Can I use soda and/or beer cans as an aluminum source?
Yes you can but there is a “trick” to using them successfully. Since the cans are so thin they easily burn and oxidize rather than melt. For this reason many people say they should not be used. But if you already have a good pool of molton aluminum in the crucible then the can can be melted efficiently by crushing them (top to bottom) and dropping them into the pool. If the dry cans are pushed below the pool’s surface they will melt and be less likely to oxidise. This aluminum is almost pure (unlike car cyclinder heads which are alloys). So the metal will usually shrink more when cast. but it is extream;ly shiny making it good for small decorative castings.
