A realy realy simple metal smelter?

Ones any one have a really small and simple metal smelter that will get hot anough for me to work iron? Also it has to be ran on solid fuel!

 

You might consider a cupola. "Small" in these usually mean something like 20 pound batches of cast iron, and they're usually enough trouble to fire up that folks like to keep them going for a while once they're started. But that's the only thing that's going to melt iron using solid fuel in small(ish) batches.

All in all it's easier to use a commercial foundry to cast small pieces.

 

Do you want to smelt or do you want to melt?? never done any " smelting" myself so can't advise, but you can easily melt cast iron with coke if you have a decent blower,my first built furnace I built 40odd yrs ago with info from b terry aspins book foundrywork for the amateur,no internet to make everyone an expert then!! I've never bothered to "upgrade" to propane[it's expensive] & coke does all I need, the books still in print for about six quid,mine was five bob & I still have it!! good luck.

 

You want to smelt? Where are you getting your ore from?

 

take a look at this link.....lots of info on small to medium size home built melting furnaces

http://www.backyardmetalcasting.com/