Making A Crucible For Melting Aluminum Cans

Welcome to my journey in figuring out how to make a crucible for melting aluminum cans that actually works. After shooting this, I learned how to tell if a fire extinguisher is steel or aluminum- use a magnet. Also when I cut the extinguisher, steel will spark and the aluminum will not.
The steel bottle crucible lasted for about 4 sessions, then it developed small holes in the bottom. My next step is to use a cast iron crucible to melt the aluminum in. This is perhaps what I should have done in the first place! I've been looking at various antique shops, yard sales, and flea markets and have now collected 4 or 5 options for a much longer lasting crucible.

[@greenandgold6740]

I just started this also. I've decided to go with wood over charcoal. For me price matters, and the wood is free. Anyone who has ever done this probably felt your excitement when it turned into liquid. Good stuff 👍

[@MrDrew32xx]

I hardly ever comment. Great video. I really appreciated your honesty and Enthusiasm. No doubt you were having fun . It reminded me of the first time I melted cans. Two thumbs up ..

[@animalmansurvivor1452]

Thank you very much!

[@laserfalcon]

I give you credit for at least trying to learn to do this,. Fun to design and build things and learn along the way, so many will criticize from their couch and never try or do anything

[@kolourblind3124]

Nice job man! Thanks for the video! great idea for a crucible with the water bottle

[@iguanapete3809]

When you cut it with the grinder there were no sparks... alumunium.

[@Dragonknight49]

spark test! sorry once i saw it didn't throw sparks it wasn't steel. love how you showed your trials.

[@Dragonknight49]

sorry just read the discription

[@christianbisson8479]

If you want to know if something is steel or aluminum just put a magnet to it and the magnet will stick to the steel one but not the aluminum one.

[@animalmansurvivor1452]

Yes!....I realize that now, after the fact! lol

[@christianbisson8479]

Animal Man Survivor please check out my metal foundry video on my channel. I am only 12 years old if you have any tips please tell me.

[@chriss8652]

Well alot of stainless steel won't stick to a magnet. Best way too tell is a spark test aluminum won't give off sparks.

[@spookedjunglist]

Unless it is austenitic, do you even smelt Bro? Just messing with you. Graphite for the win. Look for cadmium weld molds at pawn shops if you cant afford a good crucible

[@AaronOsters]

did you really use an aluminum crucible to melt aluminum???!!!

[@animalmansurvivor1452]

Well.......i tried! LOL

[@distaux-8275]

Animal Man Survivor you were doing it all wrong.

[@spiritualwarrior864]

+Animal Man Survivor u don't use aluminum to melt aluminum u use steel .

[@lojadasmatrizes1447]

Aaron Osters kkkkkkkkk

[@hamidijafri]

What ever...

[@aarronshannon8299]

I love the fact that you use just BBQ charcoal

[@illumiNOTme326]

Your videos pretty funny dude. I like that you could left all that in there. that's the best way for people to learn. couple things that like to offer as far as constructive criticism goes. Be aware that under those conditions aluminum becomes corrosive to the steel Crucible and will cause it to have a failure due to the thinning of the walls if you don't pay close attention to that before each and every pour. next is you can probably look at some videos online that offer ways to either make crucibles yourself with clay or silica sand and sodium silicate as The Binding agent period or you can just go out and buy it online but the most important thing is definitely to make sure you don't have a catastrophic failure of The Crucible right in the middle of the poor spilling liquid metal everywhere.

[@animalmansurvivor1452]

Thank you for that!

[@samuelh1766]

I like this dudes voice

[@jamesferreira7743]

After watching your video, I have two points i would like to mention: 1. To find out whether something is Ferrous or Non-Ferrous you can use a magnet (if it sticks then it's Ferrous) or when you were using the disk cutter, if the object has bright orange-white sparks when cutting it is ferrous (and if you're good enough you can tell what type of steel it is from the sparks) and if not then it's Non- Ferrous metal, same can be said if using a grinder. 2. When melting Aluminium cans, I always try to make a little pool of aluminium in the bottom of crucible from solid aluminium objects as this makes it easier to rapidly melt cans and prevents the aluminum from oxidizing when just putting cans and creating a huge bloody problem when the slag wouldn't surface to the top but stays in the middle and stuffs up your crucible for good. Otherwise, this was a enjoyable video to watch as i am a person who works with metals in my everyday life and found this refreshing to watch.

[@animalmansurvivor1452]

Thanks for your comments! My experience thus far has shown that you are absolutely correct on both of your points. I have fun showing the screw-ups sometimes!

[@spencerwells4523]

bro. ur forge is gonna be full of molten aluminum. u cant use an aluminum crucible to melt aluminum.

[@slimmyhendrix4067]

Finish up your coloring book n Try rewatching and see if u can point out when he says : NOT SURE if its Steel or Aluminum so we'll see. So 🤷🏻

[@ProdigalSuns]

@@slimmyhendrix4067 yeah but use a magnet it's not that hard.. lol

[@frankross2382]

@@ProdigalSuns Or watch for the sparkie things when you were cutting it off, duh!

[@troyrathbun1398]

they normally unscrew like a bottle from the hydrant

[@maxkronader5225]

Important tip: Make the crucible out of something with a higher melting temperature than the stuff you want to melt in the crucible.😁

[@aviadlampert5956]

You should make a lid for the furnace and maybe make you furnace smaller, it will be more insulating and you will save charcoals

[@toddjohnson1371]

DudeYou should stay away from fire

[@markanthony4655]

A quick check to see if your crucible pot is steel or aluminium is a magnet. A magnet will stick to steel, not aluminium.

[@aarronshannon8299]

Literally just a soup can worked for me a couple years back I melted about 6 dozen cans into that tin can, I want to say is like a family size chicken noodle soup can.

[@technoid3995]

plz answer .... can we use stainless steel crucible to melt aluminium

[@animalmansurvivor1452]

Yes, but probably only for one melt. I tried to use it for a second time and a hole formed on the bottom and the aluminum leaked out into my forge......I would look at a steel crucible as a last resort if you don't have anything else. I love using small cast iron bowls that I find at yard sales for dirt cheap.

[@technoid3995]

thnk i subbed

[@technoid3995]

how to get reed of smoke which causes eye irritaion ...i used wood and coal

[@tattooedbertplaysgames7849]

easy way to tell if it is stanless steel or almuminum is when you cut it, if it throws sparks it is then stanless steal

[@piktor6494]

if you want ot use steel crucible you need to heat it up and then cold it down very fast to make it stronger..

[@J.T.19134]

You don't need to, but it does help. Put it in that fire, take it out, drop it in Water and Salt.

[@joshm8118]

Magnets dont stick to aluminum but they do stick to steel so try that...

[@tylerfishingonthewater773]

With the fire extinguisher see if it’s actual metal put a magnet up against

[@maddogmaz1576]

We get .05 a can in this state. So no point in melting them down here.

[@jackpearson6456]

Hay

[@lixxxxit]

Im 4:08 into video, you should use an empty propane tank (the small ones for camping).

[@chrishamburgjr691]

lixxit yo ive been looking for things to use and i did not even think about that

[@jhmindcrafterm4470]

You can test if it is steel with a magnet if it sticks it is steel

[@mikefinto4048]

Why did you use a grinding disk it's not made for cutting! cutting disk are made for cutting

[@animalmansurvivor1452]

That's what I had on hand! I do a whole lot of using what I've got with projects!

[@mikefinto4048]

Ok just asking making sure your not new and not knowing what is used for what!

[@vergeltuble5497]

😮😮😮

[@RobertPWills]

Easy rule of thumb: Steel = magnetic. Aluminum = NOT magnetic.

[@AncillenoDavis]

Use a magnet to see if it is iron

[@TheArachnoBot]

use magnets to see if its aluminium or not

[@animalmansurvivor1452]

Realized that after the fact! Thanks for watching!

[@toddjohnson1371]

A simple magnet can tell the difference

[@kristianprokupek6606]

Nice video, but hey... you use grinding disc, next time rather use thinner cutting disc for grinder ;-).

[@kentuckytrapper780]

DUH'

[@mikec.9177]

If it is stainless steel a magnet won’t stick to it

[@HumanBeingSpawn]

Graphite pot

[@AnthonyTribbey-dh9zm]

You’re fire extinguisher has to be steel

[@terrinewman7390]

try to stick a magnet to it, if it sticks it's steel!

[@jameswilson5769]

a magnet will not stick to aluminum. it will stick to steel.

[@charliequattlebaum5931]

The easiest way to tell is with a magnet aluminum isnt magnetic

[@JamesSmith-lt5zz]

Use a magnet if it sticks it's steel if it doesn't it's aluminum

[@brianbloom1799]

Dude are you serious, you new it was Aluminum and you really thought it was not going to melt, when it takes the same temperature, to melt the cans. COME ON

[@joshsanchez1891]

it was obviously aluminum it had no sparks flying off when cutting last I checked steel always has sparks

[@kidwarrior9284]

come on man you know not to use album

[@alanamos5158]

Magnet for telling if steel or not. Duh

[@luckyrice69]

So funny. How could you possibly think you could melt aluminum in an aluminium crucible 🤣🤣🤣

[@luckyrice69]

I really like your video and authenticity man. It's all just a bunch of fun

[@dutchsilver7661]

Try a magnet why dont you

[@justindowell9663]

Lmao common sense aint so common. A magnet with stick to steel and not aluminum. 😂

[@Barsabus]

Some of those cans are not aluminum

[@A.M.A1988]

lmao use a magnet if it sticks its steel

[@maxkronader5225]

Stainless steel with a high nickel content will fool the magnet test. Spark test is reliable.

[@tylerwestman5258]

😂😂 easy way to find if it’s not aluminum use a magnet

[@damason724]

If you don't know how to tell aluminum from steel you probably shouldn't be melting shit in the first place