Mini Arc Furnace (Arc Reactor Technology IRL)

A makeshift arc reaction chamber. Small enough to sit on the desktop, but powerful enough to melt steel, within minutes.

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

Endcard Links:

See What Else I’m Up To:

WARNING:

Electrical arc furnaces pose risks of electric shock, fire hazard, and toxic fumes depending on what material you're working. 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. Use of this video content is at your own risk.

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 experimented on my own until achieving these results.

Project History & More Info:

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 get refractory brick from major hardware stores online, but to find something local, I did a Google search for “refractory materials” in my city. I called a couple of local companies and asked if they'd sell to the general public, and most did.

At their warehouse, I identified the 3” x 4.5” x 9” Alumina-Silica Bricks as the kind I needed, which are extremely lightweight, and capable of withstanding temperatures used in steel working.

Most local refractory suppliers will only sell the bricks in cases, but luckily they had an open case in the shop, and sold me a single brick for $6. However, I later went back and got a case of 10 for about $33, making the cost of each brick around $3.30.

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 realize it would be easy to modify them to have insulating handles and run it longer, however I believe that's beyond the scope of this project, and there is good risk that the insulation on the cables would start melting and the system would self destruct.

I designed the furnace so you can easily make two of them from one brick, and you'll see how I made them in the project video, “How To Make The Mini Arc Furnace”.
#tkor #thekingofrandom

[TheKingofRandom]

*Hey guys!  My mind is blown at what this little device can do :)  Let me know if you got any ideas from these experiments, and if you liked what you saw?  Thanks for watching, subscribing, and I'll see you in 10 days when we get back in town with the videos on how to make it!! :D*

[Converto]

Rip the real king of random

Legends will always live in our hearts

[Nighthawkinlight]

Great job Grant! I need one of these in my shop. I should have warned you that plaster can act as an oxidizer in thermite reactions if you happen to try to cast REALLY hot metals into it. Look into making green sand from bentonite powder for better copper/steel casting

[MuzikBike]

Radioactive egg yolks? Sparking liquid light?
I'm interested.

[joelranglin]

lol bruh my wife would murder me if i did you said home depot right?

[TheKingofRandom]

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

[maxhammerum]

"Im not exactly sure but i think we just cooked up a batch of lava" 😂😂😂😂😂

[mcman]

Please try creating glass with your furnace, that would really amazing!

[taow]

Awesome job
Amazing that it can achieve these temperatures!

[scottmahoney]

Makes me feel alive too Grant, this is one of my favorite videos. It's amazing what you can do with basic things around you and a little know how.

[felixchau]

last video: Im going to add this muffin to my metal collection.

next video: destroys it completly.

[kitchen]

I think it would be really cool if you gathered all your melting equipment (ie. This, solar oven, spot welder, metal foundery, etc.) and just had a long video (like 10 min) with just melting stuff, like trying to make glass, and maybe trying to make the lava again and put it into ingots.
That would be so cool! I hope you take this into consideration, or even just look at this.
Hope to see it soon!

[f.b.jeffersn]

Absolutely insane! It blows my mind that something like this isn't widely used. I mean you made lava...LAVA....with nothing more than household stuff! I'm somehow convinced that that power output is like nothing before and could benefit mankind. I however don't know if scaling it would be practical or even feasible.

[toasty]

Seems like it would be more convenient to permanently install the electrodes and operate the furnace with a switch.

[sirdeakia]

I wonder how many people didn't use gloves to handle the electrodes and are no longer here.

[Danaile]

How long does it takes before the furnace is broke down by the molten steel? With the liquified rocks it seemed really damaged.

[lukaradakovic]

Oh my god, this is the thing... this is the video that changed my life :)) I was struggling with an 800W electrical furnase and could barely melt aluminum if i left it for hours. God i'm so happy i found your channel! Thanks Grant!!!! You rock!

[williamgray]

Hey, quick idea for you with this project. Have you considered filling the holes inside the furnace with refractory cement to lose less material when you pour? I notice that the brick slowly seems to deteriorate after each use because it's so soft. Do you imagine refractory cement would help the inside hold up better?

[KittenoftheBroccoli]

I watch these videos, and I'm like, "How is it he hasn't been killed yet?" He plays with flammable hydrogen, liquid nitrogen, eats dry ice, make a stick welder out of a microwave, and melts rocks into lava using flashlight batteries.

[willgravis]

''lemme know in the comments how these experiments made you feel''
*POWAHH!!!* *UNLIMITED* *POWAH!!!*