IIRC, wood chisel and 3 plates. Prussian blue to evaluate the thickness. Portland cement, a hairdryer and crucible. I made tongs with strap iron and a drill. ha

IIRC, wood chisel and 3 plates. Prussian blue to evaluate the thickness. Portland cement, a hairdryer and crucible. I made tongs with strap iron and a drill. hairdryer on the charcoal to melt the aluminum. I started with sand casting aluminum cans. I realized I was woefully unprepared to deal with molten metal, if something went wrong. I wasn't willing to iterate at the bottom, and buying the next level of tech seemed like cheating. Still have the books though.