> material-engineering > métallurgie > how-to-make-an-electrical-arc-furnace-the-king-of-random

How To Make An Electrical Arc Furnace

The King of Random - 2015-03-05

How to hack flashlight batteries and a fire brick, into a desktop arc reaction chamber.  ...For hobby metal melting, and for science!

Some quick links to a few of the materials I used:

[✓] Lantern battery: http://amzn.to/2cgnKxN
[✓] Forstner Bit: http://amzn.to/2c1Ja3V
[✓] 3/8 Drill bit: http://amzn.to/2cgl6rL

Endcard Links:

Micro Welder: https://goo.gl/ZmccT9
Laser Blowgun: https://goo.gl/lu3o0M
Magic Mud: https://goo.gl/5dtyXP
Matchbox Rockets: https://goo.gl/jguunj

See What Else I’m Up To:

Instagram: https://goo.gl/C0Q1YU
Facebook: http://bit.ly/FBTheKingOfRandom

Business Inquiries: For business and sponsorship inquiries please contact us directly:  http://www.youtube.com/thekingofrandom/about

WARNING: 

Risk of electric shock, fire hazards, and toxic fumes depending on what material you're working with.  Dust from refractory brick should never be inhaled, as it can damage lungs and cause long term respiratory challenges.  This project can reach temperatures in excess of 3,000ºF (1,648ºC) which is well beyond the melting point of hobbyists.  Caution, care and expert planning are required to mitigate risks.  Have fun, but always think ahead, and remember that every project you try is at your own risk.

Music By: Scott & Brendo (“Photographs” - Instrumental) http://bit.ly/ScottBrendoiTunes

Project Inspired By:  

This project was originally inspired by Theo Grey and his book, "Mad Science".  After seeing the concept, I couldn't find any information anywhere on the internet or in libraries about arc furnace experiments, so I set out on my own to achieve these results.

Project History & More Info:

If you're wondering where you can get fire brick locally, try a quick Google search for “refractory materials” in your city.  I called a couple of companies near me and asked if they'd sell to the general public.  All of them said yes.  

If you can't find anything locally, try searching major hardwares stores online.  They usually have inventory online that they don't carry in the stores.

The insulating fire bricks I got were the 3” x 4.5” x 9” Alumina-Silicate Brick variety.  I got a box of 10 for $33, effectively making them around $3.30 each.  I went one step further and designed the furnace so that 2 of them could be made from one brick, cutting the cost in half, making each furnace a pro-rated $1.65 each!

They're extremely lightweight, and capable of withstanding the temperatures used in steel working, but soft enough you can cut and carve them with kitchen utensils if you need to.  

In reading and studying history a bit, I learned that some of the earliest forms of light were made using carbon arc lighting.  Large amounts of electricity were pumped through carbon rods, making a bright arc and providing light.

To scavenge carbon electrodes, I took a lesson from NurdRage (youtube.com/NurdRage) a couple of years ago I saw his video on what could be scavenged from a carbon-zinc lantern battery (http://bit.ly/IBNurdRageBattery).  It's useful to know what common everyday materials are made of, and these heavy duty batteries are containers packed with carbon rods, zinc metal, and manganese dioxide.  I tucked the information in the back of my mind until now.

In this project I tried melting the zinc casings from the lantern batteries, and casting them into a small ingot, formed with a mini muffin tray.  Be cautious of the zinc oxide fumes produced.  I haven't personally suffered any ill effects from working with it, but some people claim it can give flu like symptoms, or a fever if inhaled in large quantities.

Zinc has a relatively low melting point 787.2°F (419.5°C), so the Arc Furnace is able to melt each casing into liquid zinc in around 5-10 seconds.  That's amazing!  

I don't have an exact purpose for the zinc yet, but it's an easy metal to work with, easy to cast, and great to have on hand for a future projects.  It's also one of the main metals used for making a simple carbon-zinc battery.

The black stuff pulled out of the battery casings is manganese dioxide.  It's a useful chemical for experiments with hydrogen peroxide, so it's worth hanging onto.

Although I haven't verified it, I believe any stick welder can be used to power the mini arc furnace, and for most hobbyists, that would definitely be the easier and safer way to go.  I just don't own a welder, so I used the one I made instead.  You can see how to make it here: https://goo.gl/H0FWxE

The longest I've run the unit continuously is around 3-4 minutes, and the electrodes get so hot at that point they can seriously burn your hands, or melt your gloves.  I wouldn't recommend running it any longer than that.

DaMemeMaster - 2019-07-31

Rest in Peace
You will always be remembered

WONG KA HEI 王嘉希 6C20 - 2019-12-14

he should see his hard work in heaven he teach us everything

Mervyn Johnson - 2019-12-16

A

Omar. - 2020-01-23

This comment was 999 likes so I made it 1k

Roxanne Neary - 2020-01-24

What happened

William Clougherty - 2020-02-23

y rip

scxred - 2019-07-30

R.I.P you will be missed 😭😭😭😭

jman55558 - 2020-02-09

Wtf r u talking about

Hunter Eversole - 2020-02-11

Dhruv bahl because he’s got video evidence of his death he’s got everyone sad he’s been buried and everything

Erin Tsutsumishita - 2020-02-11

He isnt dead

just a name - 2020-03-08

@Hunter Eversole wtf did i miss??

Daniel Kim - 2020-03-17

i already miss him

Triple Threat - 2019-07-30

I was so sad watching
Because of what happend

SammasSwag - 2019-10-06

@Andrew Calderon did u even hear what happened

God of the Dogs - 2019-12-21

What happened

matin - 2020-01-09

what is happen to him?

Dizasta - 2020-01-13

@matin paragliding accident

Pali33 - 2020-01-18

@Dizasta ohh

Guildev Montski - 2019-04-21

4 years later and still waiting for the manganese dioxide reuse

Skeleton Lord #chillwithwill - 2019-10-10

3’ro9fmcjdkdok#4’ejswo heDIEd haahahahhhehehehhehshehshshhaas

mega gamer88 - 2019-10-10

The last dodo r/ihadastroke

100,000 subscribers with high quality videos - 2019-11-04

mega gamer88 r/Ihavereddit

Jeff Wilhite - 2019-11-24

Gold mining

Russell Edward DMello - 2019-12-16

Dude he's dead

WolvenArmor - 2019-07-31

you were the best of all time none shall claim your crown

Joshua Curtis - 2019-10-06

What happend

Red Carnotaurus - 2019-10-21

Moose Man He did the die of the dead die dead him yes

PunkyRB - 2019-11-23

im new what exactly happened

jonswanson909 - 2019-11-29

He passed from a accident

Terra Rain - 2020-02-02

@Juzslo or how deformed your emugula is

先生CherryPepsi - 2019-08-09

He's teaching the angels the ways of science in heaven now. Rip Tkor.

MoooseStasHeo - 2020-01-11

true its sad hes still not with us

Cheesecake The Dutchie - 2019-08-01

R.I.P
You were and will always be...


The TRUE King of random.

justin anglin - 2019-11-07

omq_itz_fluffii how did he pass away

Cheesecake The Dutchie - 2019-11-07

@justin anglin Glider crash.

matin - 2020-01-09

@Cheesecake The Dutchie how?😭😭

Cheesecake The Dutchie - 2020-01-09

@matin He crashed while paragliding.

matin - 2020-01-09

@Cheesecake The Dutchie i just heard the news.😭

chad ADrian - 2019-07-31

rip the best guy❤️😭

skinnyfinn 87 - 2019-08-07

The others can keep it going

Bowser Junior - 2017-04-09

Who else misses this style of video?

Chanin S - 2019-12-13

Me myself and i

Hairth Hairul - 2019-12-29

I miss him :(

Duck Mcfartface - 2020-02-02

100%

Morty D-137 - 2020-02-08

Well now we miss him

Finnethefiah - 2020-02-29

I miss him

imachiken - 2020-02-03

We protecc

We atacc

But most of all

We want him bacc

god lol - 2020-02-25

You spelled protect wrong and attack wrong

god lol - 2020-02-25

Jk lol

Derpa Flerpa - 2020-03-17

How unoriginal

EpicLoganOO7 - 2020-01-05

RIP you were everyone’s favourite it was so sad watching you 😭😭😭😭

joseph ward - 2020-01-19

i would not say everyone

Some High Voltage Channel - 2019-03-27

Man I wish TKoR uploaded build videos still, I miss watching these videos while building along to them, even though I never did build, I enjoyed them much much more than the current content style

noah hall - 2019-08-16

he's dead

Ye Boi - 2019-08-20

@noah hall we know

GhostDiamond - 2019-11-10

this comment needs to be seen by them lol

sebastian gebala - 2019-12-23

Same

Muffin 54321 - 2020-02-16

Yea

Lucas Zhao - 2019-02-15

I miss the original king of random

ravin kasra - 2019-07-27

What do u mean

Equal catzilla - 2019-07-31

Now he dead :(

Mew - 2019-08-08

Well...........

Skeleton Lord #chillwithwill - 2019-11-26

he still owes us manganese dioxide reuse his death isn’t an excuse

Blue cup Gaming - 2019-12-30

Nick and the other girl don’t do it right

Themaninthedark - 2015-03-05

Next week how to make a nuke with a cat and a rubber band

Oreo Loves Buck - 2019-08-01

Ewan Adeshead i know im two years late but r/whooosh

JumiahPlays Minecraft - 2019-08-12

@Uknown Entxty r/woosh

Uknown Entxty - 2019-08-13

@JumiahPlays Minecraft ?

Omar Souied - 2019-11-06

Themaninthedark pat the cat then tie the band into a star, the cat will then turn it into a dangerous nuke.

icomeforyourpickles - 2020-01-11

Next week how to cook with a breakfast with soap and a treadmill

Spinel’s Clone - 2019-08-04

Hes not the king of random anymore... he’s the king of our hearts.

skinnyfinn 87 - 2019-08-07

Omen

nova nova - 2019-08-08

No hes still the king of random

spongeabnormal - 2019-08-08

nova nova ARE YOU NOT SAD HES DEAD?!?!

Teammìe - 2019-08-09

@spongeabnormal calm down

_-*AngryVale_YT*-_ - 2019-08-13

....

Wyatt Spendlove - 2019-07-31

This was my favorite video of his. Rest In Peace, The King of Random

Cyclone Gaming - 2019-12-08

Wyatt Spendlove what happened?

uberderpyhoovs - 2019-08-05

R.I.P the legend he has done his quest to educate us all before his passing

Satoshi Nakamoto - 2019-01-28

You forgot to mention the importance the special gloves. Without them you'll easily electrocute yourself to death. Poor kids at home that tried this without the gloves. RIP

Evan Watling - 2019-06-23

Exactly lmao. The power is going straight through the clamps so there’s nothing protecting your hands.

Retro PCs - 2019-07-29

And that theres like 15 volts on the output od the welder.

ipodhty - 2019-08-02

@Retro PCs it's a high amp, low voltage output. Not harmful at all to humans

Jim Miller - 2019-11-03

@ipodhty To be precise: because of low voltage and high human body resistance it is actually very LOW current on humans. High current only if you have high conductivity like metal.

Christopher Noel - 2020-02-01

It wasn't mentioned that molten metal can pop when it contacts the cold muffin pan, sending drops of liquid metal into nearby things—flammables and skin. Don't forget to preheat your muffin/loaf pans.

NooberLP - 2016-12-02

So for everyone trying this at home u should be wearing glasses because of the light the electricity causes,,, it can damage ur eyesight greatly to the point ur blind so pls upvote this so everyone knows about this

Isaiah Perry - 2019-02-24

Thank you

eat yes - 2019-03-09

THIS IS NO REDDIT

Andrew Leahy - 2019-03-16

@hossein hossein No they can't produce Strong UV light like the arc furnace.

Brayan Perez - 2019-08-18

hes dead dud.

James Smith - 2020-02-01

wear a welding helmet, Both protection and blocks the blindingness

Mathew Zacharia - 2019-08-01

RIP man this was the first video I had watched of yours. Gives me nostalgia

Enderlord 236 - 2019-07-31

You wont be forgotten
R.I.P

Christian Mccord - 2019-07-31

Rip the king of random 1980-2019

spooder man Gurin - 2019-08-09

Rest in peace
1980 - 2019
You will be missed, and never forgotten.
💐

BottomFrag - 2019-07-31

A legend that won’t be forgotten 😢

Sord33 - 2019-08-08

“Heros get remembered. Legends never die.” -The Sandlot 1993

Cyclone Gaming - 2019-12-08

Sord33 what happened

The lazy Red panda - 2020-03-01

@Cyclone Gaming if you haven’t heard he passed away in a paragliding accident

SammasSwag - 2019-07-30

He's gone




😞

Mikul Bae - 2019-07-31

rip my dude.

Wiktor Gliniecki - 2019-08-06

Rip😭
This is real content
This is the REAL KING OF RANDOM!😭

Lasky Labs - 2019-06-18

"My rods are, burning?" -ElectroBoom

Archer Mcshootalot - 2019-12-24

Ikr

nemesis games - 2019-12-24

Spicy

Cool Wolf - 2019-07-26

Dang idk why I thought it was ganna be powered with just the battery 😂 🤦‍♂️

Clayton J - 2019-08-02

He’s dead

Moab Blades - 2019-08-03

@Clayton J I think he knows

et alian - 2019-07-31

R.I.P you were the greatest

Peter Marsh - 2015-03-05

Your "local hardware store" must love you :P

DIABETES - 2018-10-29

Shut up please im weak 😂😂😂

John Lucas - 2018-11-14

@Martin three years later some dude comments WHAT DO YOU MEAN 3 MILLION? HE HAS 10 MILLION

Nickalous is ridiculous - 2018-12-13

@Bmax Arnold dr.rrr

Nickalous is ridiculous - 2018-12-13

@Makayla Reitman .

mecha the dragon - 2019-01-15

O

Juan Dela Cruz - 2019-04-06

tony stark built this in a cave!!!
with a bunch of scraps!!!!!

Kenny Martin - 2019-07-26

I'm sorry sir, but I'm not Tony Stark.

Muhammad Shuaib - 2018-12-16

4:32 sounds like microwave “farts” not “parts”

I LOVE PETSSS - 2018-10-12

2019? (Still waiting)

Doozy - 2019-05-03

2 0 1 9 b o i

Cheese 1337 - 2019-08-05

We wont know it anymore :(

Gaming Pro2647 - 2019-08-08

Keep waiting

Max - 2019-08-22

oli c why didn’t you tell us

WessonScoTT08 - 2019-10-06

r.i.p

Nabiiru - 2019-08-09

R.I.P. in peace my dude. you'll be in our hearts forever.

mwnciboo - 2019-01-12

"Zinc Muffin"...New term for my wife

QuantumRift - 2019-07-24

I never considered that I needed a electrical arc furnace. But after seeing this, I know, now, I must have one.

TheNickestNick 123 - 2019-12-31

Finds a metal cup on the ground

King of random: Oh Boy

Miss u dude

Shawdaw Wolfie H - 2019-07-31

Rest In Peace you Legend

Tom Krygier - 2019-11-12

Anyone saw the cutest refractory brick ever at 2:40

Will Motomura - 2019-08-09

"I always wanted to be like tony stark"my friend, you are tony stark; actually, no you are far better than him

cb - 2019-05-01

“You could carve them with kitchen utensils”
pulls out big saw

Anything under the sun - 2019-06-02

cb
That’s hardly a big saw, r u working with a Jr hacksaw

Doozy - 2019-07-28

Hold on. First of all how did anybody think of taking out a battery electrode to make a ark furnace?

_AltaFalta_ - 2019-07-31

Im so sad. I keep looking at his older videos. ;(

Cyclone Gaming - 2019-12-08

AltaFalta what happened

Raimi_ - 2020-01-22

@Cyclone Gaming passed away, paragliding

Cyclone Gaming - 2020-01-22

Raimi_ oh

Puppet show Adventurers - 2019-08-08

this man made me take my eyes of youtube and do somthing interesting.R.I.P

William Keith - 2020-02-01

From life to death he was always The King of Random

Raymond Diedrich - 2019-07-28

Melting gold. Platinum. Silver.

Randomname - 2020-01-06

whos watching in 2020 5 YEARS AFTER THIS WAS UPLOADED

Sameer Iqbal - 2020-01-30

Why, He Passed and it was so sad and you're over here Asking for likes? Really?

Ryan Hur - 2019-07-31

may the king rest in peace

THE CHAMPION COUSINS - 2019-08-01

Who is watching this while crying