I think, for casting Aluminium, you have to start with cast Aluminium. Its got the proper quality's for pouring when molten, getting into all the sharp corners of the mould and staying roughly the same shape when its gone cold.
Depending on the amounts you want, I'd be stripping down car engines & gearboxes for Ali.
Its not that hard, except for the valve guides in the head.
. (I use a steel shaft from something, gearbox or fridge compressor, and a big hammer, and always seem to bash my left hand around the knuckle of my first finger, so I use extra padded gloves on my left hand)
The engine can be split into two by sending a 9inch angle grinder down the length of the head and above the crankshaft, then slam a steel wedge/cold chisle into the gap to split it & to remove the bore liners.
Use earmuffs, safety glasses, and padded gloves when using the big hammer.....
Gearboxes have lots of nice solid gears and shafts, I think you get extra $$$ if you fill 55gallon drums with them and sell it like that to the scrap metal buyer.
There's a bit of Brass there too.
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