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Wrought iron, because of the difficulties of maintaining consistent production techniques, varied a great deal in quality. Some examples of good quality wrought iron have lasted many hundreds of years (usually indoors) but there are far more examples of poor quality wrought iron which has de-laminated and blown itself apart with rust after less than one hundred years. Many wrought iron railings were taken down during the second world war, ostensibly to be made into armaments. However there are some which survive, notably on public parks, and if you look at the ends of the wrought iron bars where they have been set into stone or brickwork you will invariably find that the material has expanded when rust has formed between the laminations and flaked away. This causes a 'waist' in the bar which may be so thin that it is no longer attached. When the rusting wrought iron expands it can also crack or even break apart the stone mount. Look also at joints and any surviving leafwork which will often have the appearance of flaky pastry and will crumble if touched. The use of wrought iron pins and cramps in cathedral stonework has led to the destruction of much of the stonework which is now having to be replaced. Click here to see the results of an independent corrosion test carried out by Keighley Laboratories. Repairing and replacing such damage is the task of the conservator and specialist blacksmith, a number of whom work in the UK. The conservationist's brief is usually to preserve rather than replace any missing material. The restorer's brief is to replace 'like with like' but the problem with wrought iron is that it is no longer made. The only wrought iron available is re-rolled scrap, the quality of which cannot be known or guaranteed. To use a material of inconsistent quality is merely to repeat the mistakes of the past and store up problems for future conservators and restorers. Our heritage is too important to leave to chance and it is our contention that the only responsible approach to restoration is to use the purest ferrous material available, namely new, pure iron. Pure iron is already specified as the preferred material for conservation work by many governing bodies and administrators, notably in France and America. Torfaen County Borough have specified pure iron for both phases of the restoration of the Pontymoile Gates at Pontypool part funded by CADW. |
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