Blueprint222

Frosty, the cement is DIY, portland, fire clay, perlite and silica. It’s solid cement, no insulation blanket. Yes, that is the burner I have. I was wondering if slotting the tube between the drilled vent holes would allow better breathing. I’ve seen so many “perfect” burner designs I’m not sure where to go next. Is there one you would recommend. My wife says I have every tool known to man. (For the young guys, tool purchases are balanced with carrots.) So I’m confident I can build the “perfect burner”. LOL.

I'm new here and fairly new to melting and casting aluminum. I built a keg furnace (for lack of a better term) a few months ago and have had no trouble melting aluminum. The keg is lined with refractory cement top, bottom and sides. The interior dimension is 10" diameter, 13" tall The furnace is fired by a Mathewson Metals propane burner. So now I'm attempting to melt copper. I've tried small pieces of smashed pipe and wire of various gauges with no success. Everything just gets cherry red, no melt. I'm considering adding a second burner. My question is should I install the second above the existing burner or at the same level, 180 degrees off.