There is still a toy like this in the Czech Republic! I've seen at a toystore that specializes in technical/educational toys. I'll have to check it out the next time I go downtown. I can't even imagine something like this in the USA anymore; a functioning crucible that gets up to 400 F? The CPSC would never allow it.Reminds me of Creepy Crawlers.
Same concept except rubber instead of metal.
And they were melting LEAD! Ahhh! None of you kids are going to live to tell about it!
When I was a kid, I used to go down the street to a gas station and pick up all the lead tire weights they tossed at the side of the building. I would melt them down on the kitchen stove and eventually had a chunk the size of a softball.
I'm still alive and functioning 50 some years later!
I had a lead casting (Kasting?) set as a child. It was a lot of fun. I tried to find one on ebay recently. Only saw used ones. I guess this is a banned toy these days.