Process
Pattern Room
The pattern room is the heart of P.E. Guerin and houses all our master patterns and pattern books.
With over 50,000 patterns, you could easily spend an entire day spellbound by hardware.
When an item from our Made-to-Order line is ordered, the master patterns are pulled here to be brought to the Foundry.
Mould Making
In the Foundry, moulds are made by packing sand around the master pattern to create a cavity into which brass will be poured.
If the object needs to be hollow, such as a spout, a core of wire and sand must be created to be suspended in the center of the cavity.
After the mould is made it will then be moved into the kiln to bake until dry.
Pouring
When the mould is finished baking in the kiln, its time to pour.
Brass ingots are added to a crucible to melt until a temperature of 1900-2000° is reached.
Then a team of two will lift the crucible and pour molten brass into the sand moulds.
After the castings are cool enough to handle, they are wire brushed to remove excess sand and cut from the gates.
Fitting
Castings then go to our fitting department to be turned, brazed, drilled, tapped, and assembled as needed to make the hardware functional.
Some simpler items are completely turned by hand in this department using an engine lathe, or milled using various types of machinery.
Filing
Next, the pieces go to filers who remove any rough edges and parting seams from the casting.
The filer delineates the item's details, smooths surfaces, and corrects any imperfections in the general shape of the piece.
Chasing
To restore detail lost during the filing process, our chasers will take hammer and chisel to the casting and work over it for hours until the piece is fully detailed. Much like a painter, chasers focus on bringing out the highlights and shadows of the piece. In their hands, the item is elevated from simple hardware into a beautiful art object.
Polishing
Before being plated, the hardware's surface will be polished, brushed or pumiced to achieve the correct texture for the desired finish.
When pieces are hand-chased, polishing takes a skillful hand to ensure detail is not lost.
Plating
Our plating department puts the final touch on all of our hardware to create your desired finish.
Brass-based finishes, such as Antique Brass and Statuary Bronze, are created by oxidizing the brass and controlling the patina.
For copper, nickel, silver, and gold-based finishes, we electro-plate the brass piece and then add a patina as needed to create our wide variety of finishes.
Pattern Room
made to orderThe pattern room is the heart of P.E. Guerin and houses all our master patterns and pattern books. With over 50,000 patterns, you could easily spend an entire day spellbound by hardware. When an item from our Made-to-Order line is ordered, the master patterns are pulled here to be brought to the Foundry.
Mould Making
made to orderIn the Foundry, moulds are made by packing sand around the master pattern to create a cavity into which brass will be poured. If the object needs to be hollow, such as a spout, a core of wire and sand must be created to be suspended in the center of the cavity. After the mould is made it will then be moved into the kiln to bake until dry.
Pouring
made to orderWhen the mould is finished baking in the kiln, its time to pour. Brass ingots are added to a crucible to melt until a temperature of 1900-2000° is reached. Then a team of two will lift the crucible and pour molten brass into the sand moulds. After the castings are cool enough to handle, they are wire brushed to remove excess sand and cut from the gates.
Fitting
made to orderCastings then go to our fitting department to be turned, brazed, drilled, tapped, and assembled as needed to make the hardware functional. Some simpler items are completely turned by hand in this department using an engine lathe, or milled using various types of machinery.
Filing
made to orderNext, the pieces go to filers who remove any rough edges and parting seams from the casting. The filer delineates the item's details, smooths surfaces, and corrects any imperfections in the general shape of the piece.
Chasing
made to orderTo restore detail lost during the filing process, our chasers will take hammer and chisel to the casting and work over it for hours until the piece is fully detailed. Much like a painter, chasers focus on bringing out the highlights and shadows of the piece. In their hands, the item is elevated from simple hardware into a beautiful art object.
Polishing
made to order + stockBefore being plated, the hardware's surface will be polished, brushed or pumiced to achieve the correct texture for the desired finish. When pieces are hand-chased, polishing takes a skillful hand to ensure detail is not lost.
Plating
made to order + stockOur plating department puts the final touch on all of our hardware to create your desired finish. Brass-based finishes, such as Antique Brass and Statuary Bronze, are created by oxidizing the brass and controlling the patina. For copper, nickel, silver, and gold-based finishes, we electro-plate the brass piece and then add a patina as needed to create our wide variety of finishes.
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