Aluminum Casting small hammer & pickaxe in the kids sand box 

Using the simple method of lost foam casting, I made some tools for playing in the dirt for my kids. I like them playing minecraft in real life. I tried just the foam, it worked. Trying plaster over the foam for a smoother cast. It worked better. To melt the scrap metal / aluminum I used a popcorn tin insulated by soil and fired with the Harbor Freight propane torch. Very simple and cheap setup. The kids learned something and now have useful toys.