Ingot Mold/Mould Variable

[Gtek]

I melt with a 50 lb. capacity pot. I have several of the Lyman 4 ea. 1 pounders/per mold. They work just fine but as of late changed on closing deal. I have a large 1" aluminum plate for dumping, fan etc. works fine. I still end up with a bunch of little rectangles at the end. I tried something a while back and it appears to be working out really well. 12 oz. soda cans- can opener top off, wash out and collect. Big scooper and two scoops and I am done, 1 ea. approx. 8 lbs. per. Takes several hours before even thinking about touching. After cooling take a set of diagonal cutters, nip cut lip, grab and roll peeling off can. Stacks great sideways and have some stood vertical. Gtek

[Defcon-One]

Pics?

I bet you get a layer of polymer laquer on the block, since aluminum cans are coated inside with a fine polymer film to keep the soda/beer from interacting with the aluminum? That won't hurt anything, but they may look a bit fuzzy.

I use 5 lb. steel ingot molds purchase on this site. Four ingots per mold. I have three, so I can cast 60 lbs. at once!

[el34]

I got lead from a scrapyard that sounds like what you're making. I called it 'beercan ingots' but it looks more like it was cast in Campbell soup cans because of the rings arond them. I ingotized them and took one back to get analyzed, it showed 4% tin 2.7% antimony and 92% lead. Don't know what the rest was but it cast well.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

Using beverage cans as ingot molds is ok and inexpensive, but they have to sit for a while before they can be handled. Of course they have to be "peeled" but that's no big deal. One problem is that if a beverage can is filled to the top you wind up with an 8-10 pound ingot that may not fit into your melting pot or else it will take a while to melt and will tie up your melting pot temperature-wise until you can resume casting. Therefore filling the can to much lower levels to obtain smaller ingots is the better way to go. If and when you "peel" the aluminum off the cold ingot, use/wear gloves as the aluminum strips are sharp and cancut you badly. LLS