BEARDMORE FOUNDRY

The Beardmore Foundry is located near Hastings, producing fine ironmongery using the most ancient and most modern techniques.

Beardmore has long been associated with the finest English-made door furniture. Based on the South Coast, the Beardmore Foundry is a state of the art facility staffed with the most skilled and experienced team of artisans in the industry.

Precision engineering and electroplating, traditional casting and hand-finishing all take place under one roof.

This guarantees exclusivity on all Beardmore designs and provides the reassurance of in-house quality control.

In addition to Beardmore’s extensive library of period patterns & Classic Contemporary designs, the foundry can create bespoke pieces from drawings or samples. The Beardmore Foundry represents the very best in English manufacturing.

A state of the art facility staffed with the most skilled and experienced team of artisans in the industry.

Lost Wax Casting Refined Products Bespoke Design Quality Assurance Applied Finishes Hand Finishing Hand Chasing Wax Pattern Trees Polishing Sand Blasting cdn_helper cdn_helper cdn_helper cdn_helper cdn_helper cdn_helper cdn_helper cdn_helper cdn_helper cdn_helper cdn_helper cdn_helper

The Foundry

Design

As a complement to Beardmore’s unrivalled pattern library our in-house design team are constantly looking to broaden and refresh our product offer, whether through historical research or by anticipating future trends. Sometimes new products are created in consultation with designers and end users, and because every stage of the process (from technical drawing to lacquering / electroplating) happens in Beardmore’s state-of-the-art foundry we are able to ensure the very highest levels of quality control.

Pattern Making

One of the most important facets of the foundry’s expertise is the ability to create designs from the most particular and exacting of briefs. The skills of our Master Pattern Maker and the close relationship between our creative and manufacturing teams enable us to push the boundaries of what is possible: in a real sense anything which can be imagined can be made.

Casting

Although the Beardmore Foundry is a modern, purpose-built facility it is still a foundry in the most traditional sense. Here, the process by which brass is cast in moulds still takes place, and the techniques involved have not changed greatly in thousands of years. Castings are hand-chased and finished so that no precious detail is obscured. Imperfections naturally occur through the intense heat produced, which we believe adds character to pieces produced by the lost wax process.

A tree of brass knobs after the lost wax process.
A solid block of brass and a lever handle placed on brass shavings.

Technology

Lost wax casting is ideal for the production of highly detailed decorative pieces but at the other end of the scale, in terms of time and technology, the foundry also employs CNC (Computerised Numerical Control) milling, which guarantees absolute precision in the manufacture of moving parts. Many items of door and window furniture will combine elements of each process, ensuring that each piece, every door knob, and lever handle, is as functional as it is beautiful.

Attention to Detail

The Beardmore Foundry also comprises a new electroplating and finishing plant, where we strive to achieve the most exquisite and robust end product, while minimising any environmental impact. Again, a combination of ancient knowhow and modern chemical methods allows Beardmore to offer a comprehensive suite of finishes. Our experts are also able to closely match existing or sample finishes on request.

Spraying a Beardmore finish onto a Beardmore door knob.