Copper Bars from Scrap Copper, Selling for Profit

[@stevenbennett667]

Thanks again Ben,every one of your videos is a inspiration for me.

[@davidmcdonald654]

30 years ago myself and one of my best friends used to make copper, brass and aluminum ingots for sale at a flea market. We would leave the ingot in the mold until the next one was to be poured to keep the molds hot and ready.

[@joshschneider9766]

Wonder if that would be profitable nowadays

[@davidmcdonald654]

@@joshschneider9766 The price of copper was going way down in June but the price is starting to pick up again.

[@bigstackD]

You are right every ingot is unique. I know you could make money but I can’t sell mine I love them too much . I poured a 10 Pound copper bar on my channel and my mate offered to buy it for $100 ,I told him noway not gonna happen ! $150🤔mmmmaybe . Great vid as always matey , Perfect pours mate . I love when copper pours like water it’s so much easier as you say to take it up to 100°C well over melting point to make it easier. After this video you’ll probably have 1000 watching your bars on eBay 👍🏻.

[@eWasteBen]

Yeah i've watched your video a few times, the 10lb bar I poured turned out great too, and yeah, not for sale :)

[@bigstackD]

eWaste Ben oh yeah That’s right you did it a few months ago I remember now. I watch so many scrapping casting videos I can’t keep track of them all🤨😁

[@eWasteBen]

You've got a great channel, I like how your sticking to your guns and not drifting away from your casting vid's, your ticking along great, hope to see you do a special pour for your 10,000 sub's milestone

[@bigstackD]

eWaste Ben yeah matey I’ll have to think about something for the 10k for sure . Keep up the great content mate , Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi 🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻

[@otbkilo2001]

fr

[@georgeyounger3861]

I love the pride and confidence you display in your explanation of your every craft from copper to gold my friend...

[@brianclark17]

Need to preheat your molds and use flux before you pour, your barswill look 100 times better. Also, flip them into water about 10-20 seconds after pouring, and there will be less ripples on top of the bar. If you watch closely after pouring, you can see the copper harden over. Then flip into water.

[@moosescrapper5928]

Mesmerizing! I can’t stop watching these videos about making bars for some reason. Keep them coming!

[@mtrum79]

Right!!

[@davidbaker2859]

Well done Ben, enjoy your hobby hope you do ok with the sales.

[@MinenArbeiterLP]

Why you watching him and not lil uzi vert

[@skullcrackers187]

Haha, I’m down the rabbit hole.

[@hnbamer6166]

@@davidbaker2859 sssx

[@strayblackcatsmeow]

These are good for sale to small foundries. Recycling facilities pay bottom dollar for cast metals. Novelty sales to the public fetch the highest price but the real value won't exceed spot as purity can't be confirmed.

[@kovko69]

If you have a lot of scrap copper that's not in ingot form, then it's worth it to melt down. Not only for its "artisanal" value, but also to save on space. You're looking at a small fraction of the required space, to that of all the loose wire (especially when we're talking about higher gauge wires).

[@sourcedogDE]

I don't know why watching guys doing metal stuff like this gets me going like this but I know I had the evening of my life right now watching it. Keep it going.

[@mlgmistyonyt8000]

I literally fell asleep watching this

[@eWasteBen]

Update on this lot, 3 weeks and 12 bars have sold, only two left from this batch, new batch coming soon when weather permits

[@TheLorkM]

Yes i have seen that. Congratulation for all your work !

[@adamsmith-qw9xs]

Totally agree with what youre saying on the video its not scrap melted to scrap its the time the effort the gas costs etc and the end result of course id provably use a copper ingit as a fancy paper weight or door stop but knowing that it has artistic and financial value too. Well done by the way i enjoy watching the pours.

[@kevinrasmussen1748]

Nice scaled attempt, not bad for start!! No doubt you already know what you can improve upon. Most important looks like you had fun doing it. Welcome to the metal melting party.

[@kennethrosbury2819]

Right before you pour take a little handheld torch and heat the molds up and I think they will come out better they sure look cool when they're done don't they

[@dannydethanos6994]

In my experience I think if he poured faster out of the furnace and skimmed the top of the metal before pouring and the top of the ingots before they cool they’ll come out cleaner

[@dannydethanos6994]

Anthony Pagenkopf something like a mini torch or two sized flame with a medium thick sheet of metal should keep the heat in the molds you can heat the pans with a torch or another method. On a separate note your doing good it’s important to have flaws in your projects god knows mine do some people brush these comments off as hateful but while they should be taken with a grain of salt they’re still a great forum of knowledge

[@ShamblerDK]

That's exactly how BigstackD does it and it really does turn out better than this.

[@john.w8695]

Before I pour I always set my graphite mold inside my Foundry and let it get warm and then I use a grass burner to keep the mold hot I found it work better and I like the result

[@Red9GearHeads]

Love it!! Maybe if you put your molds into a pile of sand. The sand would help keep them hot. Far better than open air at least. Or maybe just surround them with fire bricks... ?

[@RoeMantic]

This never gets old no matter how many times I watch it!

[@lahssenorika2770]

Slm

[@Infidel7153]

"The smaller one is going to be the lighter one" Such profound wisdom.

[@yendorelrae5476]

Wow...how do you know? Far out!

[@skatetapes]

Really enjoyed the Video. I collect fine copper bars and yours look truly artisan. Well done

[@NathanielOutdoorAdventures]

Great info and advice. I just bought the 10kg Devil forge. New sub, greetings from Switzerland

[@robinjocaldwell1449]

Greetings from Pennsylvania USA Like watching & keep up the videos!! I love when you go scraping and finding all the cool stuff. Hear in PA we have yard sales, but after the sale ends most of the left over stuff is set at the curb. and any one come pick out what you like. Also most towns have a one day a year you can set out your junk to the curb. Hang in there, and stay cool in every way!!!! Robin Jo

[@moosescrapper5928]

I keep watching this video over and over, I am so excited for my forge to arrive! Great video! and good on ya for mentioning safety gear!!

[@Heart4Guatemala]

I’m in the same now 2 years later. Which forge did you go with and how do you like it?

[@jeanclaudebezzina]

Hi Ben, just watching your video, you said it takes 25mins for solids to melt and 40mins for wire, I don't know if you have an issue with your furnace or regulator, but I use a home made forge and it takes 15mins for wire and 8mins for solids. For copper I use .12mpa and generally put solids in first then add wire when its melted, it takes seconds to melt wire

[@fakenoobyup5492]

Thank you Ben , many of us wanted to see you pouring Kilo Koppa Bars !.. Also as an option , if you want to keep bars shiny you can apply a light coat Spray Varnish Ex = Everbrite Coatings

[@Kaaskop84]

Yeah but with coating it you'll be adding impurities again. Maybe it is an idea to vacuum them in a bag with a vacuum device?

[@gummyroid]

Bought the 1.44kg bar as soon as I saw it. I had to pause the vid. Great work, keep it up.

[@eWasteBen]

Thanks man, It's the nicest one for sure, choice pick.

[@Villa7]

@@eWasteBen please upload video every day.... I like you channel and always support you

[@itsjustrenee1320]

some people get gold fever but i've got a thing for copper.

[@rodneyhall4657]

Your a Copper Head

[@thanatos204]

It's pretty.

[@gregfridholm2136]

Yah, Copper!

[@josephpaul0484]

And I myself has a special fond of Silver. :)

[@robertryan9707]

@@josephpaul0484 You have the silverbug. Check out the subreddit.

[@jetman1963]

the bars quenching sound quite satisfying

[@lucaswang3908]

Wow, very clean setup and nice safety precautions! Great video as usual, keep up the good work!

[@chevysears4548]

Very, very cool. Personally I love the look of copper. Currently in the process getting the equipment to copper plate my bicycle and then clear coat it.

[@trashpirate196]

Hey there, been a subscriber for a bit now. I just got my 1st furnace. Merry Christmas to me. You inspired me my friend. Can't wait to make some bars for gifts and hoard and sell. Love watching your videos you really go into detail and have helped me with my scrapping. Keep up the informative videos...Trash Pirate from the States.

[@Heart4Guatemala]

Which forge did you get and how do you like it? I’m about to buy one now just not sure which to go with

[@yuri2006]

There's always someone to criticize what you enjoy doing because you like doing it your way. Keep doing what you enjoy my friend. Great job. Ontario, Canada🍻

[@thanatos204]

I've never seen anyone challenge a fire to a duel before.

[@AdamAdam-bn7yy]

please give me timestamp xD

[@Cory_Springer]

I've been scrapping and casting copper/aluminum/brass/zinc/you-name-it ingots for a while now. I love molten copper. There's nothing quite like it.

[@bantalee2002]

I seen a video where they were pouring gold into ingot molds,as soon as they completely filled the mold to the point it was over flowing the rim,just as the pouring was finished, another person used what looked like a large straight edged piece of stainless steel,doing a quick swipe across the top of mold,taking the overflow off and leaving a top surface that is real smooth. The gold that was scraped off the top just fell into a hopper below. Maybe you might like to try that trick on copper .BTW,.check those bricks below the grate from time to time for cracking. Heat really does a number to that type of brick.

[@fishmut]

Not only do people like a Copper Bar to keep but for many metal collectors its an investment also especially in the long run when prices go up , just like the stock market there is money to be made when the price is right , i call it smart investing .

[@GeekGuyMJ]

Hi Ben, I'm loving your videos. I just started pouring my own copper bars. It is super fun. I've been pouring in green-sand molds. I need to get some graphite molds like yours to make it easier :-)

[@berkeuslu]

How did you start? and Can you tell me how much totally paid for now?

[@blastdave]

Anybody know where to get molds ?? Obviously larger sized ones .

[@cptrikester2671]

I've been watching your channel for a while but this is the first casting one. Very nice.

[@joshmohi9298]

god that copper looks so beautiful when its being poured. love your vids

[@andrewamaya3404]

These are the kinda videos you watch at 3AM when your bored. Interesting stuff lol

[@aaronenriquez296]

12am**

[@americasfavoritehoarder]

3:20am

[@kamin_islands8547]

Tell me why it’s 3 am rn and I’m stuck watching these types of vids... 🤣🤣

[@vampcrush]

@@aaronenriquez296 6

[@vampcrush]

@@aaronenriquez296 and

[@jasonnealey8325]

Strangly mesmerizing watching your video . Like working with lava. Thanks for posting.

[@rkidy]

So correct me if I'm wrong but this is my understanding. For a cheaper price, you can get factory made bars with a garunteed quality standard, all of which are pure copper and the same shape and size and weight, which I would assume People who like stacking bars would want. For some reason, I can't see a reason to buy a more expensive, hand poured bar without a quality garunteed, without a garunteed of PURE copper - there is no way of knowing what other metals are in there- and they are all different, which I would assume makes stacking hard, however I am not an ingot stacker, nor will I ever be, so I can't say. I will just say this it honestly doesn't make sense to me. Any constructive feedback will be appreciated. However I do understand that as a hobby it can be satisfying and nice to know that you created it. Either way, I love your content and you got a sub from me

[@organbuilder272]

Listen carefully - Pure Copper Wire. Nothing but Pure Copper Wire.

[@leoncryp8182]

@@organbuilder272 There are may copper alloy wires on the market what claims to be 100% pure copper, wire, unless you source it from high end hifi system or wire from very old equipment. you can tell when you are stripping the wires 100% pure copper wire is very soft.

[@maulerrw]

@@leoncryp8182 copper wire can be soft or it can be hard, it all has to do with how it's treated. Copper will get hardened by working it, and you can anneal it by heating and quenching it. So you can have high tensile strength copper wire or very soft copper wire. As for purity, wire thats produced for household wiring should be 99.9% pure. That is wiring which complies to relevant standards. Wiring inside electronics I have no idea. No stamps or tests proving it regardless however.

[@evelynhoney6390]

Leon Cryp

[@enesyemin6762]

I am a Turk from Germany and love your videos, thanks for that. :)

[@nyoutdoorsguy9679]

We get more at a scrap yard for the ignots compared to just the wire well worth melting it for scrap here

[@Raynl1978]

Have you considered using a hydraulic press to compress the wire into small dense pieces. Might help speed up the melting and reduce gas usage

[@ernestpetzrick7741]

another cool vid Ben, thanks. Can't wait till I get around to pouring.

[@chicagopapi6152]

Ben, you are truly absolutely amazing, you really really are. Brilliant! Magnificent pours and they polished up to an outstanding finish! I tip my hat to you, kind Sir!🎩

[@Durrtyboy]

i want to try this it seems fun i also want to try a little bit of black smithing just trying to make basic knives but would be fun to smelt some scrap down while im at it i think around where i live ppl will just set free junk out on the road and i live by a rail road track so i plan on walking it for free rail spikes to try to make knives with

[@citylotgardening6171]

Beautiful bars thanks for sharing

[@khyron6]

Copper is Great. Thanks

[@perrytheplatypus199]

Pretty nice clean ingot moulding you had made

[@simonjones7785]

polished up it would make an exclusive paperweight for an office desk or the executive in your life

[@Babyjohn8170]

They look absolutely fabulous!😃👍

[@lilly-un7sk]

I know I'm super late but I just found you this is my first video and I have been looking for a really long melting stuff and I really enjoyed this video and I'm going to start catching up

[@shaneyork300]

Love to watch this one. There's something about fire and molten metals that bring the kid out in me!!

[@Kamal_AL-Hinai]

Shane i just saw your comment on BigstackD! What a coincidence!

[@HelloKittyFanMan.]

Have a look at some old thermometers and you'll see some molten metal at average room-temperature!

[@Kamal_AL-Hinai]

@@HelloKittyFanMan. Yes. Called mercury. Not healthy if entered the body.

[@billydow1971]

Nice work.

[@masterdraw10]

Love this kind of videos, the longer the better

[@wealthycopperman9242]

Well done Ben. This is an excellent skill to master, very smart.

[@mikedoug152]

Then again with led the ladle has to be hot unless you want a face full of led when you pour it. Nice job man,they look bad ass all sitting there together.

[@duncanhorne962]

Yes, yet another excellent smelting video great to see & Very Informative many thanks again, as It helps a lot, any advice on the moulds only pls!

[@MetalBum]

Wow so that’s just plain cool. Copper rukes

[@thinkforyourself6418]

I just recently got in to pouring copper and other metals. And Electronica scrapping. When you pour your copper. How do you make it look so good?

[@anthonypoole6901]

Man of you want a really cool looking pour rig you a propane torch over top center of the molds as you pour makes these real Nice ripples on the bar thats what i do with mine when i pour. But i dont pour any as big as youre doing here

[@jifiky2395]

Why are your videos so perfect

[@charleskelly8072]

wow, i must say you get your copper to a higher temp than most people, so yours is like chicken soup consistency when you pour, most peoples look like pancake batter if you understand me!! congrats i randomly found this video. and i know its 6 years old but im looking forward to more

[@shanooby4359]

Ben try using a charcoal grill to keep your molds nice and hot.

[@LordRustyMcAlpin]

I have plans for a portable kiln for smelting

[@jetman1963]

try a little rouge and polishing wheel to get a mirror like shine. clear lacquer keep it shiny forever

[@tomharrell1954]

At 8:09 you were talking about the time it takes to melt wire. There are chemicals that can be added to the crucible that reduce the melting point and reduce the oxidation. The bars will come out cleaner and shiner in a faster time. IF YOU KNOW WHAT CHEMICALS TO USE. Do you know which ones

[@ScrapVulture111]

get it Ben!!

[@joan7823]

Hi scrapper fancy meeting you on here .....lololll

[@nikolajwinther5955]

I saw a video of some chinese guy selling these (supposedly) expensive furnaces for melting gold. He would measure up some gold in pellets to a pretty exact weight and then had these smallish molds that he would fill with the pellets and then put into the furnace. When the gold was melted he took it out and let it cool and it looked absolutely flawless. Not quite minted but almost. (I know it's an entire - and much more expensive setup) I suppose it's the even heat, where a pour the way you do it will "shock" the first few drops and whatnot and they cause the bar to become rough looking. Would you ever consider to try and put your small mold into the furnace with some measured-off copper and try and make a "clean" (unpoured) ingot?

[@myes344]

Different material. Cant work that way

[@eatiegourmet1015]

I watched your other vids where you separate #1 copper, #2 copper, (what we call it -- "milberry", "burnt", etc., in your parlance), to take to the yard. When you make the ingots, does your melt include #2, or just bright #1. Seems to me, @ 1100*C, it should just go all-in. Yes?

[@eWasteBen]

Yes it can all go in, 1200*C

[@vccoinsnevada]

Awesome pour good Sir! Love em!

[@kalfaxplays7899]

you're living the dream! wish i had the equipment and copper to do that!

[@someGuy-os3kg]

Have you ever thought of pressing the copper in hydrolic press before melting? May speed up melt

[@xmachine7003]

You are correct. A steel mold and a hand hydraulic jack would work just fine for pressing.

[@PetraKann]

Total Heat/Energy (Q) = M (mass in kg) * Cp(heat capacity in j/kgC) * DT (change in temperature degC) Cp (water) = 4200 J/kgC Cp (copper) = 385 J/kgC If you wanted to cool down a 1kg copper bar from say 1000 degC to 25 deg C or room temperature, the total heat removed from the copper bar is Q = 1*385*(1000-25) = 375,375 Joules The 375,375 Joules of energy removed from the copper bar is transferred to the water. Let's say the cold tap water is initially at 10 deg C and there is about 10 liters or 10 kg of water in the container. What is the change or increase in water temperature when you drop 1kg of hot copper in the container? 375,375 = 10*4,200*(T-10) so T = 8.9 deg C At the most the water temperature should increase by about 9 deg C for each 1 kg copper bar you drop into 10 liters of water. So two 1 kg copper bars initially at 1000 deg C should increase the water temperature by about 18 deg C. Unless you had less than 10 liters of water in the container or your cold water was a lot warmer, I cant see the water getting that hot. (the other factor is that ingot weight was a lot higher than 1 kg)

[@Fisheiyy]

it also has to due with the fact that math cant always solve everything or predict everything correctly, im sure there and many variables you are missing out and obviously you dont have the exact temperatures but still

[@curtsnellgrove3538]

@@Fisheiyy In cases like this, math absolutely can solve it accurately. The biggest factor the OP didn’t think about, is simply that hot fluid rises. It is certainly possible to have near boiling water at the top of a container, and significantly cooler at the bottom. If the water was well stirred, the temperature should be very close to the math.

[@tm2357]

Hey there! Long time fan first time commenting! I didn't get to this sale before it was too late but know that one of these bars would be a perfect gift for my brother (also a fan!). It'd blow his mind!! Any idea when you might be selling some more? I'll happily cover any additional needed to get it to the US!!

[@eWasteBen]

it's not going to be until start of next year when I fire the furnace back up

[@tm2357]

@@eWasteBen sounds great!

[@jbjb429]

I love the way you pour the molten copper into the moulds then they glow orange wow so hot. Just subscribed to your channel I'm from London UK

[@davidlee1719]

Have seen multiple metal pours lay the molds on top of the furnace vent then take them off and they turn out good bars.

[@martineasson6668]

How many pours from a full tank of gas Ben ?

[@ДэнСоло]

The main thing-do not rush! Speed often leads to serious burns! Can you do the same with brass and aluminum?

[@stackerbu916]

Two really good pours around 30 min’s into the vid 👍

[@amschelco.1434]

Beautiful sir! 👍

[@1414141x]

Great video and has got me thinking about your comment on selling ingots for a much higher price than you would get for scrap copper. Another cost saver for you could be fabricating an oil burner for your furnace. They burn clean and you can use dirty oil from garages or just the public who do oil changes on their cars. Another advantage is that oil burners can get up to much higher temparatures than propane. If you fancy having a go look up a channel by a guy called 'myfordboy'. He is an engineer with a wealth of knowledge and he goes into detail on making oil burners.

[@sharptoothtrex4486]

I even came up with realistic fool's gold bars you might try. The following metals are iron pyrite; brass; copper; zinc; tin and aluminum. This is something I came up with this kind of suggestion.

[@KESENO]

Before you do a pour place the molds on top around the opening of the forge just to heat them up in the mean time

[@LordRustyMcAlpin]

I like your new set up love the grill on blocks

[@jimtalbott9535]

So, I'm absolutely on board in believing that these acquire a premium on Fleabay, or other such sites. Curious: have you considered creating a counter-stamp of some sort? Maybe with a logo, and information on the weight?

[@ninefingermining8694]

How many times you burn your fingertips ? Think it’s time for new gloves lol. Cool video 👍🏻interesting to watch. Thanks I’m going to start doing that myself

[@fido3561]

Try mixing white vinegar and salt and placing the ingots in the mix. Should make them bright. Mix 1 cup vinegar to 1/8 cup salt.

[@americasfavoritehoarder]

Nice bars. Good job.

[@Tall_Order]

I wonder how much the propane cost eats into the income of selling the ingots.

[@dianaluttrell6515]

An idea.. when u line up 3 containers to pour into..leave the middle for last and it should get a better pour...correct

[@MR_R.o.b.o.t.o]

Really you should make back splash tiles for kitchens.....that would be ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL to see in a nice kitchen....don't you think Mate?

[@Kil23Joy]

You got to preheat your molds to prevent the popping when you pour

[@jjcp576]

Hi, I have become obsessed with these metal recycling and bar pouring videos on you tube and I have decided to get my first furnace and try to do some copper and aluminium pours. Are the Devil Forge furnaces a good product? I won't have any issue with access to scrap metal, would you recommend the 10kg furnace as a good sized starter kit? Finally what style and size of mounds do you find the most useful? I'm not interested in making them to sell, I just want to add to the collection which I have already purchased over the years from eBay. Thank you for your help Justin

[@exidy-yt]

Well, the top 2 scrappers I follow both use Devil Forges. If you go to BigStackD's channel he can get you 5% off a Devil Forge, and for the cost of them 5% is nothing to sneeze at. They look damn good, get up to high temperatures fast and never heard of any real problems with them though personally if I do bite the bullet and get into melting and casting my own metal, I'm going to make my own ghetto forge first. If I make money, THEN I'll look into buying a forge, and it will likely be a Devil Forge if I do.

[@billkeighley4508]

Getting ready to retire. Enjoy your input . Keep it up.

[@argitis1]

hello from Greece!!how much cost this machine with the pot inside?? thanks a lot!!

[@gambitdesert8500]

Great video your funny when you said you can cooks stew lol but scare me on being rough with them molds in the beginning and throwing it around to put the fire out had me rolling my looked at me like I was crazy from busting out laughing but seriously thanks for the video and the information great video glad I ran into your channel started binge watching thanks for your time

[@evillarreal146374]

U should get one of those tiny circle grills that are low to the ground the little ones so u can put the mold in it to keep them hot leave them on there and pour

[@electricalien1693]

Love your videos. Ingots rule

[@donalddavis5996]

a small foundry for just let the round handles were good for my moles