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.
Stage 1 Pattern making
Dave gets the ball rolling by creating the distinctive patterns from which every Kirkpatrick product is born.
Stage 2 Moulding
Chris skilfully makes the moulds by pressing the patterns into a special box filled with black sand.
Stage 3 Melting
Paul adds pig iron to the induction furnace, which is heated to a melting point of 1,200 °C.
Stage 4 Collecting
Kevin collects the molten iron as it is poured from the tipped furnace into pre-heated pots.
Stage 5 Pouring
Ransford needs a steady hand to evenly pour the molten iron into different moulds.
Stage 6 Cooling
David removes the heavy weights from moulds (which stop the iron exploding) and it begins to cool.
Stage 7 Removing
Dave moves the moulds and taps off the sand, to reveal the fresh new casting underneath.
Stage 8 Shot blasting
Stuart puts the castings with metallic shot into a barrelling machine to smooth away rough edges.
Stage 9 Annealing
Mark places the castings into pots which are heated to 1,000 °C – making the iron strong yet malleable.
Stage 10 Sorting
Martin takes the castings, which have undergone further shot blasting, and separates each into storage boxes.
Stage 11 Grinding
David grinds away the rough edges and unwanted seams to give the castings a smarter finish.
Stage 12 Filing
Bill completes the smoothing and rounding of each individual piece with a quick file down.
Stage 13 Drilling
Sandra hand drills individual holes on each casting for accuracy and to give a high quality, durable finish.
Stage 14 Assembling
Dave assembles a range of our products by attaching, hammering and expertly screwing them together.
Stage 15 Dipping
Michael makes sure the castings never rust by hanging and dipping each one in protective paint.
Stage 16 Coating
Dean sprays our products with a powder coating for a great finish, before baking them again for extra durability.
Stage 17 Packing
Tracy makes sure every product is packed with the same care and attention that goes into making them.
Stage 18 Sending
Mark works hard to ensure every customer receives their Kirkpatrick products in good time.
Stage 19 Enjoying
It takes over six weeks to create every Kirkpatrick product, each providing a lifetime of enjoyment.