Apparently you can pull gigantic Fresnel lenses out of old rear-projection TVs. So I'm thinking - Gigantic solar death ray + Crucible + some fire-brick = A now power, no gas, no coal option for casting small amounts of metal - jewelry and small parts.

There are three rear-projection TVs in the freebies section of Craigslist just today, so the materials are definitely there. A tenative parts list would be

Scorcher
- 2x2s and 2x4s for the frame
- Gigantofuckinghuge Fresnel Lens
- Some kind of locking pivots to allow the lens to be adjusted to the right orientation relative to the sun

Burny stand thing
- 2x4s to build a frame
- Alternately - weld up a steel frame, though that's beyond my skill set
- Fire-brick to form a relatively heat resistant surface
- Crucible

If I had a truck and another set of hands I would totally be up for grabbing one of these things, taking it apart, and setting things on fire this afternoon. Alas, no truck.

Great idea. I'd love to see how hot it could get and the amount of material you could melt. If nothing else you'd make a nice solar cooker. Add a solar tracker and you're set.

I've seen the insides of some rear projection TVs but I only recall seeing large mirrors, no fresnel lenses. I wasn't looking for a fresnel lense and could have missed it, or it could be a specific model that uses them.

I have a truck and would be willing to lend a hand in procuring a TV and working on making a solar smelter. I wish I would have seen your post earlier.