Aluminum melts at 1220F. We bring it up to 1800F and it takes more time for it to solidify. There are a few other techniques that we use that helps the aluminum flow deep. However, sometimes we fail. Even though it may be a deep mound, solidified aluminum can block the few passages to the deep part. Some turn out better than others. My favorite is the one you least expect. Thanks for watching!
I've worked around molten metal and you guys have been lucky. If you ever have the alum. hit a water pocket its going to explode all over you. You need face shields, leggings, abdomen, feet and hand leathers. PPE is cheap compared to a bad burn from molten alum..
We have worked around it for a long time and know what happens when you pour aluminum in a wet or high moisture ground. We have even had it blow up on us. We know the consequences. We find ourselves using PPE more and more since we aren't as young or able to dodge hot lava like we used to. On a side note PPE only protects you so much. It's not 100% effective but it helps. When your standing in 110 degree Texas heat next to a 2000 degree furnace that face shield and leather jacket/chaps stands a better chance on killing you with a heat stroke than you actually finding moisture to cause a violent reaction with aluminum. We appreciate you watching our videos. Hope to have new videos out soon.
@@AMLS1922I got a tiny bit splashed on me once, back when used to make jewelry, as someone said in another video, molten aluminum is "very unforgiving." 😫
@theresagroves1509 - Thank you so much, we really appreciate your support. It's viewers like you that keep us focused on making new and better content. The 2023 season is about to start and it's going to be amazing!!!
Now I'm curious, I'm going to ask a friend who does glassblowing. . . but glass has a very high melting point, it can be as high as 2,900°F, while aluminum is much lower (about 1,200°F). Plus it would have to be OVER-heated (like the aluminum is) to keep it from solidifying too fast. Interesting idea though. . . a glass sculpture could be gorgeous if it could be excavated without breaking all the thin parts. . .
*WOW*!!!! I only just started with "casting" videos and this is by far the greatest! Questions: how do you know how much aluminum to use; and how do you know how extensive the ant colony is? Thank you for your video.
random thought, there is people that have ants like pets, cant you do the same thing and cast moldings from those hives instead off looking for wild ants hives to cast? you can have diffrent ants that builds diffrent hives and they produce diffrent outcomes and so on, and in this way you can allso choose diffrent matreials for the ants to build in, so if casting in sand is hard then it is up to you what material you want to cast from. i mean you can produce alot more moldings this way, right? just a random thought
Fire ants are not your friend. Native ants are. To build a habitat of native ants as you describe, I encourage. The fire ant invasion we face are destroying our native ants. I like the way you think. Thank you for your random thoughts!
@mollysarkisian5545 - Great question! It was crickets. Can you believe that crickets eat dead fire ants? We are always finding crickets around the mounds and wondered the same thing. Thanks for supporting our channel and videos!
@callumkristofer7793 - The cricket you see in the video is a friend of the fire ant. They depend on each other for survival and we typically find them around the dormant mounds. Thanks for watching our videos and supporting our channel. Check out some of our other videos and let us know what you think.
The pressure washer is a little harsh on the casting. It takes at least an hour to clean the casting with it. If we used a regular hose, which is less harsh, it takes hours. I'm willing to give up a few weak pieces to cut the time down by hours. Thanks for watching!
Yes, this is a hobby for us. We made over 100 castings and 30 videos in 2022. The weather this year in our area has been pretty harsh on the ants driving them deep in the ground. Drought and 110-115 degree temperatures keep them from surfacing much. We have finally got a break from the heat and some rain and now see the mounds coming up everywhere. We are currently making new videos.
Our spring garden and plants were good, summer was bad, the fall harvest and plants were the best ever. New video coming next week. Thanks for checking out our videos.
what amazes me is how the metal is able to fill the tunnels so completely without solidifying the instant it hits the dirt
Aluminum melts at 1220F. We bring it up to 1800F and it takes more time for it to solidify. There are a few other techniques that we use that helps the aluminum flow deep. However, sometimes we fail. Even though it may be a deep mound, solidified aluminum can block the few passages to the deep part. Some turn out better than others. My favorite is the one you least expect. Thanks for watching!
Absolutely beautiful
I love these kinds of videos, it's too bad not too many people do this
I've worked around molten metal and you guys have been lucky. If you ever have the alum. hit a water pocket its going to explode all over you. You need face shields, leggings, abdomen, feet and hand leathers. PPE is cheap compared to a bad burn from molten alum..
We have worked around it for a long time and know what happens when you pour aluminum in a wet or high moisture ground. We have even had it blow up on us. We know the consequences. We find ourselves using PPE more and more since we aren't as young or able to dodge hot lava like we used to. On a side note PPE only protects you so much. It's not 100% effective but it helps. When your standing in 110 degree Texas heat next to a 2000 degree furnace that face shield and leather jacket/chaps stands a better chance on killing you with a heat stroke than you actually finding moisture to cause a violent reaction with aluminum. We appreciate you watching our videos. Hope to have new videos out soon.
I had a welding spark go down my boot and that was painful enough 😩 I can't imagine how painful that liquid medal would feel like.
@@AMLS1922I got a tiny bit splashed on me once, back when used to make jewelry, as someone said in another video, molten aluminum is "very unforgiving." 😫
Hey, you are talking to arrogant people who think that art is the destruction of life forms. I hope they do hit a effin water pocket!!!
Breathtaking work
Thank you very much!
Amazing!
Thanks!
Your castings are absolutely mesmerizing. Beautiful!
@theresagroves1509 - Thank you so much, we really appreciate your support. It's viewers like you that keep us focused on making new and better content. The 2023 season is about to start and it's going to be amazing!!!
That is absolutely stunning wow ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Nice work! Makes me think of a sci-fi Metropolitan City & loved the underground view. Thanks for the great video!
Beautiful
Despite all the dirt, LOL, I love when you first pull it out of the ground, and you can see how big it is. 😯😍👍
Thanks!
It turned out very very nice. It is amazing. The cities that are built by ants.
That turned out really nice. Phenomenal job!
Thank you. We appreciate you watching!
Spectacular !
Very nice large casting!
Thanks!
And here's to another awesome video will great job can hardly wait for the next great work of art
Thanks to the both of you for making my day
Thank you for the kind words and encouragement !!!
These backwoods hillbillies cannot find a real job, so they take their vengeance against helpless life forms. Effin Nazi tactics.
amazing, and unique.
Wooow what a beauty, stunning, LOVE IT, GREAT JOB
Thank you, we are glad you liked it. We appreciate you watching and supporting our channel.
No ants are harmed in this video! 😂
Bad ass looking
Thanks!
👏 Unique 💯
Thank you.
Very nice. Would love to see that up close
Disclaimer: No Ants 🐜 were harmed in the making of this video 🤗
We actually have a few videos casting empty mounds and the results were amazing! Thanks for watching!
I wonder if you could use liquid glass to pour into the ant nest or would the moisture in the ground cause it to explode?
Now I'm curious, I'm going to ask a friend who does glassblowing. . . but glass has a very high melting point, it can be as high as 2,900°F, while aluminum is much lower (about 1,200°F). Plus it would have to be OVER-heated (like the aluminum is) to keep it from solidifying too fast. Interesting idea though. . . a glass sculpture could be gorgeous if it could be excavated without breaking all the thin parts. . .
Glass is unpredictable. Sounds cool, but highly volatile.
خوب است خوشمان امد
Thank you!
*WOW*!!!! I only just started with "casting" videos and this is by far the greatest! Questions: how do you know how much aluminum to use; and how do you know how extensive the ant colony is? Thank you for your video.
Believe it or not , we guess...The age and size don't mean anything. The type and moisture of soil means more
random thought, there is people that have ants like pets, cant you do the same thing and cast moldings from those hives instead off looking for wild ants hives to cast?
you can have diffrent ants that builds diffrent hives and they produce diffrent outcomes and so on, and in this way you can allso choose diffrent matreials for the ants to build in, so if casting in sand is hard then it is up to you what material you want to cast from.
i mean you can produce alot more moldings this way, right?
just a random thought
Fire ants are not your friend. Native ants are. To build a habitat of native ants as you describe, I encourage. The fire ant invasion we face are destroying our native ants.
I like the way you think.
Thank you for your random thoughts!
God!! That is huge and so beautiful. How much malt did you guys have to use??
We used about 75 lbs. of aluminum
I usually don’t get the heeby-jibbies but what were those bigger insects scurrying away when you removed the frame? 😮 Crickets? Ewwww 😅
@mollysarkisian5545 - Great question! It was crickets. Can you believe that crickets eat dead fire ants? We are always finding crickets around the mounds and wondered the same thing. Thanks for supporting our channel and videos!
Aww, kinda wish you got the beetle or cricket or whatever that was, when you poured that aluminum.
@callumkristofer7793 - The cricket you see in the video is a friend of the fire ant. They depend on each other for survival and we typically find them around the dormant mounds. Thanks for watching our videos and supporting our channel. Check out some of our other videos and let us know what you think.
What would something like that cost
$1200 USD...give or take a few hundred
Next time please clean it carefully. The watergun was just too strong for some small part of the the ant castle ways.
awesome work anyway 👏🏻
The pressure washer is a little harsh on the casting. It takes at least an hour to clean the casting with it. If we used a regular hose, which is less harsh, it takes hours. I'm willing to give up a few weak pieces to cut the time down by hours. Thanks for watching!
They can sell like art also ?
You did everything except rotate it 5 degrees about its vertical axis. If you did that, we could make a stereo image and see it in 3D.
I need a good editor. Help me.
The faster you pour, there's less of a chance for weak connections.
Hey, are yall still doing this?
Yes, this is a hobby for us. We made over 100 castings and 30 videos in 2022. The weather this year in our area has been pretty harsh on the ants driving them deep in the ground. Drought and 110-115 degree temperatures keep them from surfacing much. We have finally got a break from the heat and some rain and now see the mounds coming up everywhere. We are currently making new videos.
@antznpantzcastings Did the same thing to plants. Lol, all the water I could give them was pretty much just life support.
Our spring garden and plants were good, summer was bad, the fall harvest and plants were the best ever. New video coming next week. Thanks for checking out our videos.
👍👍👍❤❤❤😎😎😎
Why don't you use
Gold
Cheap scrape
LOL
Check out our video we posted on using jewelers gold. Thanks for watching!
It looks like a forest in winter....
How much alum did that use?
We used about 60 lbs of aluminum for this casting. It's one of the larger castings we have done. Thanks for watching.
WOW, 60 pounds! It is just gorgeous. Thanks again.@@antznpantzcastings
Next: giant alien floods your house with molten aluminium. For fun.
😃
The ants did 98% of the work.
and my 2% kicked ass