So far they’ve made magnesium metal in the laboratory using electric heaters. If all goes well, Valparaiso plans to be making the metal in the solar furnace by the end of next year.

If you want to do casting at home, you’ll need a way to melt metal. [Jake]’s DIY foundry furnace gets hot enough to melt aluminium, and is built out a mix of scrap parts. The chamber of the ...