One Furnace To Rule Them All

Efforts will be made to design, construct, and learn how to run an iron furnace safely and correctly. This is being done with the intention of competing at the SLOSS Furnaces National Landmark Student Cupola contest, that will occur during the Spring of 2021. The furnace will be adorned in elements, that draw inspiration, and evoke the imagery from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. The inspiration behind Lord of the Rings will be researched. The research will address multiple facets of the Lord of the Rings realm, but it will focus heavily on the imagery of Sauron, his followers, and the architecture associated with his forces. During this process, the concept of sculptural and non-traditional furnaces will be explored. Metal furnaces are primarily constructed for function. They are viewed as a means to create a separate piece of art, but not as form of art themselves. The furnace will be constructed mainly through the welding of pieces of metal together, and using practices, such as laser cutting, to cut out patterns for the decorative details for the furnace. Upon the completion, the iron furnace will be fully constructed and have been run at least once, and ideally multiple times to ensure consistency before the competition. Through these iron pours, further knowledge will be obtained in the understanding of running a furnace, specifically an iron furnace, so that iron pours in the future can be conducted. In addition, the newly crafted furnace can be transported and run to cast molds for artwork or at any potential events and conferences that may be attended in the future. In conclusion, the semester should be finished with the knowledge and capability to run a furnace and safely direct a team without guidance of an instructor