Working among wrought ironwork of the eighteenth century, one cannot help but be impressed by the longevity of the materials. This iron is now known to us as 'charcoal iron' because it was made by direct heating in a charcoal fire.
In order to replicate the iron sheet leafwork of the period, no modern material will work in the same way, and yet resist corrosion like the original. For this reason we recycle the bits of iron we recover when we repair eighteenth century ironwork, forgeweld them into slabs and roll them into sheet form. Thus we can use the original materials over again, to last perhaps another three hundred years.
Chris Topp and Co. offer a wide range of expert advice and guidance on all aspects of iron and forgework, including wrought iron, cast iron and steel.
COPPER REPOUSSE
To achieve high definition of non-ferrous ornament without the cost of lost wax casting, and with a much smoother surface, we use a combination of presswork and handwork, to produce complex shapes in sheet copper. This technique was developed for the ornament of the portico of the Queen's Gallery at Buckingham Palace.. The copper was patinated to give a weathered appearance.
