Massive Can Meltdown - How Much Pure Aluminum Is In 500 Cans - Is It Worth Melting Aluminum Cans

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  • čas přidán 16. 03. 2021
  • I wanted to melt down a bunch of aluminum cans that I have been saving for quite some time. 500 plus cans! 517 cans to be exact... It seems like a simple melt, and it is. But it takes a lot of time and energy to melt down aluminum cans. Let's have some fun and melt down a bunch of pure aluminum! Let me know what you guys think... Leave a comment, Send me an email to TheGrowingStack@Gmail.com, or send me something(If you want to) to:
    TheGrowingStack
    P. O. Box 13542
    Tempe Az, 85284
    Enjoy!!!
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Komentáře • 4K

  • @rcoyle518
    @rcoyle518 Před 3 lety +998

    I work for an aluminum rolling company. Scrap aluminum is incredibly valuable because of the INSANE amount of energy and cost required to produce prime aluminum from bauxite ore. Aluminum is infinitely recyclable - meaning it will not lose its properties over time as it undergoes various transformations. The key is simply to have large scale, efficient industrial processes. The margins are small for can stock but they add up when you apply them accross the 100s of millions of pounds produced each year

    • @kylesteele9403
      @kylesteele9403 Před 2 lety +67

      Even molten aluminum oxide slag can be reacted with electricity and a carbon rod to return it back to elemental aluminum from what I recall

    • @conniewojahn6445
      @conniewojahn6445 Před 2 lety +15

      Thanks, that's interesting information.!

    • @AB-ld1rp
      @AB-ld1rp Před 2 lety +13

      doesn't recycled aluminium in case of particular applications together with iron/steel components have iron contamination? that makes the aluminium alloy fragile and the mechanical behaviour very bad for some applications, so it's not technically always recyclable. Still, there are so many uses for it that it can be used for something else.
      I checked my old notes and also it seems that the energy consumption during the recycling process is roughly 90% of what you spend for primary extraction, but you save tons of scrap, MANY tons of water, and a considerable amount of CO2 and SO2.

    • @kylesteele9403
      @kylesteele9403 Před 2 lety +9

      @@AB-ld1rp so, when aluminum oxide is converted back into elemental aluminum, addition of other elements to precipitate iron with crystalization and filtration. By doing this, whether or not it was originally alloyed or became contaminated it can be removed to lower traces. However it still takes a while so you're on the right thought process of it being a bit hectic.

    • @wombatburrito5896
      @wombatburrito5896 Před 2 lety +25

      Problem is I get screwed by the recycling places here and it’s not worth the trouble breaking down extruded aluminum windows .
      I could easily bring in 3 maybe 4 tons of pretty clean aluminum but my shifty local dealer will start dropping the price to 15 cents a pound for a few screws . I want 40-50 at least for my clean. Just not worth it when I have three boys and a wife fighting for my attention

  • @TheGrowingStack
    @TheGrowingStack  Před 3 lety +3851

    So is it worth melting down 500+ aluminum cans?
    Short answer...NO.
    Total the time- just over 2 hours to melt these all down, plus setup and clean up time.
    Total the propane cost- I used about 2/3 of a tank, so depending on what you pay for propane near you...for me it’s about $10-12. The result of the10.75lbs of aluminum is worth about $10.75 USD.
    The fuel alone costs more than the aluminum is worth, then take into consideration what your time is worth and you’re way over budget!
    For me...there is everything I just mentioned, plus add another 2 hours to sand, polish, and shine one of these ingots, and another 8-10 hours editing to provide 12 minutes of cheap entertainment & enjoyment.
    Long answer...worth every second 😉👍
    Thank you all for watching, I hope you enjoy, and stay awesome!

    • @tobhomott
      @tobhomott Před 3 lety +102

      No is absolutely the correct answer. Everyone tries melting cans at least once though, and I never saw anyone get talked out of it. But FWIW I can reduce 3 whole alloy car wheels into crucible friendly sized bits with my wood fired stack melter in an hour or less. That's a lot more melting stock processed in a lot less time with a lot less work, cheaper to buy as scrap than 500 cans of pop, far better for making castings with later since they are made with an alloy that is designed for being made into castings rather than for being made into cans, creates far, far less dross to skim off because cans are all surface area just waiting to burn up before they can melt, and I bet 3 wheels even take up less space to store than all those cans... "Free," yeah, right...

    • @TheGrowingStack
      @TheGrowingStack  Před 3 lety +41

      @@tobhomott very well put!

    • @JondroNation
      @JondroNation Před 3 lety +18

      @@TheGrowingStack what size smelter is that? Great video by the way

    • @TheGrowingStack
      @TheGrowingStack  Před 3 lety +35

      @@JondroNation Thank you, that one is the Devil-Forge FB2M that has a 10kg max crucible size.

    • @1paultv22
      @1paultv22 Před 3 lety +60

      Where I live on the northeast, 517 cans would give me $25.85 at the recycling center. .05¢ deposit return for each can. The fun factor is what would make this hobby worthwhile.

  • @yamster88
    @yamster88 Před rokem +5

    Random videos like this keep me sane when waking up in the middle of the night strssing about life.

  • @loringmanley8318
    @loringmanley8318 Před 2 lety +66

    You could totally sell the polished ingots, although it would cut into the growing stack. You need a “growing stack” mold that marks the bars. I find these videos astonishingly satisfying to watch.

  • @Silverlining1111
    @Silverlining1111 Před 3 lety +426

    No bs,no noisy music,just birds sing,lovely👍

    • @TheGrowingStack
      @TheGrowingStack  Před 3 lety +30

      Thank you!!

    • @mastercheif3071
      @mastercheif3071 Před 3 lety +36

      Yeah that heavy metal bird singing in the beginning was so peaceful. Idiot

    • @andrewQueDeLlee
      @andrewQueDeLlee Před 3 lety +3

      F.....u....in silent....

    • @Shedcats
      @Shedcats Před 3 lety +12

      @@mastercheif3071 whats up with your attitude dawg

    • @MoHawkAnakin
      @MoHawkAnakin Před 3 lety +3

      Hey I love waking up to the sound of the birds singing. On the other hand my friend hates it. Some people like it some people don’t.

  • @thomaspaine4670
    @thomaspaine4670 Před 3 lety +220

    I work in a aluminum recycling facility and our average recovery rate from UBC or Used Beverage Cans is 97%. That's not to say the plant losses that 3%, we skim the dross and remelt it over and over again. The plant also remelts bulk dross from large manufacturers such Kaiser and Toyota.

    • @getintothewildwithjeffruma8777
      @getintothewildwithjeffruma8777 Před 3 lety +6

      Very interesting to hear your insight thank you.

    • @hughjaanus6680
      @hughjaanus6680 Před 3 lety +3

      loses

    • @icost4671
      @icost4671 Před 3 lety +4

      What do you mean by 3% loss
      No business runs on a loss.
      Okay I reread your comment again. There is no loss

    • @hughjaanus6680
      @hughjaanus6680 Před 3 lety +12

      @@icost4671 There's a loss with you.......

    • @icost4671
      @icost4671 Před 3 lety +6

      @@hughjaanus6680 no argument there, I'm learning a lot of things here on CZcams and on a lot of different subjects 🤔

  • @deathstarvsdeathstarvs7009

    If you shred the cans, it will increase the surface area of the aluminum causing you to melt the cans quicker. This will also save you fuel as well. Love the vids btw

  • @RobFindsTreasure
    @RobFindsTreasure Před 2 lety +95

    Melting is rarely worth the time and money but ALWAYS worth the fun and the goodies you can add to your stack! Nice video brother - enjoyed!

    • @CoryCDS
      @CoryCDS Před 2 lety +4

      Imma start doin this since i recycle cans anyways but never for money since its not worth the time (unless ive got a scrap run already) be cool to have a stock pile of aluminum bars for no reason

    • @_nom_
      @_nom_ Před 2 lety +2

      How so? It's extremely expensive to mill a shape!??

    • @amarissimus29
      @amarissimus29 Před 2 lety

      I just whip out the receipts for the LP and acetylene refills when I get the question. It's just fluxing fun.

    • @digimaks
      @digimaks Před 2 lety +1

      @@_nom_ No. You spend allot of time on melting, plus the gas for melting this stuff.

  • @dougsmith548
    @dougsmith548 Před 3 lety +69

    I would like to send you a little something but my Old age penson doesn’t allow for anything extra.above basic cost of living. I do enjoy immensely watching your channel. Thank you for taking us along on all your melts. Stay safe God bless. 🇨🇦

    • @TheGrowingStack
      @TheGrowingStack  Před 3 lety +23

      Thank you so much. I enjoy doing it so long as it gives others enjoyment. Your comment made me happy and smile and that is all I could ask for...

    • @joaquincorral4952
      @joaquincorral4952 Před 3 lety

      That’s good that sum1 is watching ur finances then.

    • @paulriversred738
      @paulriversred738 Před 3 lety +9

      He made good money off of the video posting it on you tube so since you and everyone else watched it you did help him..

  • @robertoneill1979
    @robertoneill1979 Před 3 lety +48

    The sounds made by the ingots hitting the concrete, the ice hissing with the heat. This is one of the most interesting and enjoyable vids I've seen in a long time 👍🤩

  • @daslayer3630
    @daslayer3630 Před 2 lety +15

    Am I the only one that found the most impressive thing about this video (aside from the rest of the obvious awesomeness) is that he wrote the numbers upside down so perfectly? :D

  • @oshtoolman
    @oshtoolman Před 2 lety +21

    Found your video quite by accident. And it was oddly satisfying to watch!! Thank you for posting it!

  • @hughjaanus6680
    @hughjaanus6680 Před 3 lety +124

    I started collecting cans off the streets the last few months, they are worth €0.65 per Kg.
    I have 35 Kg at present, I'll cash them in at Christmas. At least I'm doing my bit for the environment, I collect plastic and glass also to recycle.

    • @shawnalley3309
      @shawnalley3309 Před 3 lety +6

      In my state (Oregon, USA) they are worth 10 cents per can now (as of a few years ago they changed from 5 cents each).

    • @historyhunter5215
      @historyhunter5215 Před 3 lety +10

      My wife keeps harping me to go cash in the bin I have out front... She has no clue about the lawn bags under the house holding 376 lbs...🤫🤣

    • @jerrylindstrom3323
      @jerrylindstrom3323 Před 3 lety +3

      In finland we get 0.15e per can, but it has to from finland so we cant order from germany and then recycle those. Well we can recycle but the machines wont give any credit

    • @djdeaf13
      @djdeaf13 Před 3 lety +1

      ​@@shawnalley3309 Denmark have a some what similar system. But they start from 16 cents(cans and glass bottles below 1 Liter) and goes up to 48 cents(cans and bottles above 1 liter). So the 517 cans would be worth 82.35$

    • @historyhunter5215
      @historyhunter5215 Před 3 lety +2

      @@jerrylindstrom3323 wow, here in Texas it's .52cents a pound. Our glass,cans,etc, are marked with different prices depending what state it gets recycled in.

  • @daniellclary
    @daniellclary Před 3 lety +25

    This just makes me think. There was a time you would not dream of throwing away precious material like metal. And now, we do it all the time.

    • @gibsondrummer
      @gibsondrummer Před 3 lety +4

      That will change

    • @LunchLovesBox
      @LunchLovesBox Před 3 lety +1

      @Jan - AmiLoGiXx We have something like that also. We pay 10 cents per plastic bottle, glass bottle, or aluminum can... then when we return it to the recycling center for reimbursement they give us about 1 cent. Its part of how they keep all of us slaves.

    • @daniellclary
      @daniellclary Před 3 lety

      @Jan - AmiLoGiXx That's interesting. Not that different from how certain things worked in one of the books I wrote. Was not with cans though.

    • @MrJdsenior
      @MrJdsenior Před 2 lety

      @@gibsondrummer Ya think? Look what we do with water right now, in most areas of the world. I GUARANTEE you that will change, already is in some areas actually. In fact, wars are beginning to be fought over it.

    • @MrJdsenior
      @MrJdsenior Před 2 lety

      @Jan - AmiLoGiXx And what is the Pfandbon made out of? :-/ Is it at least readily recyclable? I'm just messin with ya, BTW.
      But many such schemes, when you examine them deeply, like the US govt's subsidizing new car buys for 'environmental' reasons to get 'old polluters' off the road, cause more environmental damage, by cycling out all of those perfectly usable cars given the materials, energy, transportation, etc. required to get the unneeded new ones in service, than was gained getting the old ones off the road. The net gain is a definite loss in the precise area they were trying to address...typical, actually. My guess on that one was some car manufacturer's lobbyist.
      Also, I always love it when I hear things like "solar energy is free!". That is only at least somewhat true if you are a plant. For us humans, to power our homes, etc. with it requires raw materials, energy, pollutants released, etc to get those collectors manufactured and into our hands, at regular intervals. A good trade, in that case, but not REMOTELY free. And just go price a good solar system for your home, and look at the monetary payback time if you think it's monetarily free. We got a quote from Tesla's company that made me think he's been smoking WAYYYY too much weed. How's 60kish for a house unit sound? I only paid 10k more than that for the whole damned house (not kidding).

  • @skipeveryday7282
    @skipeveryday7282 Před 3 lety +151

    Pouring molten metal looks so satisfying honestly.

    • @godisnotdead6230
      @godisnotdead6230 Před 3 lety +1

      It does

    • @L.G88_
      @L.G88_ Před 3 lety +1

      Rather than dishonestly?

    • @akbuilder7626
      @akbuilder7626 Před 3 lety +2

      Till it splashes on your foot then things change quickly.

    • @gunterandersson
      @gunterandersson Před 3 lety

      Yeah and that stuff can explode concrete if dropped on it

    • @debbiebrown3534
      @debbiebrown3534 Před 3 lety +1

      You would have to melt down 106,027 cans to get 1 metric ton of pure aluminum. Today the value would be 2,446.67. That's a lot of time to make so little.

  • @ScrapRushUK
    @ScrapRushUK Před 2 lety +13

    Great video, I took around 200-300 cans that I had saved over around 4/5 months to my scrap yard here in the uk.
    Never taking in cans previously was unsure what to expect, the guy at the scrap yard told me due to the cost of what it takes to melt the cans down, the scrap yard hate taking cans as they need a hella lot of them to make any sort of profit.
    But looking at your aluminium pile I can see it is a labour of love especially seeing the 1 that you polished up.
    Makes me want to get my self a kiln and melt some down my self.

    • @ohsoloco5113
      @ohsoloco5113 Před 2 lety +4

      That's interesting. I had some melted aluminum that I scrapped last year, it was probably aluminum wire that had the insulation melted off. The scrap yard said they could only pay me for dirty aluminum since they can't say what all was melted down. Aluminum is 50 cents per pound right now, and dirty aluminum is 15 cents.

    • @billwilson3609
      @billwilson3609 Před rokem

      Aluminum can prices always go up and down so I mash mine flat to get more in a trash bag then wait until prices rise before taking them in. I own a full size '88 Chevy van so often had it packed full with bags of cans with each bag weighing around 12 pounds. Think I got 60 cents per pound several years ago when aluminum was in short supply then 32 cents a few years later after the price finally rose from 24 cents per pound. The scrapyards with smelters make more off the cans and other types of aluminum scrap once melted down and cast into ingots.

  • @codypritchard663
    @codypritchard663 Před 3 lety +27

    Thank you for this video. Pouring it into bars is visually amazing. I do drywall mudding and painting so I like meticulous things. I think I'm gonna give this a go.

    • @billwilson3609
      @billwilson3609 Před rokem +1

      A big scrapyard in my town has an aluminum smelter where they melt down different grades of scrap aluminum to cast into ingots then stamped to show their alloy. The owner said the ingots from melted cans are only used to make more cans so are sold to a mill that rolls the sheets the cans are stamped from. The ingots made from melted brake calipers are shipped to a foundry that makes those and the ingots from aluminum wheels are shipped to another plant that makes aluminum wheels. I was considering on making a few cast aluminum oil pans that would hold a spin-on oil filter for old BMW motorcycles so checked with that yard about the price per ingot made from brake calipers to see if those were cheaper than junk yard calipers. The ingots were cheaper but I would still need to cut them into smaller pieces so they'd melt faster.

  • @weldingbiker1
    @weldingbiker1 Před 3 lety +27

    Lot's of work to get this video done but the results are enjoyable and excellent. Well done to you. 👍

  • @mr.bluebird6544
    @mr.bluebird6544 Před rokem +10

    That was an excellent video! I had a metal molding kit at a teen and really enjoyed the craft.

  • @KevinChinn88
    @KevinChinn88 Před 2 lety +5

    Amazing video! You just inspired me to research this for making crafts. That polished bar is beautiful. God bless

  • @drogoreuak1347
    @drogoreuak1347 Před 3 lety +444

    I can totally see why this is fun. The stockpiling itself is worth it.

    • @trolltracker
      @trolltracker Před 2 lety +2

      Lol no it's not. Lay off the daily caller and other brainwashing propaganda

    • @jzubs
      @jzubs Před 2 lety +13

      @@trolltracker lmaooo we do a little trolling

    • @RepressedEel55
      @RepressedEel55 Před 2 lety +18

      Lol it’s only worth it if he enjoys doing it. He paid not only his time but also he spent more on propane and materials than all that aluminum is worth

    • @derek3200
      @derek3200 Před 2 lety +5

      @@RepressedEel55 Even at a 10 year high in price, I think it’s only 60 cents a pound.

    • @Assenator-zw4qq
      @Assenator-zw4qq Před 2 lety +1

      @@jzubs Spooner?

  • @brianemerson2758
    @brianemerson2758 Před 3 lety +58

    I like how you have it stacked like pirate treasure at the end

  • @inertiaMS
    @inertiaMS Před 2 lety +10

    in South Australia, each can there is worth 10c at a recycling joint, the raw price of ally is around $1 a kg here. This was really interesting to see!

  • @officermeowmeowfuzzyface4408

    You need to flux that slag to get the metal to stop sticking to the garbage. Also, some of those cans had fluid in them, which would cause molten metals to splatter violently; they must be baked dry in the sun or roasting tray feeding the furnace.

  • @combatmedic3347
    @combatmedic3347 Před 3 lety +168

    The hidden value is indulging ones self in their pyromania fixation.

  • @dunruden9720
    @dunruden9720 Před 3 lety +11

    I did a major refit on my yacht and decided to trash the mast as it was old, previously broken and repaired and ready to recycle. I cut it into three sections, and a mate and I delivered it to the recycler. We made enough to buy him a carton of beer for helping out!

    • @henridejong9433
      @henridejong9433 Před 3 lety

      Wich you then both emptied at the deck of your yacht, having another great day... yup, absolutely worth it!!!

    • @MrJdsenior
      @MrJdsenior Před 2 lety

      @@henridejong9433 Unsustainable though. Sorry, couldn't resist.

  • @shawnguy3005
    @shawnguy3005 Před 2 lety +23

    Wanna let you know you are the first person I watched that made me question the whole "melting cans" thing. I am building my 3rd version of my wood fired dry stacked brick furnace. I have about 20 lbs after my first 4 firings.

    • @TheGrowingStack
      @TheGrowingStack  Před 2 lety +5

      Is that good or bad? I ask that honestly and whole heartedly, just want to understand exactly your experience before I replied without going into to much info one way or the other in case I didn’t understand the comment completely. 👍

    • @Vector_Ze
      @Vector_Ze Před 2 lety +2

      No question about it, you'd come out better off financially by taking your cans to a metal recycling place.

    • @pamtnman1515
      @pamtnman1515 Před 2 lety

      @@TheGrowingStack ok NOW is it worth it? Given that propane cost is way up and so is metal value

  • @chriscanney9607
    @chriscanney9607 Před 2 lety +42

    When I was a kid, you could still get lead soldier kits (I lived in Europe) and I would go to the military range to collect bullets. I made thousands of lead soldiers in my moms kitchen. Probably not the best of ideas but it it was fun at the time.

    • @nikolas_schreck
      @nikolas_schreck Před 2 lety

      Cool dude

    • @tomo9126
      @tomo9126 Před 2 lety +1

      My friends and I did that too. We melted down fishing weights.

    • @jamespeters2859
      @jamespeters2859 Před 2 lety +1

      Making lead soldiers is cool, especially the ones which comes out of the moulds missing arms, legs and heads.

    • @hlrembe62
      @hlrembe62 Před 2 lety +1

      The good old days before the world turn all soft and scared. My bedroom growing up probably smelled like an industrial plant between the lead casting, model painting and plastic and rubber molding.

  • @wehaveasaying
    @wehaveasaying Před 3 lety +137

    You're in Tempe? Just leave the cans outside, they'll melt on their own.

  • @patrickdennis7745
    @patrickdennis7745 Před 3 lety +605

    Fun fact: recycling an aluminum can can use up to 95% LESS energy than creating a new can from aluminum ore.

    • @TheDuke89
      @TheDuke89 Před 3 lety +25

      and since it's already refined you get more aluminum out of it too.

    • @xTr4c3d
      @xTr4c3d Před 3 lety +5

      Isnt aluminum an alloy?

    • @mightym
      @mightym Před 3 lety +51

      @@xTr4c3d nope.

    • @frostyeverclear
      @frostyeverclear Před 3 lety +3

      There's money to be made in this statement.

    • @regould221
      @regould221 Před 3 lety +36

      @@xTr4c3d Aluminum is a basic element but aluminum cans are an aluminum alloy. They are about 97% aluminum.

  • @MaxJustice100
    @MaxJustice100 Před 2 lety +3

    Great stuff , I really enjoyed watching, thanks for posting.

  • @FlukeTog
    @FlukeTog Před 2 lety +2

    The human story of invention and discovery is really quite amazing. Aside from social media of course. Cool video-thanks!

  • @victormgv
    @victormgv Před 3 lety +350

    I didn’t know BigStackD had a brother in the States lol 😂 good stuff, cheers!🍻

  • @vejet
    @vejet Před 3 lety +11

    11:34 Those 'silver' bars gonna come in handy in the post apocalypse world

  • @user-iu5ty1rp5n
    @user-iu5ty1rp5n Před 3 lety +10

    one man's trash is another man's metal.

  • @knittingnana2939
    @knittingnana2939 Před 2 lety +5

    This is so fascinating to watch. I have no idea why, it just is.

  • @IngotJoe
    @IngotJoe Před 3 lety +9

    Nice video and a great haul of ingots. Good mirror finish too!

  • @tpworldacc9163
    @tpworldacc9163 Před 3 lety +9

    When im older and if i have a house. I wanna get into this. Looks awesome man

  • @mosemiller6628
    @mosemiller6628 Před rokem +2

    I’am thinking of melting aluminum cans, so I went on you tube, and this is what I found, very impressive.

  • @lebadger019
    @lebadger019 Před 2 lety +2

    I like the ice and i love that you polished it. Good quality content.

  • @alexisgrunden1556
    @alexisgrunden1556 Před 3 lety +114

    By the time your collection grows enough to be called a BigStack, I'm pretty sure it'll be ok, because by that time, BigStackD will have evolved into MEGAStackD~

  • @nonameuno9394
    @nonameuno9394 Před 3 lety +33

    I used to honestly think I was going to drink myself rich. Didn't work out that way but I tried!

    • @damxgopak457
      @damxgopak457 Před 3 lety +4

      I tried the drink it rich method now my liver hurts

    • @bperra9217
      @bperra9217 Před 3 lety

      Always good to have dreams

    • @bigredc222
      @bigredc222 Před 3 lety +1

      I have a neighbor that drinks about five 30 packs a week, it takes about 3 to 4 weeks to fill a 55 gal drum.
      If I wait till I get about three drums, I can make enough to pay for the gas to drive to the scrap yard.
      Three different people have tried making money by saving his cans, we all gave up, they go in the trash now.

    • @jeromeduffy9270
      @jeromeduffy9270 Před 3 lety

      Knew a family of beer drinker. Daily after work then all weekend. Had bags after bags is empty can. Ben of a pick up full. Paid for along more beer. Cha ching. I guess

    • @lrq7927
      @lrq7927 Před 3 lety

      At least you got them working overtime!

  • @jimtalbott2095
    @jimtalbott2095 Před rokem +3

    I worked for a large nonferrous scrap dealer back in the 80s and found that when we melted cans we were losing money with every melt. Most don’t realize that the vast majority of the recycled cans don’t actually turn back into consumer goods. The cans are shredded and added to desulfurizer, a product that is added to purify steel when it is melted in an electric arc furnace. The aluminum is literally burned up in the high temperatures of the steel melting process.

  • @jonminer9891
    @jonminer9891 Před 2 lety +65

    Hi, TGS. That's an interesting video. You seem to get more aluminum oxide than I expected. I guess the heat is a little low. Melted aluminum will oxidize anyway, but not like what you have. Have you determined what the waste is made of? If it is just aluminum oxide, you can reduce it by tweaking your settings. Thanks for sharing! Stay Healthy!

    • @m4nuz
      @m4nuz Před 2 lety

      Thanks for the lesson!

    • @paulorchard7960
      @paulorchard7960 Před 2 lety +6

      A lot of that is the paint and plastic coatings used to manufacture the cans, it burns off but takes a tiny bit of aluminium with it as it forms ash!

    • @donaldmaxie9742
      @donaldmaxie9742 Před 2 lety +1

      Oxidation is not restricted to recycled aluminum. Granted exterior paint and content residue will affect recycled aluminum quality.

  • @Thewulf56
    @Thewulf56 Před 3 lety +3

    Always fun to melt a few cans, you ended up with a decent haul. Nice shine on the bar. 🍀🍀🍀👍🐺

  • @kevinderung8524
    @kevinderung8524 Před 3 lety +16

    would have loved to see the polishing process as well, great video! the way you had the ingots laid out on the cement floor i couldn't help but think how cool a sidewalk made out of those all polished would look!

    • @TheGrowingStack
      @TheGrowingStack  Před 3 lety +8

      Sorry Kevin, I’ll showcase the polishing in a upcoming video. I was running heavy on time on this one or I would have. A sidewalk would look pretty cool!

    • @martinheath5947
      @martinheath5947 Před 2 lety +1

      Parquet floor style would look amazing

  • @michaelbedell6523
    @michaelbedell6523 Před 2 lety +1

    Very satisfying video, now I really appreciate my recycling efforts for the town

  • @lundyhill3012
    @lundyhill3012 Před 2 lety +4

    great video. do you have amazon link to guy the smelter? Also, how long do you let bars sit before removing from cast? thanks

  • @MistahMatzah
    @MistahMatzah Před 3 lety +49

    They say that imitation is the greatest form of flattery.
    bigstackD's ears must be burning all day every day.

  • @MrJdubbya36
    @MrJdubbya36 Před 3 lety +54

    That was actually more than I'd have guessed! Now if I could just find a couple hundred cans made of gold or silver! ;)

  • @thomaslapointe7657
    @thomaslapointe7657 Před 2 lety +7

    I really really wish you would include time increments between stages i.e. the cooling process and total liquidation, times to heat etc...

  • @robwhite2282
    @robwhite2282 Před rokem +1

    Bro that one you shined all up, oh my goodness that is so gorgeous. Great work! Thank you for sharing.

  • @technicalmadman2986
    @technicalmadman2986 Před 3 lety +14

    There's really not enough of this going on in the world..
    Great video 👍🏻👍🏻

  • @JordanBeagle
    @JordanBeagle Před 3 lety +19

    Even though it wasn't worth it cost wise pretty cool you got almost 11 lb of pure aluminum! I'm sure you could use that for many projects!

  • @deona267
    @deona267 Před 2 lety +2

    That looks so fun smelting those cans.

  • @MissMaggie246
    @MissMaggie246 Před 2 lety +3

    That’s a lot of work for you…and a lot of satisfaction for me!

  • @BackyardBeeKeepingNuevo
    @BackyardBeeKeepingNuevo Před 3 lety +13

    It was fun to watch this video. Very relaxing. Thanks for not using music in the video. Thanks for keeping it pure.
    Where did you get your gloves?

  • @HSO-ro3bd
    @HSO-ro3bd Před 3 lety +8

    Guys if you all are going to melt Aluminum cans don't make the same mistake this guy and I made. Putting the cold metal bar in the crucible makes your Aluminum solid
    and harder to melt preheat it as you mix and add cans to prevent it from getting solid chumps. Good video though keep up the good work👍

  • @heidivanderheever3984
    @heidivanderheever3984 Před 2 lety +2

    Looks like a big process to go through, but must be worth it

  • @MarkSentMe
    @MarkSentMe Před 2 lety +1

    Nothing more satisfying than seeing a semi rolling down the road with a load of pure aluminum igots.

  • @Bobsonomatic
    @Bobsonomatic Před 3 lety +287

    Q: What does one do with all that aluminum?
    A: Tell an uninformed buyer that it’s silver.

  • @darrellid
    @darrellid Před 3 lety +99

    Something oddly beautiful about a polished ingot of metal.

    • @frankpitochelli6786
      @frankpitochelli6786 Před 3 lety +7

      I agree, ppl think I'm crazy but I love this stuff..!!

    • @HardtoHandleThisFella
      @HardtoHandleThisFella Před 3 lety +4

      It's because it's something shiny.

    • @lopezfam7317
      @lopezfam7317 Před 3 lety

      Dios bendiga a Todos los que estan leyendo esto! Deseo que tengan un hermoso dia! Buscad a Dios mientras pueda ser hallado! Jesus es el camino y el unico camino y regresa pronto! Recuerda cuando te sientas que no eres amado... el mayor sacrificio se hizo por amor! EL SUICIDIO NUNCA ES LA RESPUESTA!
      Porque de tal manera amó Dios al mundo, que ha dado a su Hijo unigénito, para que todo aquel que en él cree, no se pierda, mas tenga vida eterna.
      S. Juan 3:16 RVR1960
      La paga del pecado es muerte (infierno) pero Cristo pagó nuestra deuda en la cruz para nuestra salvacion! Debemos volvernos a Dios y apartarnos de nuestros caminos pecaminosos, confesar que Jesús es el Señor y creer con nuestro corazón que fue resucitado de entre los muertos por Dios, y debemos de ser bautizados en el nombre del Padre, del Hijo y del Espíritu Santo y vivir por Su palabra y mandamientos! Confia que Dios ayudara con el resto!
      Busca a Dios, antes de que sea muy tarde! Hoy podria ser tu ultimo dia en la tierra!
      Que tengas un hermoso dia!

    • @Kamagel007
      @Kamagel007 Před 3 lety +1

      Shinyyyy....myyyyy preeeeciiiousss...

    • @EddieVBlueIsland
      @EddieVBlueIsland Před 3 lety +1

      Thank Mr Electron for reflecting the light from the conduction band. BTW that slag can be converted to pure aluminum using molten flouride salt and electricity.

  • @kfl611
    @kfl611 Před 2 lety +2

    I bet you wish those bars were gold or platinum ! Nice job. And so much better than having those cans go into a landfill. Your collection looks like it is worth thousands of melted down cans.

  • @meghannjor6924
    @meghannjor6924 Před 2 lety +2

    This is my hubby….omg!! Has me saving cans from work!

  • @Zortorond
    @Zortorond Před 3 lety +7

    Looks about right even a bit more than I expected basing on my experience roughly around 9 grams from one can.

  • @chrish5791
    @chrish5791 Před 3 lety +65

    Nasty thing about aluminum is the hot aluminum looks just like cold aluminum….I’ll only make that mistake once!

    • @Psiikix
      @Psiikix Před 3 lety +3

      Ice cube test lol

    • @hughjaanus6680
      @hughjaanus6680 Před 3 lety +1

      Lead also......

    • @AndyL1964
      @AndyL1964 Před 3 lety +6

      As a former aluminium foundry worker, I can personally confirm this to be true

    • @bigislander72
      @bigislander72 Před 3 lety +2

      Lol...ouch!

  • @highlander723
    @highlander723 Před 3 lety +65

    Rick throws aluminum can outside...
    Morty: You can't do that you're littering!!
    Rick: yeah right morty the Earth's crust is 8% aluminum not like we need every Atom

    • @akkudakkupl
      @akkudakkupl Před 3 lety +4

      Most of that is in a state needing massive ammounts of energy to convert to metal 😉

    • @John-rw9bv
      @John-rw9bv Před 2 lety +5

      -Littering- **Enrichment**

    • @duroxkilo
      @duroxkilo Před 2 lety

      @@John-rw9bv that's pretty-pretty good

  • @jvcyt298
    @jvcyt298 Před 3 lety +5

    I'm surprised that you didn't use any type of flux to remove impurities like they do for pot metals. I did aluminum casting in junior high school shop class, but that was like 45 years ago, and I don't recall much about it.

    • @dwrobotics2180
      @dwrobotics2180 Před 3 lety

      Cool story.

    • @billwilson3609
      @billwilson3609 Před rokem +1

      Your shop teacher probably used table salt as the flux since it's cheap and effective.

  • @jeremycrisp4488
    @jeremycrisp4488 Před 3 lety +16

    Here in AZ its about 35 cans to a pound, but if you melt them down, it takes 50 cans to make a pound. So recycle the cans at the recycle center and use the money to go buy scrap aluminum engine parts at a bone yard.

    • @MM-zj8be
      @MM-zj8be Před 3 lety +2

      Like location makes a difference baha

    • @NYC-Gardener
      @NYC-Gardener Před 3 lety

      @@MM-zj8be Sure it does because some states like NY (where I live) you can get a 5 cent deposit per can for returning them to a recycling center. So you could melt those 50 cans into a 1lb bar that is worth less than 1$ or return those 50 cans for $2.50 in deposit refunds

    • @MM-zj8be
      @MM-zj8be Před 3 lety +2

      @@NYC-Gardener he mentioned weight not money. 35 pounds weighs the same wether your in arizona boston or africa. Smarten up

    • @aissatsartwork8578
      @aissatsartwork8578 Před 3 lety

      czcams.com/video/Tp4E2tiD8yU/video.html

  • @christaylor6833
    @christaylor6833 Před 3 lety +3

    I just randomly happened to stumble onto this video from CZcamss algorithm (impeccable) and my gosh the effort gone into this video ! Sick mate you can tell you enjoy doing this :) i certainly would , i love this sort of stuff keep it up buddy youve gained yourself a like and and a new SUBSCRIBER

    • @TheGrowingStack
      @TheGrowingStack  Před 3 lety +1

      Thank you Chris! That’s awesome, I appreciate that a lot! 👍

  • @brandonwillis4811
    @brandonwillis4811 Před 2 lety +12

    Reminds me of those after day zonbie games when you gotta do this to survive

    • @Goosebag1
      @Goosebag1 Před 2 lety +1

      Oh you mean like last day on earth ?

  • @AM-vc2iw
    @AM-vc2iw Před 2 lety +2

    Hey there! I love smelting and my grandad was really good at it, any way you could give me some tips on the amount of slag you get off cans and other tips and tricks? Anything is appreciated

  • @captainjerk
    @captainjerk Před 3 lety +3

    Nice melt!
    Great pours!
    Cool stack!
    Button bell thumb! :D

  • @neilreid9005
    @neilreid9005 Před 3 lety +8

    I can't speak to the economics of this vid, but it was super cool to watch. Quite satisfying. Thanks for the vid!

    • @kurokitsune6173
      @kurokitsune6173 Před 3 lety

      This would be super economical cause those aluminium ingots can now be used for many things and the slag can also be used as well.

    • @deannelson9565
      @deannelson9565 Před 3 lety

      @@kurokitsune6173 clearly you've never actually looked at aluminum prices have you! Including time and effort and fuel for the furnace this is a losing proposition he does it for fun not-for-profit!

  • @northerngirlhobbies
    @northerngirlhobbies Před 2 lety +1

    Awesome video... I have to do this!

  • @nigelparker5886
    @nigelparker5886 Před rokem +4

    So what did it cost you in fuel/time, versus the scrap value? And if you weigh all the cans before and then deduct the slag weight from the original figure, I imagine that will give an expected pure net
    product weight? Cheers

  • @knobjob2839
    @knobjob2839 Před 3 lety +17

    I actually thought I was watching a BigStack video until I noticed a few differences.

  • @sheskindameansometimes7541
    @sheskindameansometimes7541 Před 3 lety +18

    Oh the background sounds while pouring are heaven in the south 😍🤠

  • @jackmclane1826
    @jackmclane1826 Před 3 lety +4

    Looks so satisfying but I think you need a more effective melting rig and a larger scale operation to make it worth your time...

  • @silverdime2385
    @silverdime2385 Před 2 lety +1

    GREAT Video!! Cool watching it !!!Nice collection!! 🥇

  • @Hey_You_Me
    @Hey_You_Me Před 3 lety +9

    I worked for a refractory company and we replaced a furnace with splattered aluminum all over it. The owner had two guys chip it all off and it was 150,000 worth of aluminum.

    • @Legohaiden
      @Legohaiden Před 3 lety +2

      that is literally impossible... it would have been about 80,000lbs of aluminum.... way way more then would be splattered anywhere. For context.... an 18 wheeler semi truck can only haul 40,000 lbs on the highway legally.... so it would have been 2, semi truck loads.

    • @hamhawk4027
      @hamhawk4027 Před 3 lety

      @@Legohaiden I saw your comment, so for fun I searched CZcams to see what 80 000 lbs of aluminum looks like. And this was the first video to come up.

    •  Před 3 lety

      @@Legohaiden It's not splattered it builds up on the walls of the furnace over time.

    • @Legohaiden
      @Legohaiden Před 3 lety

      @ Cool.... there was STILL not 80,000 lbs of build up.

  • @somebody3074
    @somebody3074 Před 3 lety +8

    That’s $51.70 in cans here in Michigan. Gotta love that deposit.

    • @andrejones3711
      @andrejones3711 Před 3 lety

      When I was little living in Michigan.. We use to make money off the cans.. And use that money to buy all video games..

    • @scotts1356
      @scotts1356 Před 3 lety

      I'm right over the border in Indiana. I'll be visiting WalMart very soon!

    • @juho6837
      @juho6837 Před 2 lety

      75€ when return cans to grocery in Finland.

  • @salvadorbv8275
    @salvadorbv8275 Před 2 lety +2

    Absolutely nice, fascinating and satisfactory. 💟

  • @manoftruth0935
    @manoftruth0935 Před 2 lety +1

    This is very satisfying to watch.

  • @demetriustebet3786
    @demetriustebet3786 Před 3 lety +4

    That was pretty cool, you might want to move those to the lower shelf.

  • @derekhobbs1102
    @derekhobbs1102 Před 3 lety +32

    Here in South Australia, we get 10 cents back for each can taken to recycle, so 500 cans is $50.

    • @MarttiSuomivuori
      @MarttiSuomivuori Před 3 lety +1

      This means that it is not a business but an ecological process.

    • @emjot7908
      @emjot7908 Před 3 lety

      No its 0

    • @Salty-Sully
      @Salty-Sully Před 3 lety +6

      It's a return on deposit, right?

    • @gregsmith141
      @gregsmith141 Před 3 lety +2

      Michigan has 10 cent deposit for plastic, aluminum or glass but you have to take it back to a gas station or store.

    • @ssm445
      @ssm445 Před 3 lety

      It's $150 in Germany.

  • @__austrianoldboy_9861
    @__austrianoldboy_9861 Před rokem +2

    Thank you for sharing!

  • @tdacosta
    @tdacosta Před 3 lety +1

    This was pretty fascinating 👍

  • @billj5645
    @billj5645 Před 3 lety +10

    In high school many years ago we collected cans to get money for our car projects. Back then it took about 25 cans to make a pound. Apparently we are now able to make cans that are a lot thinner.

    • @sunnydays4966
      @sunnydays4966 Před 3 lety +1

      I think some is slag and I just put some pop in shopping cart other day and one hit a cart wire and crack open. So there lot thinner Arizona ice tea in can seem thinker of them all.

    • @simpletruth9977
      @simpletruth9977 Před 3 lety

      Yep

    • @pariahthistledowne854
      @pariahthistledowne854 Před 3 lety

      Those were probably the old tin beverage cans. Drank my first pilfered Coors from a tin can.

  • @tedthesailor172
    @tedthesailor172 Před 3 lety +51

    I used to work in a petrochemical facility and from effluents came a lot of chemical impurity, some of which was dissolved silver chloride (if I recollect). A guy had quietly developed a way to extract the silver from the waste and he showed me a small ingot of pure silver. I was quite impressed, but wondered if it was worth sacrificing half his lunch break. He showed me a cigar box and when he lifted the lid it was full of small cigar-size ingots. He'd apparently got several boxes...

    • @viron6734
      @viron6734 Před 3 lety +3

      Interesting. And this is stuff that would otherwise have been thrown away?

  • @kenord3437
    @kenord3437 Před 2 lety +1

    Nice work, very interesting, thank you.

  • @wildthoughts6959
    @wildthoughts6959 Před rokem +2

    You should sell these bars 'Personalized' on the internet. Meaning carve the name of a person it , for example. People would order it from you with customized carved wordings. I'd love to display a bar in my living room . It's entertaining, especially because it's made of daily used cans.

  • @copperkingrecycling634
    @copperkingrecycling634 Před 3 lety +4

    That's a lot of cans to bars, very cool.

  • @jonathanstill8932
    @jonathanstill8932 Před 3 lety +9

    I survived for 20yrs - canning, but l never took it near as seriously as Dude here does !

  • @bhough410
    @bhough410 Před 2 lety +2

    Have you tried anodizing aluminum?
    Thank you for the vid & info!

  • @AnthonyD1986
    @AnthonyD1986 Před 2 lety +1

    This is so cool... I want to do this now.

  • @romchompa6858
    @romchompa6858 Před 3 lety +51

    sometimes i really appreciate content with all visuals and zero chit chat

  • @mirishow
    @mirishow Před 3 lety +8

    In Finland one empty can when you return to market one cost 0,15 e, cent - so 500 cans return to market you take 75 euro :) but to collect its not easy and takes time :D

  • @SkullerMetals
    @SkullerMetals Před 2 lety +1

    Super sweet mirrored finish.

  • @honeylarue1
    @honeylarue1 Před 2 lety +1

    Very satisfying and interesting to watch. I enjoyed the video and the work that went into making these 👏😊🙂