The Secret of Steel By Crom...Steel making made simple... just comb the beach for iron ore, make an oven out of oil drums, use plenty of charcoal and a few crushed sea...

Niigata City History Museum Assembling the stove from clay and oil drums the 20L drums are stacked and coated in clay They are then filled with chipped charcoal 1500 degrees centrigrade is the goal! Charcoal is added regularly until WAY hot! The professor with his own special design Attaching a vacuum to help blow makes the temperature rise quickly The kids labor to chop the charcoal into 2cm squares we need a lot to make steel chipping away collection time Scallop shells are used as a source of Potash Students smash sea shells to be added to the mixture IMG_4302.JPG Local sand provides the iron ore magnets are used to lift out the ore its tedious work local ore samples a vacuum is used to force air into the stove temperatures rise quickly to 1500 C The iron ore is added in measured amounts IMG_4307.JPG followed by charcoal and shells repeated every 30 secondsd timing and measurement are important everyone pitches in adding shells to the mix and more iron ore IMG_4315.JPG after an appropriate amount is reached The plug is pulled to release a pour of low grade iron this first poor just rids the stove of impurities IMG_4318.JPG then it is replugged then another poor... this time of "pure" iron finally in the end... the good stuff!