This post is part of a series on making and using the Gingery Foundry.
Over the previous posts, I’ve made all the parts and accessories required to run a Gingery Foundry but had yet to actually cast any metal. Time for a test run!
My first test with the new foundry was a categoric failure. Even running at full blast, the furnace simply wasn’t getting hot enough to melt aluminum. It seemed like it was getting plenty of air, and containing the heat well (the outside of the furnace body stayed relatively cool), so I figured it was a problem with my fuel. I was trying to use “long burning” charcoal briquettes, which presumably had some additive in them to try to keep your grill from getting too hot. I picked up some lump hardwood charcoal at the store and tried again a couple weeks later.