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Handmade to last

From pouring to packing, each stage is performed by our own fair hands — making us the only ironwork company whose products are genuinely handmade in Britain from start to finish.

Pattern making Stage 1

Pattern making

Dave gets the ball rolling by creating the distinctive patterns from which every Kirkpatrick product is born.

Moulding Stage 2

Moulding

Chris skilfully makes the moulds by pressing the patterns into a special box filled with black sand.

Melting Stage 3

Melting

Paul adds pig iron to the induction furnace, which is heated to a melting point of 1,200 °C.

Collecting Stage 4

Collecting

Kevin collects the molten iron as it is poured from the tipped furnace into pre-heated pots.

Pouring Stage 5

Pouring

Ransford needs a steady hand to evenly pour the molten iron into different moulds.

Cooling Stage 6

Cooling

David removes the heavy weights from moulds (which stop the iron exploding) and it begins to cool.

Removing Stage 7

Removing

Dave moves the moulds and taps off the sand, to reveal the fresh new casting underneath.

Shot blasting Stage 8

Shot blasting

Stuart puts the castings with metallic shot into a barrelling machine to smooth away rough edges.

Annealing Stage 9

Annealing

Mark places the castings into pots which are heated to 1,000 °C – making the iron strong yet malleable.

Sorting Stage 10

Sorting

Martin takes the castings, which have undergone further shot blasting, and separates each into storage boxes.

Grinding Stage 11

Grinding

David grinds away the rough edges and unwanted seams to give the castings a smarter finish.

Filing Stage 12

Filing

Bill completes the smoothing and rounding of each individual piece with a quick file down.

Drilling Stage 13

Drilling

Sandra hand drills individual holes on each casting for accuracy and to give a high quality, durable finish.

Assembling Stage 14

Assembling

Dave assembles a range of our products by attaching, hammering and expertly screwing them together.

Dipping Stage 15

Dipping

Michael makes sure the castings never rust by hanging and dipping each one in protective paint.

Coating Stage 16

Coating

Dean sprays our products with a powder coating for a great finish, before baking them again for extra durability.

Packing Stage 17

Packing

Tracy makes sure every product is packed with the same care and attention that goes into making them.

Sending Stage 18

Sending

Mark works hard to ensure every customer receives their Kirkpatrick products in good time.

Enjoying Stage 19

Enjoying

It takes over six weeks to create every Kirkpatrick product, each providing a lifetime of enjoyment.