(Video Link)
Artist Thomas Thwaites is trying to build a toaster from scratch from the original raw materials -- which he mined himself. Here is a video about his efforts to smelt iron ore at home. He's doing so as a reflection upon a line from Douglas Adams' novel Mostly Harmless: "Left to his own devices he couldn’t build a toaster. He could just about make a sandwich and that was it."
Link via Ace of Spades
Official Website
I believe the situation in which Arthur Dent found himself was being stuck on prehistoric Earth with no access to modern technology. Seems to me the real challenge would be to create a toaster from absolute scratch using only tools one could create himself.
As a bonus, it should be powered with hand-cranked electricity.
Seems a bit extreme to smelt the iron yourself.. I mean, building a toaster I kinda get.. but..!