Bucyrus Copper Kettle Works preserves craft

Bucyrus Copper Kettle Works started in 1874 as D. Picking & Co., when owners of a local hardware store decided to train their tinsmiths to make apple butter kettles. This eliminated the need to import kettles from Pennsylvania. The company is located at 119 South Walnut Street in Bucyrus, Ohio, and the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The company expanded its product line in 1880 to include Swiss cheese kettles and timpani bowls. Today, they also create decorative pieces, candy kettles, and popcorn kettles. Skilled coppersmiths are available for custom projects and restoration work. In 1912, the introduction of electric motors sped up hammering, making it easier for coppersmiths. The company still uses belt-driven machines and original patterns dating back to 1874. Tours are available by reservation, where visitors can witness the copper-making process and even hammer their own souvenir copper coin. James Patrick took over the business in 2020. In 2024, the building, tools, and historic artifacts were sold to the Bucyrus Copper Kettle Works Museum, Inc., while James Patrick continues to own and operate the manufacturing component of the business. The company has placed a cheese kettle and an apple butter kettle in the Smithsonian collection in Washington D.C. Copper kettles have been used for centuries in brewing and beverage production due to copper's excellent heat conductivity and antimicrobial properties. Copper was favored for kettles because it was cheap, bright, and an excellent conductor of heat. The fuel oil forge used by Bucyrus Copper Kettle Works burns at 2,000 degrees. The company also makes copper timpani drum shells for orchestras. They offer repairs and polishing services for copper items. Bucyrus Copper Kettle Works also produces decorative bowls and waste paper baskets.