[Regia-NA] Copper cauldrons - somewhat OT

[rmhowe]

Cuthwyn@aol.com wrote:
> In a message dated 11/09/2003 18:47:26 GMT Standard Time, 
> VIKING@inthedanelaw.fsnet.co.uk writes:
> 
>> (These are marked "Not for foodstuff", so not for cooking purposes, 
>> although I believe no copper cauldron/pot is actually safe for cooking.)

It's the blue and green corrosive stuff that forms that is poisonous.
Citric acids may leech the copper (if it is relatively pure).
Hopefully there is no lead in the tin.

Tin is applied by thoroughly cleaning the inside of the
copper item and applying a flux of sal ammoniac on the
inside. The copper pot is heated over a fire and pure melted
tin is ladled in and swished about to coat it. The tin
will stay there as long as there is liquid in the pot and
it doesn't dry out and overheat. AFAIK Tin is relatively
harmless unalloyed. I could be wrong but I have never read
otherwise. Tin is in Bronze by combining it with Copper.
Brass is Copper mixed with Zinc.


> The cauldrom I have used for years on the Medwaeg wic came from "Premus" 
> and was sold as a plant container- but because the inside is tinned it's 
> perfectly OK.  It was also declared one of the most authentic shaped 
> cauldron's on site by Roland.

Is Premus a chain? Never heard of that one.
Have seen piles of hammered pots in various stores
and flea markets at various times. The most popular
time period for their importation was the 1970's but
they seem to be picking up again in less selection.

> However - it was the only one of its kind in the batch at the shop, and 
> many of them had holes in, some big - some pin-sized.  Small holes can 
> be found by putting one's head inside the cauldron and looking for 
> pinpricks of light.  I don't know what the reaction of other customers 
> was to a woman putting cauldrons on her head one after another, because 
> I couldn't see - there was a cauldron on my head! 
> 
> Oh dear - time to sign off, I think
> 
> Aly

My first trip to the Pennsic war they were having the triple
bridges battle. One guy appeared to be wearing a big necked
in pot that curved out over the shoulders and puffed out like
a mushroom at the top. Dumbest helmet I've ever seen. Have
no idea how it got authorized. Monty Python wouldn't have it.

Anyway the weenie got someone down on the ground from the
opposite shieldwall and there they were with mushroom head
repeatedly spearing the crap out of the guy on the ground.
I never could understand why he was allowed to 1) do that;
2) do it repeatedly, maybe twenty stabs, before someone
called a hold and rescued the poor smuck.

It was like a surreal Vaughn Bode Deadbone
Mountain scene in which some poor little goob is gunched
through and impaled by an evil grinning 20 mile stare killer.

Some of us still collect Vaughn Bode. For my fiftieth birthday
I was given two books I didn't have on him and a large hand
made cardboard of Cheech Wizard. It hangs on a hall door.
One of my friends just had Cheech tatooed on his shoulder.

Perhaps I am regarded as a wizard of some stripe. I don't know,
but I like Cheech Wizard. Two legs under a big star covered
yellow wizard hat with a tremendous libido. ;) Never see arms.
An early 70's version of the Japanese Daruma. The god you
see with all head and no legs and arms. Sat down to think
and they withered away. I collect the kami (god statues
from Japan) and particularly Daikoku (the japanese god
with the hammer of happiness who sits on two rice bales,
each equal to a year's rice ration, and who never worries
about the mice and rats nibbling at them. Big grin on his
face.

I guess I forgot to mention the big gold painted bocce ball
they gave me to replace the missing left testicle. However
it is well known the right is as big and brassy as they come.
Not all surgeons are good surgeons, Dorothy, they are rather
like warlocks. The night the goober operated on me it went
six times normal size. Eventually it had to be removed
entirely.  This was a badly botched simple hernia operation.
At first. The right doubled in size to compensate for the
loss. Otherwise the beard and chest hair would fall out and
I'd be singing soprano - or taking sheep testosterone pills.

Magnus