PRODUCTION OF PORTABLE FURNACE USING LOCALLY SOURCED MATERIALS FOR FOUNDRY PRACTICE IN ART SCHOOLS IN SOUTH EASTERN NIGERIA

Abstract

A furnace is the primary source of heat for melting and processing of metal used for casting metal sculptures. The insufficiency of furnaces for foundry in the art schools in the Southeastern states of Nigeria caused mainly by the exorbitant cost of foreign-made furnaces impelled the researcher to carry out this study. In view of the problem, the researcher explored the possibilities of up-cycling to fabricate a portable furnace from waste and locally sourced materials. Theory of heat was adopted to guide the research. The aim of the research is to explore waste and locally sourced materials for manufacturing a portable and energyefficient furnace fired with used engine oil and charcoal. The study is studio-based research hence a mixed research approach was employed. The study employed quantitative and qualitative methods. Data for the study were gathered through Primary sources mainly sources such as interviews, observation and group focus Discussions while secondary sources are written materials, published and unpublished, such as magazines, books, lecture notes and internet sources. The study also used questionnaires to elicit information from respondents’ instruments were scaled with 5-point Likert’s scale of rating with 50% as the cut-off point. The practical project entailed the use of clay materials, fibreglass, Sheet metal and junk for the furnace construction. Also, an electric motor was used to fabricate a blower powered by electricity, which supplys oxygen to combust the used engine oil, and charcoal used for firing. During the test to cast sculpture, heat energy produced was estimated up to 1400oc with minimal monoxide emission. It was observed that the furnace is easy to operate, repair with a low cost of maintenance. The study reveals that through exploration of these waste materials, cost of manufacturing was reduced considerably. The research also proved the possibility of using locally sourced materials such as used metal for the fabrication; charcoal, and used engine oil for operating portable furnace. It was also observed that the portability of the furnace offers significant assistance in decongestion of studio because of the movable wheels. Furthermore, it will ultimately lead to achieving efficient teaching of foundry techniques in art schools in Southeastern Nigeria. This furnace is suitable for medium and small foundry workshops. The use of such foundry in the cottage foundry industry will increase returns and improve the economy. The study recommends that Art schools should work to construct their furnaces using locally sourced materials for enhanced teaching and learning.