Building the Backyard Metal Foundry - Melt & Pour

We did it!! After seeing these videos online, we decided to try to prove this concept in real life. Join us as we show y’all how we built a homemade charcoal powered metal foundry and melted some metal!

[@howdaay]

4 years later at 4 A.M., this has been both educational and entertaining. Thank you!

[@ryanh415]

Just an improvement tip , instead of normal steel wool , use stainless steel wool. Normal steel wool will rust causing internal expansion and cause the forge to crumble .

[@419outdoors9]

Didn't know a knife was for cutting. Lol nice furnace 😊

[@olfoundryman8418]

Please never never pick up a crucible with vice grips like that!... Martin

[@MARVELOUSMETALS]

Thank you, I know now... check out my other video where I make proper pick and pour tools from bar steel... and ditched these old channel locks!

[@jaberzway8982]

Nice work. What are the quantities of cement, sand and plaster?

[@ChatterontheWire]

nicely entertaining and thanks for the outtakes at the end! Using plaster/sand mix I found making the top much thicker and using metal banding around the outside helped since it eventually cracked and I didn't want to build a new one. I also found using the smaller bucket was problematic getting enough charcoal into it. It always sucked to try to get the crucible back in after the pour too, which is why I eventually went to a much larger furnace using wood and charcoal. I miss the larger melts from that some days still!

[@MARVELOUSMETALS]

Thanks for the comments and the Sub! I defiantly understand the challenges with the bucket / charcoal foundry. Originally I had gathered different materials to do a propane build but wanted to re-visit and prove out this concept first after a previous failed attempt. Stay tuned for the next build once this one has run its course.

[@ChatterontheWire]

@@MARVELOUSMETALS looking forward to it!

[@adrienrudy8004]

i guess it's quite randomly asking but does anyone know a good website to watch new tv shows online?

[@urielbrayan5963]

@Adrien Rudy flixportal :P

[@adrienrudy8004]

@Uriel Brayan Thank you, signed up and it seems to work :D I appreciate it!

[@RichosHuntingTreasure]

Lot of fun mate cool build

[@MARVELOUSMETALS]

Thanks, it has turned out to be quite a rewarding experience!

[@SilverScorpion]

Cool build! Great pors

[@MARVELOUSMETALS]

THanks Silver Scorpion! I want to follow up with an even better build and of course.... more pours

[@jollion]

Preheat molds with a torch? The molten seems to be shrinking too soon.

[@brandonyoumans7174]

Thank you!!!

[@MabRaty-ec7ij]

What concrete and sand is it?

[@Arttelevision1]

Can the strength of the hand dryer be useful when melting brass or must it be blower???

[@techiq7389]

Its not a foundry, its a furnace. A foundry is a building with a cleaning and melting process, a workshop or factory for casting metal.

[@Dinasuke]

What is mixing ratio plaster:sand:cement please

[@MARVELOUSMETALS]

I did about 60:30:10 plaster, sand, cement for this build

[@javo_roma]

How many times can you reuse the same charcoal load before it's necessary to change for a new one?

[@ragunathan3289]

Is it possible to melt Mild steel using this method What is the maximum temperature that can be attained in this method

[@Slide100]

Nice job! Wouldn’t the underside of the lid need a layer of refractory cement too though?

[@MARVELOUSMETALS]

I tried adding a layer later on but it flaked off :(

[@garymucher9590]

Well you made mistakes, but equally learned from them. So maybe not mistakes after all, but little learning lessons... Thumbs Up! The concrete you used didn't look like it had any rock in it, what type was it? And for the life of me, where did you get your supply of refractory cement?

[@MARVELOUSMETALS]

Thanks, it was and still is a learning experience! I used about 10% quick-Crete which had really tiny rocks. The refractory was ordered online, and was the most expensive part of the build. I’ll be upgrading to propane / ceramic blanket this year, so stick around!

[@bgpappy30]

I loved it. You made me crack up!!! I’m be sub. Thank you.

[@CaptainPantys]

Is it any good? Like, how long did it last? Also what's the mixture of the concrete? Really really interesting video...

[@WhiteThumbs]

Awesome video. Can you explain the steps between 1)no fire 2)Air blower 3)Charcoal 4)??? 5)Fire. For step 4, are you just getting something going with a gas torch or what? How are you starting the initial fire? Thank you so much for the video!

[@MARVELOUSMETALS]

Glad you liked the video, thanks for watching. I usually add the charcoal, put some lighter fluid on it, lite it, let it burn a little bit till you get embers then add the air pipe and turn on the blower. You don’t want to start the fire while the blower is hooked up and not on as heat can travel up to the blower and mess it up. Sorry for the confusion, I must have left that step on the editing room floor...

[@WhiteThumbs]

@@MARVELOUSMETALS I figured as much, thanks for the quick response. I've seen people just shove a propane torch in their forge but I didn't feel that was right. Coal, lighter fluid then air.

[@anthonyalleyne8724]

Great video!. Have u tried melting copper?

[@fladoodel]

What is the purpose of the outer layer of concrete? Does it help retain the heat?

[@abdulhaqOmer]

Yes

[@TheBiggermc]

Hola amigo saludos desde Venezuela me podrias decir cual fue la mezcla que usaste para fabricar el horno la proporcion , vi que fue yeso de paris y arena pero no vi que era lo otro , sorry for no wright in da english my friend so very bad my english

[@shawncoffin1153]

I made the original version and my top broke as well. Where did you get the crucible and tongs for grabbing it? Also, did you use a regular muffin pan?

[@MARVELOUSMETALS]

I got the crucible from PMC supplies, and I made some tongs (a lift tool and a pour tool) in a later video. The muffin pan was made of Cast iron to handle the heat.

[@otuyelusoji]

Perhaps the refractory cement should have constituted 70% or more of the mortar for the cast.

[@bendent9002]

Them muffins might not be eatable, but they sure look good lol. Nice and shinny

[@attiliobarcados8178]

were did yiu get the crucible ?

[@MARVELOUSMETALS]

PMC supplies

[@BrooKeLauRenD]

Noice 2.0

[@sandmanbub]

@Whoop !

[@zookster4701]

You really should wear boots to do this kind of work

[@MARVELOUSMETALS]

You are absolutely right, I switched to steel toes after this, check it out -> kzbin.info/www/bejne/pqfMepeadt1md68

[@yvictorbabu1233]

Extent sir tq

[@إبراهيمحسنإبراهيمحسن-ذ7ث]

إبراهيم حسن 🙌💪👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@Артём-х7ф1в]

10 14

[@GhostIy_Games]

Parents: you should study me :

[@royalbenetrix4840]

What was the amounts of sand ,cement and plaster. This is important, with out it your video is useless.

[@grassroots9304]

Nicely done. I'm working on one using basically the same stuff except I'll be trying perlite instead of sand. The addition of the fireplace mortar as a surface protector is good, I think, so I'll be trying that.

[@What2Melt_by_Randall]

Was wondering how this foundry is doing after 7 months. Still using coals? Eventually I want to upgrade my electric furnace to a larger version to melt more metals. Debating making one vs buying one.. and now coals vs propane. so curious hows this foundry is going after 7 months

[@MARVELOUSMETALS]

It’s still going but I’ve had to build a half dozen tops so far. I’ve reapplied the refractory layer several times and that seems to be the saving grace, but honestly this setup is not for the long haul and has limited me. That being said chatter made a comment suggesting different materials that would last longer for coal, but my next build will be propane ( ceramic blanket/refractory/burner) The charcoal is messy and the more you burn the more ash builds up and you get some air blockage. I feel the purpose of this build is to prove the concept and show that it can accomplish melting different types of metal, and there are a few others I want to try before I ditch it. Good luck which ever way you decide to go and keep those cool videos coming, I like your new 3d printer.

[@wadewatts1441]

Like the King if random said after his got so many views and what This Poster said. It's a great foundry. For beginners. I made one to see how much I would use one. (Not as much as I thought) if you want to get into melting metal. MAKE THIS. It's cheap easy and very effective. But if you fall in love with the hobby and are burning through them (no pun intended) then save up for a good one. BigstackeD is an excellent melter and provides coupons all the time for really excellent ones. There is a saying "if you are going to buy a new tool. Buy the cheaper one, if you break it in use. Then you buy the expensive one." Meaning, if you use it enough, and once your learning curve is behind you. Then go for the good stuff.

[@dansw0rkshop]

You should be using a tongs. I worry that crucible is going to break with that kind of abuse.

[@MARVELOUSMETALS]

Thank you, and yes, we ended up building some pick and pour tools in a later video and stopped picking up the crucible this way. Check it out! Its called Making Foundry Pick & Pour tools, and stacking ingots...

[@demagchevy]

Enjoyed watching

[@louisarmstrong8863]

what is with the theatrics what is that crap? 5 seconds watching the crap zero entertainment.

[@asheland_numismatics]

Cool video! 😀

[@cytosol9836]

Nice video! Could you replace the hair dryer with a bellow of some kind?

[@MARVELOUSMETALS]

for sure, as long as you are pumping air in there constantly... Thanks for watching!

[@amirulislam1690]

ভাই ওই জিনিসটা আপনার কাছ থেকে কিনতে পাওয়া যাবে??

[@teamSHTF]

#84 here! Nice editing man!

[@MARVELOUSMETALS]

84 is a good number, glad to have ya and appreciate the compliment on the vid, my KZbin Debut

[@puvagirl03]

Interesting video

[@jamarhayes2228]

What you mixture or was it eyeballed

[@FoxRunForge]

cool

[@saintjimmy2244]

Great work with that.👍👌🤔🤔👏👏👏

[@balaboginichinna]

Sir i want that

[@johndoe-xc4hl]

thank you so much.

[@hywayace]

Is this only good for softer metal like aluminum or could you melt down steel 🤔

[@MARVELOUSMETALS]

I have used it to melt aluminum, brass copper and silver, so I think it can get to about 2300 degrees, but I dont think it could melt steel at about 2800 degrees Fahrenheit. Thanks for the question

[@loganbates2657]

Would just skipping concrete be better any kinda moisture would compromise the structure when reaching high heat levels i would think

[@MARVELOUSMETALS]

too much concrete could store moisture, and in a high heat situation could cause a steam explosion. We just used about 10% concrete for added strength, and had no issues...

[@loganbates2657]

@@MARVELOUSMETALS thanks for the quick reply I am making a foundry and was just curious i appreciate it

[@MARVELOUSMETALS]

@@loganbates2657 No problem, we are still learning here, and if you look at my next video, I made a top with extra concrete and during the burn it actually popped and split in half (I didnt get it on film though) Good luck in your adventures!

[@jeramyrocchi5816]

What is the crucible made of?

[@MARVELOUSMETALS]

Clay/Graphite, I got it from PMC supplies

[@zacharyschupbach9839]

When you made the top is that the sand, plaster and concrete mix again? Thank you

[@didiksantoso7391]

It this tin or alumunium?

[@abdulhaqOmer]

Aluminium

[@smitty2721]

Did the concrete mixture have small pebbles in it, or only sand and cement?

[@celticlightning9703]

Ahhh! The bloopers were hilarious. Murphy's Law.

[@daniellands6984]

God can do anything and anyone is welcome to go to church.

[@minecraftvids2927]

What size pole????

[@leninantoniocastro1135]

Es el mejor y la mejor presentacion

[@Lccastaldo]

And you SHOULD like your own video! Fabulous! I loved it! I now have a lot more ideas, too.... Thank you!😁

[@MARVELOUSMETALS]

Thank you for the comment and Kind words. Best of luck on your journey (I have a bunch of ideas still, so more to come)

[@07jjmusic]

I miss grant sniff

[@manuelluisnavarro7701]

Love this video.

[@rickyroof806]

Why not use a hole saw?

[@isaacmartin4456]

What is meant by a vacuum hose and how is it attached

[@abdulhaqOmer]

It's just a hose from an old Vacuum Cleaner/ Hoover, but you can use anything as long as it doesn't leak air

[@junior1138]

I’m guessing that the sidewall perished too?

[@MARVELOUSMETALS]

Actually the refractory saved the sidewall. I’ve used it a dozen times and just had to recoat with the refractory mortar a few times.

[@junior1138]

@@MARVELOUSMETALS NGL, I didn’t think the coat was thick enough! Have you considered converting to gas fired?

[@MARVELOUSMETALS]

@@junior1138 take a look at some of my next videos, you can see some deterioration and recoating, the last coat was 1/4” thick and has lasted quite a while. I plan to upgrade completely and build a new furnace, which will be LP gas powered. I have the burner and ceramic blanket ect, so stick around for that upcoming feature... I’ve still got a few other unique metals I want to try in the charcoal foundry first, then we’ll move to the next build.

[@junior1138]

@@MARVELOUSMETALS nice! Been playing with the idea of getting into casting. Long story for another day, following.

[@MARVELOUSMETALS]

@@junior1138 right on! This of something I’ve been wanting to get into and has been very rewarding and a great learning experience. Best of luck and thanks for joining us in our journeys.

[@rexbenham9381]

Try try again. Remember to fail is to learn. And them Boooom you do it . And the world is a better place :)