DIY Can Smelter, Furnace, back yard foundry. Create your own body armor.. ? lol

Well this is a old video but newly released. It all started last summer when a friend of mine named Jared, showed me a youtube video about back yard foundry's. I thought it was the coolest thing ever. So I went home and tried to do it myself. 

I started by cutting the top off a old steel fire extinguisher. If you go to your trash dump yard you should be able locate some free ones for the taking. At the city dump in Tx there was a giant pile of them. 

 Here is the original instruction video I learned how to make the furnace. 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHD10DjxM1g 

This thing worked great. We used it and it actually melted hundreds of cans. 

Here is what you need to build it. 

bag of sand,                 3.25

 Plaster of Paris .         7.50 

 Aluminum  bucket     6.50 

Steel pipe was             4.50              but used from a old project.  

And everything else we had on hand. 

Blowdryer    make sure not to use hot air on the blowdryer or it will be ruined you just want air flow.

duck tape  

pvc pipe
Charcoal

This was by far the cheapest hobby I have ever tried and it was so rewarding. 

Here is all the stuff i have  cast so far.

After I melted all the cans I just poured the molten metal into casts of sand, and muffin pans. We also had way to much left in so we made a brick with a bread pan. 

I had this brick for about 8 months then I decided to melt it down to try and make more stuff. But I realized it didn't fit in the crucible so I tried to break it apart with a hammer. The hammer didn't even make a scratch in it. It was so incredibly hard.  It was in that moment a switch went off in my head. I thought,  I wonder if it will stop a bullet? 

Luckily I  have friends with weapons strong enough to gave it a full test. 

The Results would astonish you. 

Disclaimer...

It is illegal is some states to have body armor if you are a felon. It's imperative to always consult your local police and local laws and regulations regarding this matter.  If you are serious about being able to protect your family should a natural disaster happen making your own armor plates could give you an advantage over people with out it.  But if your intention is to use the plates to fight law enforcement your wasting your time because the plates only stopped halo point pistol rounds. Anything higher velocity then pistols which all law enforcement and military carry will go through these plates like butter.

This plate took 13 rounds and only 3 penetrated.

9 mil   Did not penetrate.

40 Cal Did not penetrate.

45 Cal Did not penetrate.

357 barely penetrated.

7.62  went straight through.

What is so amazing is most ceramic plates break after multiple strikes. But this plate did not break. It is still solid and would take many more hits with low velocity rounds.

Here is the video of me working solo.  If this is something you want to do, Do it !! Anything can be done if you put your mind to it. All DIY knowledge is a YouTube video away.  You don't need permission, it doesn't cost a lot of money and you can make beautiful presents to give your friends out of trash. It's as sustainable as it comes.  It is such a cool feeling to give out little aluminum ingots to my friends and tell them I made it them of old cans.

Here is a second video with a more detailed look at it . It was so much fun and low cost entertainment for the night. A great way to spend the evening with friends. It was nice entertainment for my daughter as well. She was only two in this video, its amazing how fast they grow up.

Thanks to my bro for filming it for me. Now go melt and have fun, create, be careful, and love like you never loved before.