Inspiration
In the early stages of this project I had trouble finding inspiration for what I wanted to work on. I began to go through my old photos to maybe find that spark. It hit me when I found the photos when I witness the Washington Capitals win the Stanley cup in D.C. in 2018. Memories of the parades, Ovechkin drunk for a straight week following the win, and almost every member of the team shotgunning bud lights and champagne on the award stage, it hit me. I would make a Stanley cup out of Bud Light.
Supplies
- Thirty 12 oz. Bud Light cans
- Recycled metal trays
- Metal chalice bowl
- Adhesives
- Hot glue gun
Design Process
The biggest constraint with this project was clearly the cost of the cans themselves. Originally I had designed for a sixty-two can statue, but it became clear I did not have the funds for this so I was restricted to a thirty can statue. The designs below are for the original sixty-two can, and the thirty can design was very on the fly.
Vision
I wanted to create a statue fit for Ovechkin himself. The week following the Capitals win he never let the cup out of his grasp, no matter his physical condition. I intended to re-create the iconic base-heavy shape of the Stanley cup, but with the thirty can restraint, this was not fully achieved.
Fabrication
This process began with a “dry-run” mock up of building the design without any adhesives, simply by stacking the cans. Then, one by one I glued the bottom ring of the cans of the base layer and pressed them into the metal plate. Once I began gluing up layer by layer, I realized at the end I had four extra cans. Rather than extend the height of the statue, I added to the aesthetic instead by gluing said four cans sideways around the side of the ring. I believe this added a great deal of aesthetic value to my project.
Looking Forward
I believe that using thinner metal trays in between each layer would be beneficial, it would not only increase the structural integrity of the statue, but make the cans appear to be level with the ground. Finding a better way to glue the cans together would attribute to the overall aesthetic appeal, rather than the hot glue being very apparent at the adhesion sites. Finally, I would want to add even more 12 oz. cans in order to make the statue look more realistic and lifelike when compared to the real thing.
Video Presentation: https://vimeo.com/user108794955/review/392610940/e5d073b6e4
https://vimeo.com/user108794955/review/392610940/e5d073b6e4
3 Comments. Leave new
Hi Zach, here is my “critique” of your Upcycle Project. I thought your inspiration was very well deserving and you were very clear and well spoken during your presentation. I like how you implemented your observations of Ovechkin in social settings (drinking beer) into the material selection of your project and tied it into an aesthetic of his work (Stanley Cup). During your design process, you scaled down the amount of cans to be used in the final project. With the saucer under two layers of 30 cans, could you add another two layers and place a saucer under all 60 cans? The project definitely resembles the Stanley Cup but I do agree since the trophy is a lot taller, that this would make it look that much more realistic. I enjoyed the attention to detail with this project, the bud light logos are all facing outward and the overall shape is symmetrical. For next steps, maybe you could etch Ovechkin’s signature on it with the year that they won? Overall, great work Zach.
This is definitely an interesting project. I definitely think Ovechkin would be proud. I do agree that you could slice the cans to form them exactly how you want to. It would also be great if this was bigger. Another idea would be to give it another function like a water/beer fountain where the water would overflow from the top and run through all the cans. Great job with the aesthetic.
Zach,
I think this project turned out awesome! You really captured the overall look of the cup with the amount of cans chosen. Im not sure how you would accomplish this, but it would be cool if you could somehow make it more durable and sturdy that way someone could pour brewskis in the cup and chug from it without the fear of breaking anything.