I just received the new infrared pyrometer I ordered last week. What a dandy little item!

The thing reads from about 50 below zero to just a frog hair over 3000 degrees Fahrenheit by infrared emissivity scanning and also has an optional (included) Type K thermocouple rated from 60 below to 2500 F. It has an output port to a PC for temp logging and other functions too, though I don't yet know how useful that all is - haven't tried it. All that for under $200 with shipping. Amazing, really.

Fully portable bronze furnace.
Smallest gas powered leaf blower I could find - plenty of air at idle.
Stainless cover with refractory slathered kaowool weighs less than 20 lbs.
harbor freight weed burners are way simpler than making your own.

We took a miniaturized version of our foundry to a local festival last weekend.

I do not think the organizers really believed me when I said I was bringing a real working foundry to the event.

A fellow asked what I was cooking. When I answered brass he looked at me weirdly and walked away. Nothing to eat here.

Further progress on the dog sculpture. Its been raining here all week AGAIN. However, today I was off work and the rain stopped, so I got myself set up to do the casting this morning. Below are pics of the results, but first some pics of the shell application.