Bronze Fabrication
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| One
area where things have developed significantly
over the past few decades has been the development
of welding techniques and materials. We are now
able to weld bronze. Not just braze it, but join
it by melting and fusing a filler rod of the same
composition as the parent metal such that the join
is visually and mechanically seamless. Not all
bronzes can be welded – gunmetal for example
when heated forms a skin of lead on the surface
which is mechanically very weak. But phosphor
bronze is eminently weldable. Fabrication enables
us to use materials effectively and to make
components which might otherwise be prohibitively
expensive if casting patterns were needed. It also
has the great attribute that castings and
fabricated components can be combined into one
assembly, allowing us to get the best of both
worlds.
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| A complex and delicate fabrication, which went
through many variations before this - the final
outcome. |
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| We can't take credit for the design or the
woodwork, but did make the bronze fabrications
involved. |
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| Instead of patination - bright nickel plate |
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| Components for a set of portlights - rolled from
strip, welded and then a thread machined on. |
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| A simple wrought bronze handrail, patinated and
waxed. |
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| Brackets for a conservatory. Cut from sheet and
welded up, it is a good use of material, and
avoids the delay and cost of patternwork. For this
sort of application, a brush finish seems
appropriate. The pieces will naturally patinate to
a mellow brown. |
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| Listed buildings may or may not get a better
class of pigeon, but they certainly get a better
class of pigeon deterrer! These were fabricated
because it was felt that casting such a delicate
shape would be unreliable and/or weak. |
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| The snag with this picture is that it gives no
idea that this piece is some 4 ft by 2 ft. It is
not a towel rail, but if made in tube..... |
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| An example of a piece in progress - one of those
occasions when you wonder whether you shouldn't
leave the bronze in its natural state. |
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| We can work quite delicate sections - though one
has to bear in mind that bronze is not as stiff as
steel, and so may wobble a bit more. |
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| Again, we can't take credit for the
superstructure, but the frame is made from sheet
bronze. |
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