Could you use a kiln to cast metals?

[White Nomad]

So, my question is: Could you melt and cast metals such as copper, brass, that sort of thing, using a side draft kiln running on wood.

I saw a video online of a guy in the bush building a crossdraft kiln from earth clay and it got pretty hot inside while running on no special fuel, just bush wood. It was hot enough that the clay ceramic pot he had put inside was glowing.

Would a construction like that be able to reach hot enough temperatures to melt metal?

[Frosty]

Is that the English guy? I don't recall his name or the name of the series of videos. (show?)

I don't know what you mean by a cross draft kiln. But, CAN you melt metal with wood? The lower temp melts, yes. Many years ago I discovered it took a considerable funnel to direct enough blast into the camp fire to melt empty rifle casings. Melted aluminum cans all the time, stomped them flat and melted them in an empty can. I do NOT recommend using empty cans but it's what we had available, we were working field jobs in the Alaskan Bush so I played in the fire. 

Make charcoal THEN use it in a charcoal melter and you can cast iron.

Frosty The Lucky.

[ThomasPowers]

The only thing preventing you from melting metal in your hand is frostbite---for mercury.  Please specify what metal you want to melt when asking such questions; though I will go out on a limb and say you won't melt tungsten or platinum in such a furnace.

BTW "The Mastery and Uses of Fire in Antiquity", Rehder delves into bio fueled furnaces of various types for various uses.