We provide a complete grille casting service from original artwork through to finished products. Our London based foundry specialises in historic restoration projects using original methods in combination with modern technology to achieve the best results.
Our facilities are dedicated to casting in brass, iron and bronze alloys with a variety of finishing options available including shot blasting, polishing and antique patination to match original features.
For bronze and antique bronze finished grilles we recommend casting in Lead gunmetal, also known as 'red brass??™, which is an alloy of copper, tin and zinc. It has very good castability as well as a good antique bronze finish, good strength and corrosion and wear resistance. It is suitable for large as well as intricately detailed work.
We also cast in silicon bronze, a brass alloy with good casting qualities. It has a high copper content and a mix of other metals which could include tin, iron, manganese and zinc.
Due to its combination of strength and corrosion resistance it is still often used in marine applications including the manufacture of ship's propellers. The high copper content makes it good for welding and its naturally attractive lustre makes it a first choice for artists creating bronze statuary.
James Gilbert & Son specialises in high quality decorative metalwork. We are the world's oldest manufacturer of decorative metal grilles. Over the last 135 years we've produced architectural quality metal works for some of the biggest brands on the planet, yet we don't forget our roots nor our smaller customers.
We use manufacturing, polishing and patinating techniques that we have honed to perfection for over a century, alongside contemporary engineering technologies.
At the centre of our business are decorative grilles including hand woven-wire and regency grilles, decorative screens and panels with associated frames and decorative metalwork. These grace some of the finest hospitality and entertainment venues, public buildings and private residences the length and breadth of the U.K. and beyond.
We have expanded our core range to produce products which befit modern living; offering a greater range of materials, designs and finishes than ever before. This range includes floor grilles, air conditioning grilles, air vents, radiator covers, decorative screens, frames, inlays, endings, cladding materials, security products, shelving systems, furniture, fittings and much more.
We are always using our knowledge and experience to bring innovative products and metal processing techniques to the market and our 2016 range includes a whole portfolio of new materials designed to contrast and compliment our metalwork. The location of our central London works makes us ideally located for supplying high quality decorative metalwork at short notice to satisfy the fast paced requirements of London’s design and construction industries.
We provide a fully comprehensive decorative metalwork manufacturing service. Our brass, bronze and steel products including radiator and floor grilles, furniture, fixtures and fittings are dispatched all over the world. We work with architects, interior designers, construction contractors and fit out companies, product designers and private clients on contemporary and historic projects where a high standard and attention to detail are required. We are more than happy to instruct and advise your on site contractors to ensure fitted products are applied correctly. With our extensive experience of processing and chemically treating metals, all our decorative metal grilles and associated decorative metal products can be treated to make the finish match the style and era of the project. We also colour match existing finishes if samples of original pieces are supplied. We have fully equipped metal working facilities with both historic and state-of-the-art machinery, which means our skilled craftsmen can truly fulfil your decorative interior and architectural metalwork requirements.
Whether your project involves the restoration of a single item – such as the supply of a single radiator grille - or the complete refurbishment of a modern department store or chain of historic hotels, please send us details of the project now including measurements, photographs, architectural drawings, CAD files, pdf’s, sketches on envelopes, pipe cleaner models, vague notions and loose concepts are all accepted as starting points. The best results are achieved when we are included in the early stages of a project from where we are happy to advise and be on hand to help all the way through to completion. Let us initiate the discussion as to how we can help you now, and we look forward to working with you!
We guarantee that you will be more than happy with our decorative grilles. If you have any queries, please get in touch.