About Corinium Welding
Aaron Griffin
I am a Cotswolds based metal worker with years of experience in all aspects of metal fabrication and welding. As you can see in the galleries of our website, every project we undertake - whether it’s an ornate garden gate or a simple bracket - is a complete ‘one of a kind’ custom build. Although I am based in my workshop in the Cotswolds I am also happy to weld/fabricate many jobs, big or small, at your premises or site.
I specialize in bespoke interior and exterior ironwork providing a complete ‘design to installation’ service.
Each piece can be finished in high quality and durable powder coat or simply hand painted with the latest exterior metal coatings.
ABOUT MODERN IRONWORK
I work with mild steel, the modern equivalent to wrought iron. It has been referred to as ‘weldable wrought iron’ and in some cases misnamed as wrought iron (due to its similar applications to wrought iron in the ornamental/architectural ironwork field) but it all comes under the heading of ‘ironwork’.
The difference between wrought iron and mild steel is fairly simple and is due to the manufacturing process. Wrought iron is very pure iron were the carbon content is very low making it quite soft and more malleable then mild steel (hence it’s suitability for blacksmithing techniques). Mild steel is processed iron with a higher carbon content which makes the steel harder, stronger and with a greater structural strength than wrought iron.
Manufactured wrought iron is quite rare (and expensive) nowadays and is generally used for specialist restoration purposes.
A QUICK HISTORY OF IronWORK
Although it is generally accepted that iron has been known about and used since prehistoric times, it wasn’t until approximately 2000bc were it began to compete with bronze for prominence and the ‘Iron age’ began.
The use of wrought iron continued throughout the middle ages, initially to make weapons and later as an ornamental structural material used in the construction of churches and monasteries.
Today there are examples of wrought ironwork all over Great Britain, such as the 13th century gates at Westminster abbey to name but one. By the 17th century, during the reign of William and mary, wrought ironwork seems to have achieved its peak in popularity as by the late eighteenth century, pioneers such as Abraham Darby could produce cast iron more readily and it’s properties as a structural, yet ornate material were realised, one superb example of this is Darby’s Iron bridge at Coalbrokedale.
Although examples of ancient steel can be traced back as far as 1400 BC (again in the construction of weaponry) it wasn’t until the mid 19th century that the modern steel age really occurred. Modern steel came about due to three important inventions, namely coke, the blast furnace and the Bessemer converter.
Modern steel has now become the principle raw material for modern ornate ironwork and although wrought ironwork is still practiced by many traditional blacksmiths the properties and ‘workability’ of steel have allowed it become a beautiful and stylish material for modern furniture making as well as interior and exterior ironwork. Steel is extremely tough but it can be worked using traditional blacksmithing skills as well as modern fabrication techniques, such as welding.