing trees for an access road through the property. Felling, topping and such occupied every spare moment of the summer. There were a thousand new lessons and old ones remembered. I got a little cocky and started telling tales of my logging prowess at work. My boss called me on it. He said he had four hickories that had died from construction damage. He bet me a case of beer that I couldn’t drop them all on designated targets. I took him up on his bet and agreed to do it Saturday morning. I spent the next few evenings sharpening the saw and gathering up gear. Saturday morning I showed up… and he had a spray can of paint and a case of beer. After looking at the trees I had him mark three spots to the east of the first three trees. But, the fourth tree was leaning south toward the house. I needed it to turn north east to miss the house and driveway…. So, I told him to mark it there. He looked up at the lean and said, you ain’t gonna get it turned within 10 feet of that mark. So, I asked him… double or nothing? He agreed. The first three were easy drops… right on target. Come time for the fourth. I got in my pickup and backed it straight in line with the spot. When I reached in and got out my bucket with the ropes… my boss cried foul. He accused me of cheating. I pointed up at the tree and told him… you have three choices… I drop the tree without the rope and it’ll land on the house. That’ll cost me two cases of beer. I can use the rope and drop it on the mark… that’ll cost you two cases. Or, I can walk away pay you two cases and… you can pay the tree service to take it down. After rigging the rope and working out signals, he got in my pickup and tensioned the rope. As my saw touched the tree my heart was pounding in my chest… I’d never cut a hard leaner over a house… and the rope was an old mouse eaten sisal farm rope that had seen a lot of hard days. Somehow, I cut perfectly in synch with his pulling. I left with two cases of beer… a reputation as an expert tree feller and, learned not to brag so much about my tree cutting prowess. Those hickories weren’t rotten… just dry wood perfect for axe handles. That rotten tree you tackled was a whole level of nasty worse than they were. Using the winch was a wise move. Was that an ash tree?

Sure did not need a truck to pull that little tree down. You need to watch cottontop3 videos on how to take trees down safely.

u think your a hunter not

A little pine scent in your syrup might add character. LOL Looks like your harvest is going great… good luck bud. PS… I had a little guy in my last video who could help you out with starting your fire.

🤠 nice one Lee, good to see you back.

I can smell it from here… makes me want to heat up the waffle 🧇 iron!

Sounds like sap is running heavy this year

This is gonna make some super dense snow drifts...like the ones you see at the ski resorts by snow machines 😬

🤠 Merry Christmas

I clicked on this hoping you’d discovered how Dairy Queen makes theirs so delicious! Stay warm bud… maybe snuggle up to the fireplace with some eggnog? Merry Christmas

Stay safe my friend it's the same here

That is savage out there..... 😬😬

What implement is that you are using to scoop that up like that? I just got myself one of those Ford 8n's I would like to know.

That certainly beats a shovel and wheelbarrow lol

🤠 Nice one Lee, keep it up - Tim 🤠

Lee… that came out pretty darned nice! Puppers approved!!! My first deck using treated lumber was a nightmare. Having only used treated lumber before, I was accustomed to using a minimum number of fasteners to put them in place. Then, I would lay a straight edge atop, at each joist, to guide a straight line for the screws. To start with, the treated lumber was bowed, warped and twisted. But, it was still wet so we could get it straight with just three or four screws on each. We finished getting them down just before dark. I couldn’t get to them the next day…. But the sun did! When I came back to screw them into place, they were no kind of straight. The 1/4” gaps went from closed to 1/2”…. I spent a whole day using wedges, pry bars and off color remarks just putting in the screws. That was the last time I put a treated board down without securing it from end to end! Yours came out a bunch nicer than mine did!!!

Looking great I was up in your neck of woods Tues and Wedn gonna have to meet up sometime maybe do some hunting or something

What size brush hog? 5ft?