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0114 249 4977

castings@durhamfoundry.com

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Certificate Number 8140

ISO 9001 | ISO 14001

Decorative Castings

Cast iron, because of its ability to produce intricate and complex detail, is an ideal material for decorative castings. The Georgian and Victorian periods saw a surge in the use of cast iron and most of the metal decoration that you see on Georgian and, particularly, Victorian buildings is cast iron. The main reason for this was the cost.

Decorative Cast Iron Cost

Compared to brass and bronze which, up to that point, had been the metal commonly used for decorative applications, cast iron was far cheaper. This meant that metal decoration became available to many more people and was no longer the preserve of wealthier clients.

The Popularity Of Decorative Cast Iron

Because of this popularity and the long lasting nature of cast iron, many of these decorative castings are still in use today. However, if a Victorian gentleman was to see a set of cast iron railings today he would probably be confused by the colour. Most of the railings you see are painted black. In the Victorian period they are more likely to have been bright green to give the appearance of verdigris, the green oxide that forms on bronze and brass castings when left to weather.

Durham Foundry Production of Decorative Cast Iron

Although the Victorians liked the cheaper cost of cast iron they still wanted to give the impression of using more valuable materials. Call Durham Foundry on 0114 249 4977 to discuss your Decorative Castings & Decorative Cast Iron project. At Durham Foundry we have been producing decorative iron castings for over a hundred years. As well as castings for the decorative market, our customer base also covers the engineering, architectural and artistic sectors and we can supply castings from one off up to small to medium batch production using Alkali Phenolic resin bonded sands.

Our workforce of highly skilled moulders can work from complex loose pattern equipment, particularly where low volumes are required, whilst our moulding line is suited for batch production. Our long trading history, coupled with an investment programme that has enabled us to keep up with modern production methods and environmental legislation has meant that we have been involved with many decorative projects and continue to do so. All our castings are produced to a current ISO specification, ISO 185 2005 for grey iron and ISO 1083 2004 for ductile iron, along with any further certification which a customer may require.

Durham Foundry Production of Decorative Cast Iron

Although the Victorians liked the cheaper cost of cast iron they still wanted to give the impression of using more valuable materials. Call Durham Foundry on 0114 249 4977 to discuss your Decorative Castings & Decorative Cast Iron project. At Durham Foundry we have been producing decorative iron castings for over a hundred years. As well as castings for the decorative market, our customer base also covers the engineering, architectural and artistic sectors and we can supply castings from one off up to small to medium batch production using Alkali Phenolic resin bonded sands.

Our workforce of highly skilled moulders can work from complex loose pattern equipment, particularly where low volumes are required, whilst our moulding line is suited for batch production. Our long trading history, coupled with an investment programme that has enabled us to keep up with modern production methods and environmental legislation has meant that we have been involved with many decorative projects and continue to do so. All our castings are produced to a current ISO specification, ISO 185 2005 for grey iron and ISO 1083 2004 for ductile iron, along with any further certification which a customer may require.

Decorative Applications

Our diverse customer base has also given us experience in a wide range of applications for iron castings beyond the decorative market, including pumps and valves, forges, foundries and rolling mills, automotive and aerospace, a wide range of OEM’s, quarries and mines, railways and rolling stock, local authorities and artists and sculptors. We also have long term trading relationships with local pattern makers, machine shops and surface finishers which enable us to quote for the complete supply of machined and painted castings.

Decorative Cast Iron Range

Although the start of this page may give the impression that decorative cast iron is an old fashioned material, this is a false impression. Cast iron has many uses and the introduction of ductile cast iron in the late 50’s extended this range of uses into structural areas that had been previously unsuitable for ordinary cast iron.

This ability, to provide a structurally stronger material which could still achieve the same detail and surface finish, led to a whole range of applications where the structural and engineering sectors met the decorative and architectural ones. These days cast iron, in its varied forms, is no longer a cheap alternative to more expensive and desirable materials. It is an engineering material that can solve design problems across a range of applications including decorative ones.

Any further questions about Decorative Castings?

Get in touch

Durham Foundry are a new supplier for us. The relationship has been overwhelmingly positive.

They have a desire to solve problems and deliver quality castings on time. We look forward to working with them for years to come.

Tim Dockerty

Director - SVR&D Ltd