Photography And Half-Thoughts By Mitchell Hegman

...because some of it is pretty and some of it is not.

Sunday, January 22, 2023

Aluminum Beer Can Melting Guild Meeting (January 21, 2023)

Though sparsely attended, we managed a meeting of the Aluminum Beer Can Melting Guild down at the lake yesterday afternoon.  Of special note, the fuel for our melting process was rough-cut dimensional oak salvaged from shipping pallets.

The oak made for an exceptionally hot fire with an abundance of red coals flexing away below the stacks of new fuel constructed around the melting crucible.  Better yet, the sun was generous and the air remained calm throughout the time of our gathering at the edge of the frozen lake.

Desiree also witnessed her first full-sized vehicle scooting across the lake when one of our neighbors drove his truck onto the ice for the express purpose of fishtailing across the expanse.

Good stuff, that.

Tad, our chief furnace tender (and lakeside metallurgist), singed only a few dozen hairs from his wrist and produced a fine pour before the gathering concluded.

I have shared a few photographs from the meeting, along with a brief clip of Tad making the pour.



Desiree Watching the Fire



Tad Dropping a Can into the Crucible



Desiree with a Fresh Ingot

Video: Tad Making a Pour

Mitchell Hegman

2 comments:

  1. What do you do with the ingots? My husband thinks we need a crucible to do similar things and I'm having a hard time talking him out of it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So far, we have simply made a collection of ingots and each of has taken one or two home. We are working on ideas to pour unique ingots. Mostly, we enjoy the process of melting the cans.

      Delete