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Archive for November, 2010

Wrough iron has stood the test of time

Wrought iron has been around since the earliest days of civilisation. Around 4000BC it competed with bronze for prominence and eventually took over in the manufacture of axe heads, swords and items of general use. The structural uses of wrought iron increased through the Middle Ages, initially for construction and weaponry, and later as ornamental approach on monasteries and churches. Later, and with the introduction of blast furnaces in the 15th century, the availability of wrought iron increased even further and towards the end of the 17th century. Craftsmanship reached new heights in the period of Great English Ironwork with the arrival of French metalworker and designer Jean Tijou who first arrived in England in 1689 as a Huguenot refugee. One of the most influential ironworkers in England in the late 17th century and the early 18th century; Tijou created intricate designs and is credited with introducing interlaced monograms into English ironwork.

The structural use of wrought iron took off in earnest in the latter part of the 18th century with English Ironmaster Abraham Darby’s first iron bridge near Coalbrookdale in Shropshire .The bridge was made entirely of iron arches and ribs which were cast in a foundry and transported to the building site for assembly.

Wrought iron, with its high tensile strength came again to the fore with the arrival of the railways, particularly in the building of railway bridges, but by the end of the 19th century, three inventions, i.e. coke, the blast furnace and the Bessemer converter, unlocked the production of steel and due to its increased availability, the use of wrought iron declined.

Although wrought iron will probably never be used to such an extent again, it has enjoyed something of a revival in more recent years, and it continues to be popular for many applications such as handrails and fences, providing security and aesthetics for residential and commercial properties including ornamental gate finials such as spheres, railheads and baskets etc, as well as architectural metal railings and staircases. Ornamental wrought iron components satisfy the requirements of builders, architects and designers as well as the end user.

There will always be some of us who appreciate the artistic quality of wrought iron and the skill involved in creating beautiful things! Wrought iron has stood the test of time as a decorative and structural building material.

Http://www.fhbrundle.co.uk – Wholesale distributors since 1889

Ironwork

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Gate of the Winter Palace in St Petersburg.
Ironwork is any weapon, artwork, utensil or architectural feature made of iron especially used for decoration. There are two main types of ironwork wrought iron and cast iron. While the use of iron dates as far back as 4000BC, it was the Hittites who first knew how to extract it (see iron ore) and develop weapons. Use of iron was mainly utilitarian until the Middle Ages, it became widely used for decoration in the period between the 16th and 19th century.
Wrought ironwork
Wrought ironwork is forged by a blacksmith using an anvil. The earliest known ironwork are beads from Jirzah in Egypt dating from 3500 BC and made from meteoric iron with the earliest use of smelted iron dates back to Mesopotamia. However, the first use of iron dates back to the Hittites from 2000BC.
Knowledge about the use of iron spread from the Middle East to Greece and the Aegean region by 1000BC and had reached western and central Europe by 600BC. However, its use was primarily utilitarian for weapons and tools before the Middle Ages. Due to rusting, very little remains of early ironwork.
From the medieval period, use of ironwork for decorative purposes became more common. Iron was used to protect doors and windows of valuable places from attack from raiders and was also used for decoration as can be seen at Canterbury Cathedral, Winchester Cathedral and Notre Dame de Paris. Armour also was decorated, often simply but occasionally elaborately.
From the 16th century onwards, ironwork became highly ornate especially in the Baroque and Rococo periods. In Spain, elaborate screens of iron or rejer were built in all of the Spanish cathedrals rising up to nine metres high.
In France, highly decorative iron balconies, stair railings and gateways were highly fashionable from 1650. Jean Tijou brought the style to England and examples of his work can be seen at Hampton Court and St Pauls Cathedral. Wrought ironwork was widely used in the UK during the 18th in gates and railings in London and towns such as Oxford and Cambridge. In the US, ironwork features more prominently in New Orleans than elsewhere due to its French influence.
As iron became more common, it became widely used for cooking utensils, stoves, grates, locks, hardware and other household uses. From the beginning of the 19th century, wrought iron was being replaced by cast iron due to the latter’s lower cost. However, the English Arts and Crafts Movement produced some excellent work in the middle of the 19th century. In modern times, much modern wrought work is done using the pneumatic hammer and the acetylene torch. A number of modern sculptors have worked in iron including Pablo Picasso, Julio Gonzez and David Smith.
Cast ironwork

Another cast iron grille in St Petersburg
Cast iron is produced in a furnace stoked with alternate layers of coking iron then poured into molds. After the iron cools off, the sand is cleaned off. The Chinese were the first to use cast iron from the 6th century AD using it as support for pagodas and other buildings.
It was introduced into Europe by the 15th century with its main decorative uses being as firebacks and plates for woodburning stoves in Germany, the Netherlands and Scanindavia. By the end of the 18th century, cast iron was increasing used for railings, balconies, banisters and garden furniture due to its lower cost.
See also
Look up ironwork in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Blacksmith
Scrollwork
References
John Starkie Gardner Ironwork Victoria & Albert Museum London 1978 Volume 1 ISBN 0-905209-00-1 Volume 2 ISBN 0-905209-01-X Volume 3 ISBN 0-905209-02-8 first published 1893
Dona Z. Meilach, Decorative & Sculptural Ironwork: Tools, Techniques, Inspiration 2nd edition Schiffer Atglen PA 1999 ISBN 0-7643-0790-8
Otto H?ver A Handbook of Wrought Iron from the Middle Ages to the end of the Eighteenth Century translated by Ann Weaver Thames and Hudson London 1962
Edward Graeme Robinson and Joan Robinson Cast Iron Decoration: A World Survey 2nd Edition Thames and Hudson 1994 ISBN 0-500-27756-7
Gerald K. Geerlings, Wrought Iron in Architecture:; Wrought Iron Craftsmanship; Historical Notes and Illustrations of Wrought Iron in Italy, Spain, France, Holland, Belgium, England, Germany, America Bonanza Books 1957
Theodore Menten, Art Nouveau Decorative Ironwork Dover Publications New York 1981 ISBN 0-486-23986-1
Notes
External links
Encyclopedia.com article on Ornamental ironwork
Wrought ironwork
Cemetery fence ironwork
Columbia Encyclopedia article on ornamental ironwork
Encyclop?dia Britannica article on metalwork
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Garden With an Aesthetic Appeal Right Accessories

Get rightly guided to add a pleasing look to your garden. Find a huge source of information and products in online directory and get the right tips to enhance the way your garden looks. There are eco-friendly Furniture, Accessories And Home Furnishings to help you. Make use of lanterns such as a stone lantern, Granite lanterns, rain chains, iron lanterns and other such items. Musical fountains, bamboo fountains and sculpture is another good tip for garden accessory. You have an endless collection of antique outdoor accessories such as Table top urns, sun catchers, antique compotes, garden thermometers, French wire decor, sun catchers, indoor plant holders, decorative weathervanes, unusual pottery, ethnic objects. Just be more creative on what you place and how you place your outdoor accessories. Wind chimes and stepping stones offer a warm welcome to your guests. Do away with your old welcome mats and the common clichéd items.

Landscaping adds levels to a garden making it more interesting. Depending on the available space, choosing and planting certain plants is important so that the garden always has some blooms. Have a variety of flower saplings planted and ensure that you have flowers of all seasons. So that, your garden has flowers bloomed all year long. People don’t use concrete accessories any more; instead they make use of vibrant colors and designs now to suit your taste. Another nice touch you can consider is to put decorative garden stakes and small planters along the side of your pathway. These small additions can make quite an impression to your visitors.

You can also consider Garden art and sculpture to adorn your garden such as cast iron white rabbit, wooden mushroom seats, hand carved fish on a rope, coloured mallard duck, zinc cast iron door stop and beautiful carved tiles can add a pleasing look to your garden. Some do prefer hammocks, be it kids hammock, or family size hammock. You also get weather proof hammocks and cotton ones. Other popular garden collectibles are garden tools, birdhouses, folk art, furniture, watering cans, garden signs, planters, ornaments etc. Many of these items can easily be found at tag sales, flea markets and second hand shops.

Just these beautiful accessories are not sufficient to make your garden look beautiful. Take enough care and maintain your gardens well. Large gardens need more physical labor in the form of soil additives for maintenance, lawn mowing, pruning of plants, spraying of pesticides. Available online, is professional help desk which assures you of a neat and beautiful garden throughout the year.

Hubley Cast Iron Door Stop
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Casting the pattern made in part 15. The recessed rectangle at the top will be cut out later and is filled in to aid moulding.

Full details of making a wooden pattern for a greensand mould.
Part 16 will show the casting being poured.

Cast Iron Shelf Brackets – Indestructible Yet Appealing

For shelves that are used for applications in which heavy loads have to be supported, cast iron shelf brackets are used extensively. Cast iron has a number of uses in industrial sectors from the automobile industry to architecture. It is known in the industry for its resilience and its robustness and is the first choice for a variety of heavy-duty applications.

Therefore, it is a natural choice when it comes to deciding what material should be used to design a shelf bracket that is required to withstand tremendous weight and stress. Furthermore, cast iron is not affecting by rusting and, therefore, withstands the wear and tear of outside use very well.

One tends to think that anything made out of cast iron will lack any artistic value. However, cast iron shelf brackets also can be aesthetically pleasing. They need not bulky and industrial in design. They come in a variety of designs including floral patterns, stars and even in animal shapes.

Depending on your preferences as a customer, you can find a cast iron shelf bracket that will exactly fit your shelving system requirements. If, however, you want a simple, cheap design that needs to merely serve the purpose of holding heavy weights, you can settle for an L-shaped cast iron shelf bracket.

Depending on certain characteristics of your shelf, you will need to pick an appropriate cast iron shelf bracket. The width and weight of your shelf is an important consideration and cast iron shelf brackets come in a variety of lengths to cater to you needs. Another important consideration is the amount of weight your shelf is required to hold. If your shelf needs to hold extraordinary weights reinforced cast iron shelf brackets are available.

Cast iron shelf brackets can support shelves that will last for many years without being damaged.

Click here to get the best ideas and deals on iron shelf brackets, cast iron shelf brackets and more.

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Benefits of Cast Iron Teapots

Cast iron cookware is the best to use, especially cast iron teapots if you’re looking for something that comes in handy in the kitchen,. They are very handy because a lot of people drink tea, but it’s rare to find tea that tastes great. Cast iron teapots allow you to brew great tasting tea right at home. However, not all people drink tea often but in this case, cast iron kettles are best to use. These are very versatile because you are not limited to making tea. You can make a variety of other delicious treats. You can make delicious chicken or mushroom soup for dinner entrees. You can also make fresh delicious coffee or hot chocolate. Your options are unlimited.

Cast iron is a great material to use when it comes to kitchen because it has a lot of advantages over materials like stainless steel and aluminum. There is a reason why cast iron cookware has been in use for centuries all over the world. No other material can stand up to all of your kitchen needs other than cast iron cookware.

Cast iron cookware comes in a lot of different forms and colors. You can get them in white iron, malleable iron, compacted graphite, gray iron – you could even get ductile cast iron cookware. There are a lot of different options depending on your needs, so you never run out of choices. Furthermore, cast iron cookware is quite affordable. You can even get them for as low as seven dollars. You don’t even have to buy it brand new, as cast iron gets better in time. Second hand cast iron pots, pans, teapots and kettles might actually be better for you in the long run. And once you buy one, you’ll never stop using it. It can last you for decades and it will never get damaged if you take care of it properly. This way, you won’t have to spend a lot of money replacing damaged cookware. You actually save money through your investment.

Cast iron is very low in density. This means that it has a very high thermal conductivity. This entire means is that you won’t have to use too much energy just to heat up your cookware. You’ll spend a lot of money and time as you won’t have to spend long periods of time heating up your water or food.

Cast iron kettles and teapots come in a lot of different varieties. The traditional, conventional shapes and styles are very popular. However, they come in a variety of other shapes you can imagine. Whatever possible shape you can think of, you’ll be able to find it. You can customize your unique kitchen with these funky pieces of kitchen equipment. On the other hand, for those who are looking for something more elegant and fit for a fancy dinner party, you can get them in simple shapes with elaborate designs. Some are even hand painted or carved, giving them a very polished feel.

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Fireplace Glass Doors Function And Benefits

Fireplace glass doors make a beautiful and economic addition to your fireplace.  There is a large selection of fireplace glass doors so you can find the one that is right for your fireplace and you.  All your fireplace requires is that it fits.  You on the other hand, should be concerned about quality, style, and function.

As with anything, you should buy the best quality fireplace glass doors that you can.  When quality improves so does style and function.  Important functions to consider are:

Do the fireplace glass doors open fully?  Check to be sure that the doors open fully.  Cabinet style doors should open all the way 180 degrees to meet the back wall.  Bi-fold doors should also open 180 degrees and fold back on itself.  Doors that open fully are a lot less likely to get broken put logs in the fire.  Fully opened doors are also out of the way when you are cleaning out the firebox.

Are the fireplace glass doors removable?  Removable doors make the installation process much easier.  This reduces the risk of damage to the doors and also makes the unit lighter while installing the frame to the firebox walls.  

Removable doors are also great for cleaning.  You can easily remove the fireplace glass doors and take them outside for a thorough washing.  Ammonia is also great for cleaning the glass which is best done outside.  Just a reminder, never mix ammonia with any other chemicals because of the poisonous fumes.

The economic benefits of fireplace glass doors are great.  The closed doors offer another barrier for the heat from your house to escape.  When the fireplace is not in use, the only thing you rely on to keep heat from rushing up the chimney or cold air coming down the chimney is the damper.  

Dampers are not known for their insulating qualities.  The cast iron damper gets cold and this will radiate cold air into your home.  Fireplace glass doors will stop this cold air from getting in you house.

When the fireplace is in use, the draw from the heat and smoke going up the chimney pulls the warm air from the room with it.  Fireplace glass doors eliminate this.  The frame has a damper on it because all fires need air.  However, the air drawn from the damper is a lot less than the heat that is radiated from the glass.

If you want the most efficiency from your fireplace, consider fireplace glass doors.  There is no better way to put the heat into your home and not up the chimney.

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Spring City’s Ductile Iron Lampposts

Ductile iron, also called ductile cast iron or nodular cast iron, is a kind of cast iron invented in 1942. Ductile iron is composed of spherical graphite instead of flakes which is visible in grey iron and is made by treating molten iron with magnesium. While most varieties of cast iron are brittle, ductile iron is much more ductile.

This is attained through multifaceted metallurgy and foundry process control. Ductile Iron has been successful as it offers a blend of versatility and properties not available in any of its rivals. Its cast ability, mach inability, dampening properties, and economy of production are almost equal to those for which Gray Iron is famous, but its mechanical properties – strength, wear resistance, fatigue strength, toughness and ductility are competitive with many casts, forged and fabricated steel components.

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) are the nationally recognized standards organization for the analysis of lighting structures. They allow the bending strength of ductile iron to be 3 to 4 times that of cast aluminum and grey iron.

Spring City is self-assured that their ductile iron lamppost will last the lifetime of our project. Their ductile iron products are practically durable and have been known to endure some of the most extreme moments in American history. If we choose to buy Spring City’s ductile iron lamppost for steel shafts, we will be investing our money in a value product that will look new for many years to come! This wide-ranging warranty covers the products to be free from defects in material and workmanship under normal use and operation for twenty-five years.

The Benefits of Choosing a Ductile Iron Lamppost

• 25 Year Warranty Available

• Quickly replacing cast steel in structural applications

• Stronger than cast iron and cast aluminum

• High impact strength

• Does not become brittle unlike aluminum

• Excellent dampening qualities – Perfect for bridge applications

• Service life is 3 times as long as that of cast aluminum

The Basics of Cast Iron Radiators

Cast iron radiators have been utilized to heat houses since the mid nineteenth century, yet today comparatively few people know their ins and outs. Forced air heating systems have become all the rage, and radiators are seen less and less in general homes. This implies that common knowledge on the matter has been reduced importantly. This article seeks to remedy that by going over some of the fundamental constructs to cast iron radiators.

What is Cast Iron?

Cast iron is a special material utilized for heating intentions. The reason why it’s utilised is because it has it a full particular heat capacity. This is a technical term that fundamentally means that it takes a plenty of energy to raise the temperature of the material. This is good for a heating material because it implies that it stores great quantities of energy. Cast iron radiators release this energy as heat into the colder air surrounding the radiator, gradually warming up the room. Other metals with minute particular heat capacities would not be able to execute this job as expeditiously, which is why they are not used.

What are the Various Parts of a Radiator?

Each cast iron radiator has the identical standard set of elements no matter what the size, shape, or style may happen to be. The foremost key part are the tubes. There are typically one or two pipes towards the base of the radiator that function a critical purpose – moving steam or water in and out of the pipes. If there’s one pipe, the radiator is almost likely a steam heated system, if two then it likely uses hot water.

The following part is the valve, which is situated on one of the pipes. This is used to check the flow of water or steam into the radiator.

The several tubes seen going up and down are named ‘sections.’ The number of sections is critical in determining how much heat the radiator will provide. These are also named ‘coils.’

The term ‘columns’ refers to how many of these tubes there are repeated going back towards your wall. Again, the more columns, the more heat the radiator will render.

Why do the Number of Coils and Columns Matter?

The number of coils and columns matter because they find the general surface area of the radiator. Since heat can only flow from the cast iron to the air at a surface, the total surface area is important in finding how much heat will be rendered. In common, more surface area means more heat turnout.

Why do Fundamental Principles Matter?

Knowing the fundamentals of your cast iron radiator will assist you be safe. If you’re ever doubtful what something does, or if it’s dangerous or not, it’s always best to reach a master rather than risk injury. Remember, knowledge is force!