Oh, I had one other thought to minimize dross is using the aluminum chips from the HAAS. Rig up a form from some steel pipe (say 2.5" inside diameter) and use the press to compress the chips into tube slugs. These will reduce the surface area of the material and should make good charges for melting in our crucibles… More material in a given space…
All that said, do this because you will enjoy it. The fuel cost alone will likely be more the scrap aluminum bar or other shape stock would cost from a metal supplier.