Hot sand and molten metal, Extra Time has it all

This week, we celebrate plaster sporting shields, casting magical metal machines and melting on the beach at First Light.

Back on the longest (and one of the hottest) days of the year, Extra Time welcomed players to the Cosmic Pirate tent at First Light, where they made cardboard footballers inspired by the Archive All-Stars and shared their dreams and goals in our Extra Time net.

We also paraded the magnificent banner and took the Archive All-Stars over to where Everyone Active was playing football in the broiling sun.

It was a glorious, happy day – our thanks to everyone who came along and supported the sessions.

Meanwhile, back at the Long Shop this week, Sam and Ellie shared modern photographs of flaming crucibles and bronze pours as well as archive pictures of Garretts foundry workers, whilst explaining a little about the process of casting in metal.

We learned from group members of their experiences of operating furnaces – and for those of us who have never been near one, we made a lot of culinary analogies about oven temperatures, baking cakes and rolling dough.

The adults helped to sieve the sand into the wooden mould before Sam and Ellie melted and poured in the pewter  – after which our Extra Timers put on the gloves to turn out their unique Pewter Penalty Popper.

Having spent last week making a plaster cast of their players, this week the children got to see the real thing, already turning a wonderful rusty red from the copper powder added to the plaster mix.

They compared the photographs of Garrett football players with their figures on the shield, before moving outside to help cast their final piece.

Having sifted the sand and helped to tamp it down, their clay model was pressed firmly into it, leaving a precise indentation which was then filled with molten pewter.

Within minutes it was set enough to turn out – much to the children’s amazement and delight. Everyone agreed that they were thrilled with the result – if not a little relieved at how it had all turned out.