Hello from Niagara

[jcdammeyer]

Boy, does this ever clear up my thinking. I've been hearing stories like that, but needed to hear the blunt honest version.

All pop cans go in the recycle from now on. I'll buy my aluminium stock from a metal yard.

Check out machine shops. Although they generally sell their aluminum scrap to the recyclers at X$/kg if you go in describing what you are trying to cast and can you perhaps buy their off cuts or scrap from laser cutting they will often just give you a bunch.
Now it's not the castable ingots by any means and is software after casting but we have to keep in mind this is a hobby. If it's for a commercial project then buy the proper ingots.

 

[Susquatch]

Check out machine shops. Although they generally sell their aluminum scrap to the recyclers at X$/kg if you go in describing what you are trying to cast and can you perhaps buy their off cuts or scrap from laser cutting they will often just give you a bunch.
Now it's not the castable ingots by any means and is software after casting but we have to keep in mind this is a hobby. If it's for a commercial project then buy the proper ingots.

I was only thinking of casting ingots for subsequent machining. I never did have any interest in casting anything directly useful.

I do grab off-cuts where I can for machining.

 

[Dan Dubeau]

Dross comes from oxides. Oxides come from the surface area of the material exposed to atmosphere (Al forms oxides instantly). Cans have a LOT of surface area per volume, as do chips. That's the simplest way I can try to explain why cans, and chips make very poor melting stock for casting. The yield vs dross is not even worth it. Not even getting into the different types of alloys etc, and why cans are a poor choice of alloy for casting.

Might seem like a great idea, as the cans are "free", but you will be much farther ahead to take those cans to the recycling yard and start scrounging previously cast items to remelt. Things like rims, and other automotive parts can be had for cheap/free if you expand your search net and jump on deals when they appear.