Pouring the Copper: How Three Men Cast a Pan from Molten Metal - Video

**Fire and Copper: The Traditional Casting of a Flat Pan**
Casting a copper pan is an ancient craft. Scrap copper is melted in a clay-lined furnace, heated by charcoal and forced air. When the metal is fully liquid, it is poured into a shallow mold or a water bath, where it spreads and cools into a flat disk. The disk is then hammered and shaped into a pan. The work requires skill: the copper must be hot enough to flow, but not so hot that it burns, and the pour must be steady to produce an even disk.

- **Furnace Type**: A clay-lined steel drum, with a forced-air blower and a charcoal fire.
- **Copper Melting Point**: Copper melts at 1,984°F; the furnace must reach that temperature.
- **Pouring Technique**: The crucible is tilted slowly, and the metal is poured in a steady stream.
- **Water Bath**: The water cools the copper rapidly, solidifying it into a disk.
- **Shaping**: The disk is removed and hammered on an anvil to flatten and shape it.
- **Pan Size**: A pan is 8 to 12 inches in diameter, with a handle riveted or cast on.
- **Yield**: A batch of copper produces 3 to 5 pans per pour.
- **Safety**: The men wear gloves and stand clear of the molten metal; a splash can cause severe burns.

When the copper disk is cool, the men hammer it into a pan, polishing the surface and attaching a handle. The pan is ready for the market. This is not a task that will appear in a metalworking manual; it is the fiery, hands-on work of a village foundry. And as the sun sets over the courtyard, the men know that the pan they cast today will cook meals for years—thanks to a furnace, a pour, and a steady hand.