When I arrived the Guild members (www.massart.edu/ironguild) had their equipment set up and fired up with a roaring wood fire.  Wood is used to start the process because it is very inexpensive.  

Text in italics is provided by Laurie Carman, webmaster of the Iron Guild website.

The process of "burning in" the cupola may also begin with a gas torch (which is what we used to do) but we found that it required a tremendous amount of gas and wood works just as well. Once we've been burning in with wood for a while, we begin adding coke. The coke has to reach temperature before we can begin adding iron. Iron melts at approx. 2750 degrees F, and our cupola will reach 3000+ degrees in certain areas

The vessel used in this process is called a cupola. That is the black barrel like  object sitting on the stand in the center of the photo.  At the right can be seen a flexible hose which is connected to a electric blower that provides air to the fire.  The cupola is lined with a fire and heat resistant material called refractory clay which has to be replaced periodically.  The spout at the bottom of the cupola is where the molten iron will come pouring out into a carrier called a crucible.

I believe the term "crucible" usually refers to the pot that metal is actually melted in. The crucible can remain in the furnace or sometimes can also be used as a ladle to pour the metal (such as at Mystic River Foundry). The iron melts directly in our furnace, so in a sense, the furnace itself becomes a crucible. We pour the metal into what is called a ladle, or transfer ladle, which is made of the same refractory material as the inside of the furnace.

You CAN try this at home kids but it can be very dangerous and must be treated with utmost respect.  There is a lot of good (and some not so good) information on the web on the subject of casting,  do your research carefully and if at all possible enlist the assistance of someone who has experience work with molten metal.

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