EXPLOSIONS while casting 250 kg of ant nests! Triple bull ant nest casting (80, 125 and 45 kg) Day 1

Australian Ant Art™ is casting three bull ant nests for the Queensland Museum's Insect Agency Exhibition, opening September 2023. We used 250 of the 260 kg of aluminium we brought with us to complete the castings. Two of the nests exploded on us whilst we were casting them, testing our safety gear.
australianantart/
australianantart_official
Species cast:
Nest 1 - Myrmecia brevinoda
Nest 2 - Myrmecia brevinoda
Nest 3 - Myrmecia tarsata
Casting date: 28/6/2023
All music sourced from KZbin Creator Studio:
Savior - Telecasted
Sound effects obtained from www.zapsplat.com
Video shot and edited by Jim A. Barker, Twelve Points Photography. Find his work at twelvepoints.photography or thejimclasshero.

[@compunurse]

So the explosions happen when the hot aluminum hits the armory/munition store of the ant bunker?

[@1s3ngr1m]

I thought the explosions began when the hot flood reached the ants corn stash, instantly popping it

[@simontautorat1014]

You know nothing of ants. It was obviously hitting the waste water treatment plant of the ants. Shit blew up.

[@doodlegassum6959]

@@simontautorat1014 this. Cows the scape goat for big ant farts

[@tonyballou]

😂😂😂​@@doodlegassum6959

[@EBeggsKOK]

Don’t be silly. It is the ant’s fireworks depot for their New Year’s Eve celebration. Ants can’t shoot firearms… everyone knows this.

[@bunsonhoneydew9099]

Good thing ants don't have social media. They would probably say bad things about you guys to the ant community at large.

[@coptotermes]

Lol

[@general1140]

Ant live matter

[@4piecespicy589]

Free ant Palestine

[@woodrow60]

Some woke genius will get on to this issue.

[@4piecespicy589]

@@woodrow60 some "woke people" are just idiots on one too many hallucinogens.

[@wiltmarlonelao]

“They’re an amazing creature. They do an amazing amount of work.” *Proceeds to flood their homes with molten metal*

[@arlenewitt248]

25 and 30 year old nests of amazing creatures and you wipe out the colonies and burn them to death. How cruel! No piece of art or museum exhibit justifies that.

[@flagadorf5045]

@@arlenewitt248 perfect exemple of immorality

[@Spahki]

I'm sure you lot treat cockroaches, mosquitoes, and spiders with the same reverence you showed for this nest of bull ants.

[@andrewmarvell4604]

Cruel. And shameful.

[@officialfymyt8628]

Absolute cruelty

[@perrycarditi5]

You guys better reverse the way you are wearing your gloves. Sleeves outside or one of these days it’s going to burp and you’ll run molten aluminum down inside your glove. Hot slag hand warmer. Not going to be fun.

[@MrLeiduowen]

So they killed a nest of ants to make a casting for an exhibition showcasing how ants are beneficial for the ecosystem? Now that's interesting...

[@greymomma]

Something sad about destroying nests that have been used and maintained by ants for 20 & 25 years. Instead of marveling in the fact that creatures this small can do this.

[@dww2006]

You do know how fast they reproduce? Their life span isn’t great.

[@nadapenny8592]

A 20+ year old nest too. No doubt a staple of the local ecosystem. This is the same level of stupid and selfish as trophy hunting - "admiring" impressive wild animals by killing them

[@5302Stang]

I’m sure they would gladly relocate them to your residence

[@MrLeiduowen]

@@5302Stang This is the sort of attitude that has brought the humankind to where we are now.

[@SirWulfrick]

I think this is the first time I've seen guys doing this and actually using safety gear. Kudos for doing so and for publicly showing WHY.

[@Texas240]

Lol, except the kid in no safety gear right up on the pouring operation.

[@cosmogoncalves7950]

And giving the ants 48hours evacuation notices 😂😂😂

[@happyavacado1495]

Using safety gear but didn't rake the dry grass away from the area and almost loosing control of random fires 🙄😳🤔🫣

[@George-dy3pt]

Your avatar says everything!

[@Jack_Torrance.]

@@Texas240 It is okay. The kid is a non-productive member of society. He was expendable.

[@shimo_96]

14:19 Here's an interesting thing about metal being used as mirrors: Some telescopes use a metal like gallium that can liquefy at room temperature as a lense because you can change the focal point simply by spinning the metal faster or slower. Since it's liquid, it makes a near perfect disk and is considerably cheaper than a glass lense.

[@restezlameme]

That's freaking cool

[@georue98]

Hey I just learned that after visiting the nasa visitor center in Houston.

[@lorihenrytaylor4438]

@@restezlamemeI was gonna say that!

[@JethroXP]

"If you do this, wear safety gear please..." as an unprotected child dances around aimlessly within a few feet of the same danger the protected adults are close to. I get it, the whole family is out there, but tell the kid to stay back or wrap him up like the adults, that will not end well.

[@user-jj7xh2ji6h]

Actually it appears to be quite unprofessional. Bickering about pouring and people participating who have to be constantly cided about standing up properly. If you have "people" in charge of fire protection, have them properly equipped. Bush league.

[@SizzleCorndog]

Big difference between standing over a hole full of molten metal and standing 5ft away from a hole full of molten metal

[@rfichokeofdestiny]

@@SizzleCorndog Not standing 5 feet away. Bouncing around like a monkey on crack and almost falling face first into the ant hill.

[@Mike__B]

I love that everyone is wearing safety gear... well everyone except the kid who's standing a few feet away from it all. He's lucky he wasn't trying to stamp out a fire in that last one the same as he did the first.

[@michaelg5587]

No joking, and if that was irresponsible during the first fill, its just criminal stupid after they had the first explosion to let him hang around unprotected at the following fills.

[@mddale]

You can always make more kids

[@Iamkcs2c]

Asinine to even allow that kid on site. 21:30 He is literally stomping on fires that were lit by the explosion.

[@sirald66]

I'm actually yelling at the screen for the kid to get back !!

[@C4RV3]

Actually one of the stupidest things I've seen in a while.

[@eaglescout1984]

That kid is lucky he wasn't near the third nest. The fact he was jumping right where the crucible was diring the first nest pour was scary. And the explosion is proof he needs to stay much further back without safety gear. Someone get him a Super Soaker for Christmas so he can put out the grass frpm a distance!

[@ribbitgoesthedoglastnamehe4681]

Using a super soaker near molten aluminium is a great idea! If a spoonful of moisture creates that much of an explosion, just imagine how much destruction you can cause with 20 times more!

[@0minous187]

let his put it out with his beiber hair style. he shouldn't be there at all he gives off "special needs" a lil too much

[@markkinsler4333]

Water is scarce there.

[@stevekassel3301]

NO EXPLOSION, FOOL

[@southeastcoastalphotography]

It was scary that he put the fire out quickly?

[@auricom24]

...As if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.

[@MarcoFariello]

Commento troppo sottovalutato! ❤

[@G82Jesse]

Lucas's writing annoys me so much lol. The use of "suddenly" twice in a row in that sentence just feels off. I DON'T LIKE SAND.

[@miwoj]

@@G82Jesse it's to emphasize how very _sudden_ it was. can't really overstate the suddenness of that event.

[@chrissmith7669]

@@G82JesseSpock said it first i believe

[@firenze6478]

And nothing of value was lost.😃

[@geraldmiller5260]

How does the aluminum flow into the ant nest when Australia is upside down? Wouldn't the metal flow into the air??

[@luminousfractal420]

the sun is so strong it pushes the metal back into the holes

[@Jaydaydesign]

I think it did 😂

[@ronniekotler9265]

Your comments reminds me of the US Congressmen from the great State of Georgia in the US who once said that there were too many people on the Island of Guam and it was going to tilt over.

[@SteveMillerhuntingforfood]

@@ronniekotler9265 That congressmen (sic) is a dumb idiot

[@doodlegassum6959]

Pressure differential

[@bleu_ace1200]

This popped up on my recommendations and that was quite a pour! My father used to work for ALCOA back in the day and molten aluminum is no joke- he's seen some rough accidents back then if you weren't careful near the stuff. Glad everyone was alright and 100% great advice on proper safety gear as well. Molten metal is friend to no one.

[@RendaJane]

It seems particularly hostile to ants.

[@gehtdianschasau8372]

Even the 10 year old, running around in the background is wearing sunglasses for protection 8:10

[@Flashback_Jack]

Terminator model T-1000 enters the chat.

[@Casey_E]

I worked for them in Maryville TN

[@beararms6945]

Lol I used to work there in the 90's some guy dropped a soda in the extruder and boom 💥

[@trebark1]

You took the time to point out why it is so important to wear safety gear, yet that little kid ran around you with no safety gear at all.

[@ArtzyZero]

I could understand it assuming the children are taught how to stay safe when the adults are working. But then they encouraged the children to put out the fire despite having no protection on and had one pouring right after the huge explosion (the height difference causing unsteady handling of the bucket and pouring, yikes!). It's probably a normal thing for everyone there and the kids will probably continue to help out and get better with age and experience but it still made me uneasy. :/

[@RTBurke]

Setting the flaming buckets onto dry grass seems like a well thought out plan.

[@0minous187]

he has special need powers that shields him

[@chubbrock659]

He gon learn today

[@lancerevell5979]

Makes me imagine giant space aliens pouring billions of tons of molten metal into the NYC subway system. 😄

[@CruX06]

They should anyways to clean it out.

[@labbit3574]

Free metal

[@theuncalledfor]

Ants are not sapient. We are. Ants will steal your food, bite you, sting you. An alien could leave peacefully with us, in theory. Not comparable.

[@christmassnow3465]

I think the explosions you had comes from the water content of the ants being practically vaporized and their remains charred beyond recognition. The biggest explosion in the third casting was probably because of the proximity to the tree's roots, which also vaporized the water in the roots and caused lots of gaseous emissions that vented through the hole with a spectacular explosion.

[@rolandmeyer3729]

Hey, ants, welcome to... HELL !

[@All_Loves_Lost]

@@rolandmeyer3729 oh man that comment made me laugh and feel bad at the same time 🤦‍♀️

[@warrax111]

@@All_Loves_Lostno fear. karma will strike back

[@0minous187]

noooooooooooo really?

[@ribbitgoesthedoglastnamehe4681]

Heeheehee.... "gaseous emissions".

[@Smokkedandslammed]

The one ant coming back: "Yo, why did you guys build a giant mountain in front of the entran-OH MY GOD JIMMY IS COVERED IN MOLTEN ALUMINUM! "

[@mikuhatsune184]

RIP Jimmy 🙏🏻

[@AMysticLegend]

You deserve more likes for this.

[@stephendavis7057]

Aluminium

[@Taricus]

RIP me lol

[@mochalattemiss]

That one made me spit out my drink! Kudos!

[@therealjoshtodd]

i was hoping to see the metal when it was pulled out of the ground. i've seen it before and it looks super cool. little disappointed you didn't pull it out

[@JonathanGillies]

they did tho..... in another video lol............. :0

[@alden1132]

Have you guys ever looked into "vibrating" the ground around the nests, when you cast with resin? My thought was to use the vibratory tools they use when pouring concrete, inserted into pre-dug pilot holes drilled into the surrounding earth. Depending on the size of the nest, you might need 2 or more, but I bet even 1 would help to "shake out" bubbles that otherwise might compromise the casting.

[@MysteryD]

Those are specifically designed to vibrate bubbles out of thick liquid. Honestly, a repeated-hammer-type vibrator would probably work better. That said, I think your idea about vibration to get the liquid to fill the holes better, is a good one.

[@TheNightshadePrince]

I like your face. :)

[@user-cp1kk1rv4h]

Green sand or other sand molds are cold and the heat from the iron crates a minor geothermal "vibration" reaction if you will, settling into it's form cooling into a solid. Was a ladle crane operator for a few years.

[@alden1132]

@@user-cp1kk1rv4h That's an interesting dynamic to learn about. Thanks for sharing! However, I was thinking more for the resin pours, though, where bubbles and debris in the smaller passageways of the nest, combined with the lower density and higher viscosity of the resin, are more likely to cause clogs/stoppages, and large air pockets may never be displaced by resin at all.

[@user-cp1kk1rv4h]

@@alden1132 oh, I see now. Must have read it too fast. Lol

[@bluegizmo1983]

_No ants were harmed in the making of_ .... Oh, wait, nevermind 😂

[@sirennoir258]

Ants are bullies.

[@karlos543]

​@@sirennoir258 And we're not?

[@greymomma]

@@sirennoir258 and a food source for the echidna.

[@RafaelSang-tq8ur]

What's a million ants out of gazillions? Legal mass murder?😂😂

[@mpulleyscott]

All in the name of art.

[@frankndick960]

I'd like to point out 4 grown men in safety gear and one minor in no safety gear at all! Just as close, stomping on fire granted but still vulnerable to splashing!!

[@WhiteVioletButterfly]

To answer why this happened: the molten metal hit the water table. You can tell it’s low in this area because at 1:50 you can see they’re about 20 yards from a pond at site 1, and site 3 is maybe 10 yards further out. Site 2 is much further from the pond and the ground is a bit higher, which is why there was no explosion even though it was a bigger pour.

[@noneck3099]

ants were living under the water table?

[@dune7824]

You don't need water to achieve this effect, just trapped, expanding air will do the same.

[@splodgen32]

No, I think what they meant was just that the hot aluminium got all the way down to the water table. @@noneck3099

[@0minous187]

@@dune7824 you do realize how many ants are in there right and the gas being released from them?

[@dune7824]

No I didn't get a count, did you?@@0minous187

[@scottcol23]

19:17 This is a great example of why we wear safety gear. No one went to the hospital. Great job.

[@user-qe3zm3tr6c]

You need too keep the young fella a few more steps away

[@MatthijsvanDuin]

or at the very least gear him up in PPE

[@dshe8637]

Kid shouldn't have been there

[@FoxyfloofJumps]

@@dshe8637 It seems like pretty typical behavior for Aussies in general. "Eh, he'll be fine. What doesn't kill ya, makes ya smarter." I think another poster recommended a super-soaker. I recommend a liquid nitrogen sprayer.

[@dshe8637]

@@FoxyfloofJumps But kids do die, or get life-changing injuries some times, don't they?

[@sarahk4047]

@@FoxyfloofJumpsyou not wrong it does come across like that 😊🫶🏻❤️🇦🇺

[@kimlindsey5178]

I have watched several aluminum ant castings and this is the biggest explosion I have seen. I am SO thankful that you are all okay! I have given scathing comments to some channels (accompanied by thumbs down) who call themselves professionals, yet they are wearing sneakers, using oven mitts and tongs to pour the molten aluminum. I commend you for showing the PROPER precautions when pouring these sculptures. Thank you!

[@sforza209]

SCATHING COMMENTS AND THUMBS DOWN??? How could you!!

[@kimlindsey5178]

@#sforiza69 if you saw the video that I saw, you would give the same response.

[@sforza209]

@@kimlindsey5178 I’m just messing with you hahaha

[@artnull13]

Yeah except the kid running around @9:19 with zero protective gear 😂

[@moose6676]

It’s great that you guys considered full PPE 👍🏻 think the young lad should have full PPE, as he was involved in the operation, just a thought. Enjoyed your video thanks. 👍🏻👍🏻

[@artnull13]

Lol no-one cares about Joel

[@demsandlibsareswinecancer4667]

Who on Earth sets up in such a manner so that they have to walk half a football field to pour the molten aluminum?😂

[@fly_speck_cafe]

Cardio, man.

[@GodlyAtheist]

Seeing those ants walking on the side of the hill as their 20 year old home gets burned by giants was kinda heartbreaking.

[@chubbrock659]

Not really. Little demons

[@edwardpardy7866]

Cry me a fukin river mate!

[@shanesauce7738]

That makes no sense

[@csrlivestock7080]

My worry was fire. A month ago we were in severe drought and total fire ban. I did not see any water used to put the fires out if it go away.

[@dibbuk5730]

I was glad to see that there is at least one group of ant casters who are willing to use proper protective gear. The big burps around 9:30 and 19:00 was proof of why it is needed.

[@Myndale]

As someone who has been bitten by a bull ant I can assure you, that protective gear isn't for all the molten metal flying around!

[@JonathanGillies]

@@Myndale hmmmmm....... not convinced tbh lol........ :0

[@shahphone]

The safety gear on the person at the 21 minute mark is incredible. Good job!

[@503dude8]

I've heard about ant nest molds, but to see it in action is really cool. I'm glad you guys had on your PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) when that one pour exploded.

[@dshe8637]

But the kid running around randomly was very unsafe

[@WildlifeWarrior-cr1kk]

​@@dshe8637she wasn't pouring

[@jamesabergas5320]

Seatbelts don't only protect the driver of the car but also passengers.

[@alphabravo424]

And there was *NO fire extinguisher on site.* That could have ended in a bush fire. Especially with the explosion

[@davereeves1967]

Goes on about being safe, has small child with no safety gear stompin' out fires right in the danger zone. Makes sense.

[@fergywurst]

I'm thinking that your Fire Fighter might need just a little more protective clothing. Other than that, his tecnique is fun to watch. 😎

[@brileyh]

I love how the youth have parts suitable to their strength and ability

[@KingOfNaraka]

Those ants never knew the apocalypse of their empire was carried out by a couple of guys named Steven and Chris in the name of art.

[@gogmorgoaway]

Casually setting the grass on fire on a windy day in a country known for being on fire instead of finding something to set hot things down on is an odd vibe

[@greymomma]

No water nearby to put out any fire that might start either.

[@southeastcoastalphotography]

They had a very capable firefighter on hand and he did a great job. Also I think the guys who do this for a living know better than the armchair commenters.

[@gogmorgoaway]

@@southeastcoastalphotography All I'm saying is you won't need to react to a fire before it gets out of hand if you set yourself up to not light fires you didn't need to light. My line of work has me running grinders and torches in some prime wildfire country. Even if it's something as simple as peeling the sod bad or scraping the duff to bare soil before you start work, you don't throw sparks or drop red-hot steel into something that could ignite. It's not like there wasn't time waiting for the furnace to get up to temperature to be planning a better strategy than tossing the crucibles into the grass. Yeah we always have something around to extinguish any fire that might start, but it's a better day when you don't have to use them. And even if it's not much of a fire that gets away from you, you're still pulling fire response resources away from possibly responding to something else.

[@DaleKlein]

This is the first time I've thought 'poor ants'.

[@georgevasilopoulos5359]

Imagine being an ant queen building an empire of ants for 20+ years and getting all of it destroyed in seconds . I just don't understand why they call this shit art.

[@AxionSmurf]

pour ants

[@JonathanGillies]

the landowner was going to get rid of them one way or another anyway lol......... :0

[@spring1942]

Same.

[@WeirdHieroglyphicSymbol]

@@georgevasilopoulos5359 boo hoo?

[@clacclackerson3678]

Australians doing what Australians do best: treating the land and nature with absolute contempt.

[@nathandodge665]

Waaaaaaaaaaaa cry cry cry

[@shanesauce7738]

Maybe you should try living with bull ants in your house and see if you change your mind

[@clacclackerson3678]

@@shanesauce7738 😃

[@CyxerrexyC]

Apparently natives, nature and land are their natural enemies.

[@eldrichnemo9312]

Wow, I never knew all the dermatologists in pimple/ingrown youtube comment sections are also environmental entomologists AND CPS workers. All at the same time! Amazing how educated the comment sections are! 😉 The explosion in that third nest was really shocking! Reminds me of a young lad of 20 or so who would reach into the fringes of the bonfire for wrapped potatoes insisting "aluminum doesn't get hot." Quite the genius that one. We'd roast marshmallows, too!

[@squarefour1]

I was intrigued, so I watched what you guys were doing. As you were putting on all of that safety gear I thought. Really, Why?? Then I saw Why. Glad you all had it on. Wow that moisture in the nest I assume caused the explosion of hot aluminum. Really loved the video

[@wholefoodplantbasedmama5398]

It’s Australia! Safety gear is essential

[@satoriwabisabi]

Why is the kid, the only one not wearing protective gear? Lol

[@kotnapromke]

Мужчина это выживший мальчик.

[@luminousfractal420]

non skilled, replaceable

[@artnull13]

Joel is expendable

[@userbosco]

feel bad for those trees, something tells me they wont survive casting

[@philippal8666]

Just waiting for the kid to pick up the molten aluminium with his hands

[@K-Igaki]

This would make for an amazing sequel to "A Bug's Life"

[@mattbiggs1992]

Jeez what a scary moment. That kid running around that close to it afterwards though isn't a great idea. Thankfully everyone was ok.

[@MavonEast]

They broil ants for a living. This isn't going to be a brilliant community.

[@garrettmillsap]

​@@MavonEastlooks like someone pissed in your cheerios. Simmer down Karen it will be ok.

[@MavonEast]

@@garrettmillsap Thanks for proving my point, Einstein. 😁💙

[@garrettmillsap]

@@MavonEast you seem like you need a win, so I guess I will let you think you have it. Cheerio pip pip

[@MavonEast]

@@garrettmillsap Good boy.

[@billmoran3219]

So much for safety and a well planned pour

[@raydunakin]

Those ant tunnels must be really extensive to use up that much aluminum!

[@Un4inged]

Makes me nervous how close the young one is to it all with no PPE

[@0minous187]

who cares

[@SatelliteYL]

Glad you’re wearing safety gear but… I can’t believe you haven’t set up a jig to pour the bucket from a safer distance…! At the simplest, just two saw horses with a mount, and a bar with the bucket connected. Set up a pulley and a rope, and you can pour in safety from a distance

[@charliewatts6895]

That's what I was thinking.

[@alexmad9377]

been watching your series. love it lots of time effort research has gone into everything. but this mega tank and eco system takes the cake. an avid viewer from Australia.

[@TomPauls007]

This was cool. Like some others have said: When molten metal hits any water, it immediately turns to steam (expands greatly). Also, why not carry a water extinguisher with you for fires?

[@Mrs.LadeyBug]

Perhaps your answer is written in your question.

[@KieranShort]

Looking forward to the rest of this miniseries!

[@ronsimpson143]

Would putting a short steel barrel cutoff, say 2.5 feet tall, around the hole keep that exploding bit from spreading?

[@joethebumbler]

No ants were harmed in the making of this video. Never heard "aluminum" pronounced like that before.

[@autumn948]

it's like a volcano in reverse!

[@MarcelleRogin]

This is all very interesting, but why is that kid so close when everyone else is wearing protective gear?!?

[@shanesauce7738]

Maybe cause kids are impulsive and most often put fun over safety

[@danielbedrossian5986]

10+ years ago a similar ant nest pouring was done with somekind of cement mixture in Africa, and was dug up after the cement solidified. It must have been a nightmare removing the soil without breaking the branches.

[@deshonkimble714]

I’ve see that one and it was massive

[@maryrottman1530]

So, really, what caused the one pouring to explode so dangerously? Y'all remained pretty calm even with molten metal hitting you. Great job!

[@adelaideoldphart]

Fascinating. That 'explosion' was intense. I first saw this sort of thing with fire ants in America and the nests were much more spindly and extensive so I was surprised to see how squat these nests were. A very interesting video. Thank you.

[@davedyson4730]

The kid was far too close, especially when the first one blew back.

[@garrettcaldwell6206]

Imagine sleeping in ur house and all of a sudden tons and tons of molten metal is pumped into your house at extreme speed without warning and next thing you know your whole cul-de-sac or city is an art peice 😂

[@TheRVSN]

Pompeii. Italy. Just a few centuries ago (historians lie).

[@dr.emilschaffhausen4683]

79 AD

[@1nvisible1]

*Happened to me once. All the food in the fridge was ruined.*

[@Damiano_19]

That's gonna be awesome.😂

[@luminousfractal420]

pompei

[@MikkoRantalainen]

19:13 This is why you shouldn't let children be anywhere nearby! I was quite worried with the clips earlier but fortunately nobody was close without proper protective clothing here.

[@TheSiberian77]

it’d be cool to do at night with a thermal camera, you’d be able to see the outline in the ground heating up… just an idea

[@ABa-os6wm]

Don't need the night for that.

[@Enishidono]

I'm so happy to see you all again!! This was an absolute blast to watch (pun intended), I really hope you all continue to post more vids! I'm also happy to see no one hurt too badly from that steam explosion. That was pretty scary

[@australianantart1376]

It was pretty intense. We have a few more videos coming for these castings.

[@lovequeen7080]

​@@australianantart1376What did these ants do to you??? Why would you do this?

[@andrewclayterman6230]

@@lovequeen7080 calm yourself, bruce.. they are vicious buggers that will, and do.. attack humans. The nests were getting closer to the abode..

[@gusmannion7962]

​@@andrewclayterman6230they tend to forget that 80% of the animals & bugs in Australia want to kill you for food hahaha, that's the problem with groing up in America they forgot we still live with Nature & not nature living with us. If they had to spent a week out there they'd DIE, from being stupid ,look at this cute little bugga, OUCH CHARLIE, NO BITE CHARLIE THAT HURT... 😂😂 LMFAO HAHA HAHA

[@igualnimp]

No one except one million ants.

[@seth-bullock]

It's funny how amazing they say ants are, but then they kill them.

[@jorickjoetoep]

What a delicious looking cancermellow they had in the end. Really awesome to see the nests come out. Geat vid

[@oblonghas]

I just wanted to see the castings!

[@skakpedersen]

WHAT? We will NOT SEE the actual casting in this video!

[@jerrylondon2388]

From the beginning I was asking myself why a child was within a couple of feet from the pouring? And again why that child was dancing around with no protective equipment? Then came the explosion. In the U.S. Child Protective Services would already be investigating. If adults wish to pursue this activity, great. Children can watch the video at home.

[@404_profile_not_found]

Good job to the kid enthusiastically stomping out the fires!

[@mohammedalmukhtar5428]

Doomsday for the Ants…died in simmering heat …no lawyers involved

[@shanesauce7738]

That’s what they deserve

[@ryanmolina6770]

It's been a while but I'm glad to see that you all are still producing content. I'm particularly interested in watching more clear resin castings. As the technique develops & improves, I'm certain we'll see the most spectacular displays of nature ever witnessed; like 4k in 3d frozen in time. Anyways, I'm also happy that no one was injured during that big explosion; too bad it wasn't 'radioactive' otherwise it could have given you 'super powers' (jking). Hot, molten metal. Heavy, cumbersome objects with sharp and/or jagged protrusions that need to be handled. Angry, large, aggressive, venomous ants. Sounds pretty safe to me... Can't wait to see the excavations!

[@uhlspetznaz]

That you don't use some blocks or something to protect the land around where you work is amazing to me. Hell, at least clear a patch of area so you don't end up starting a massive fire and burn someone's house down.

[@dlc2112dlc]

Aluminiumumumum. That's not a metal in most of the world. But here, it's a metal that is just like gold.

[@doug9418]

WoW that's awesome! First time watcher and I'll be hooked. Thanks for teaching.

[@foxw875]

12:31 that lone little ant returning from his foraging that day. "I dont remember this mountain being here. Wait.. what are those humans doi... OH MY GOD MY PEOPLE! YOU MONSTERS!!!"

[@andrewclayterman6230]

"Wow!! They've sure upgraded the pla.... OH MY GOD!! NOOOO!!!"

[@shanesauce7738]

Being ants have about 0.0000029% human brain capacity, it’s unlikely they can experience emotion.

[@jeffreybernard7677]

One minute I hear that the ant helps the soil and the next minute you're going to pour molten metal on the ant colony. So which is it?

[@coopercross6123]

They are pretty deadly to kids and livestock

[@luminousfractal420]

farmer doesnt like ants on "his" land. some farmers totally at one with nature..and then there is those who inherit a farm 😂

[@user-uv7up4vg6i]

If you are going to pour molten aluminium (melting point around 650 deg C) into wet ground you should not be surprised if superheated steam chucks the metal back ands out of the nest/hole.

[@tugginalong]

I can’t believe how close the kid gets to the pour after the explosion

[@_SYDNA_]

Seeing an unprotected child on that jobsite gives me the "willies". I dont know the work and dont know the child but it does leave me thinking through a lot of "what if's". In the end though, the parent is the best judge and the parent has to decide

[@DDD-qt8bw]

The parent was an idiot.

[@datashe]

Parents aren't always 'the best to judge' and this is the best example, wtf are you talking about? LOL

[@myjmbro1304]

I’m always so excited when y’all post!

[@australianantart1376]

So are we :)

[@marcdraco2189]

"Ants are amazing creatures that really help the soil. Now stand aside while I fill one of their nests with molten aluminium."

[@spankyjeffro5320]

Yep! PPE is a must when working with molten metal. I got 2nd-degree burns on my foot from molten steel heated by an oxy-torch. Molten metal is no joke.

[@buckodonnghaile4309]

I've had a bubbling tar droplet land on my leg, I can't imagine molten aluminum.

[@josephblomeister3040]

Crazy! Never heard of this my entire life! Hoping to see the castings next...

[@PatientXero607]

The sounds of Kookaburra's and Magpies in the background is insane.

[@user-lk9sb1ld1p]

I've seen one huge casting once.It was like a literal city city

[@garyvee6023]

Years ago I was doing a concreting job in Newman W.A. building a bund wall around some fuel tanks...., and the Bull ants where I had to build my formwork were fierce...., that feirce that we had to pour some petrol down the nest hole to get our job done (this was 30 years ago). I always wondered how amazing it would be to "see" how big their nest was. (there were thousands of ants everytime we went near the area...., and SUPER fierce). Wish I knew about this.., I would of tried to convinced BHP to take a cast of the nest. 🥰

[@gen2-x364]

Lol…..those ants are officially done aerating any soil…..lol. Cool looking art have seen them before. When lightning strikes the desert floor it can also make some amazing art.

[@dougie8010]

19:35 "thats why we wear safety gear guys!" Tell that to pink pants kid at 9:18, standing barely meters away from a smaller splatter.

[@PHNX0]

You guys have really diversified since that great cover of Smooth Criminal

[@jakemusmaximus7991]

Never mind protective gear for the kid standing right next to these guys!!!!

[@belindamenzies7620]

Interesting to watch this. Was at QLD museum few weeks ago and saw an ant nest cast. Wondering if it is one of these

[@SternLX]

Imagine your a Bull Ant, just chilling out and minding your own buisnes in your underground mega castle and some giants arrive one day... with molting hot Magma!!

[@TJChagas]

I stopped messing with melted aluminum couple of weeks after the start, when I poorly heated a mold and the aluminum exploded. I had no safety gear but a plastic goggles. GLADLY it didn't hit me anywhere. But after that, I was like "You know what... screw it... breathing this 'acid' smoke everytime couldn't be healthy too..."

[@aaronhogan2371]

This wasn't the Ant artic expedition I expected :)

[@kenbeimer]

Action starts at 8:00

[@bobdevries4028]

You just saved 8 minutes of my life. Thanks!

[@JOBT0]

I feel sorry for those who live inside there.

[@terencejay8845]

We've all seen the intricacies of ant and termite nests by now from castings, so why ruin a vibrant colony in this manner. It's shameful, but 'they're only ants'

[@nathandodge665]

Seriously Karen???

[@nathandodge665]

​@@terencejay8845that's right. They're only ants. Get a grip

[@terencejay8845]

@@nathandodge665 How far up the animal kingdom does your dismissive 'It's only...' go? When does it start to matter to you?

[@nathandodge665]

@@terencejay8845 oh the poor little ants. Next you'll be defending the cockroaches!!

[@stuflames4769]

Oh, we are the valiant infantry! We are the alpha team with passion and comraderie!

[@ImezRuez]

Thought for transport if weight isn't a serious concern, pour sand into the transport container then use a vibrating shaker to compact it around your sculpture. Fairly easy build for that just an electric motor with an out of round pulley partially in contact with a plate to set the shipping box on, pour sand into the box flip the switch to turn on the motor then pour more sand till it stops settling. I'm sure there is a lighter option with similar properties but that was the 1st idea that popped into mind, maybe that aqua-phobic play sand stuff, it looks light but then again so does natural sand till you try to move more than a couple handfulls at a time. Another idea I had watching this is it looks like WORK moving the crucible. I can see in my mind a wheelbarrow type thingy with hooks to grab the crucible ears with an attached windlass hooked to a chain attached to the tip hook for the pour. Obviously that contraption would need metal wheels and some trial and error to get the dimensions just right. Not sure if you'd need to set it to dump toward or away from you for accurate pours. I think probably toward, that way a creosote coated funnel could be your aim point that the guy on the handles can actually see. I am a solutioner because I'm fairly lazy. I fully recognize that work has to happen but there is no requirement that says it has to be HARD. If either of those ideas make you island buying money, just remember where they came from. ;p At 21:00 I really REALLY thought we were going to get a vivid demonstration of why you don't let dry grass catch fire if it can be avoided. The wrong gust of wind just then and that fire gets out of control in a BIG hurry. A piece of sheet metal where you set your furnace lids and crucibles down would have prevented most of that.