With a passing "this process could make for a good blog post" style comment I've come to expect from Mr. French, my colleague Jesse drew my attention to the great looking cast bronze plaques that he'd sourced for one of his clients.
Now let me be totally honest with you - despite some 20+ years in the signage industry, to my shame I've never once deployed the process. So I thought I'd better find out about it.
So who better to ask than a specialist: Kevin Hall, a Western Australian plaque manufacturer...
Now let me be totally honest with you - despite some 20+ years in the signage industry, to my shame I've never once deployed the process. So I thought I'd better find out about it.
So who better to ask than a specialist: Kevin Hall, a Western Australian plaque manufacturer...
DG: Kevin, let’s chat about the bronze casting process for plaques – I guess the process has been around for a while, yes?
KH: Yes, for a while! Captain Cook's cannons were made in exactly the same way. The process is basically one of pouring molten bronze into a cast box of damp sand. A polymer is made to determine the plaque's shape.
KH: Yes, for a while! Captain Cook's cannons were made in exactly the same way. The process is basically one of pouring molten bronze into a cast box of damp sand. A polymer is made to determine the plaque's shape.
DG: Is there anything the designer should take into account when designing for the process?
KH: As long as the lettering is 5mm or over with ample kerning (letter spacing) it should cast OK.
DG: What advantage does the process offer over other plaque producing processes?
KH: This is one of the few products that will last for hundreds of years as there are no rusting metals involved.
DG: So the question on everyone's lips: is it a terribly expensive process?
KH: Yes, it is expensive as it's quite time consuming and all hand made - just as it was 200 years ago. But when you consider that such a plaque will last forever it makes the process very cheap per day!
DG: Is colour applied by hand, Kevin?
KH: Colours are all hand painted and coated with a two pack clear lacquer afterwards.
KH: As long as the lettering is 5mm or over with ample kerning (letter spacing) it should cast OK.
DG: What advantage does the process offer over other plaque producing processes?
KH: This is one of the few products that will last for hundreds of years as there are no rusting metals involved.
DG: So the question on everyone's lips: is it a terribly expensive process?
KH: Yes, it is expensive as it's quite time consuming and all hand made - just as it was 200 years ago. But when you consider that such a plaque will last forever it makes the process very cheap per day!
DG: Is colour applied by hand, Kevin?
KH: Colours are all hand painted and coated with a two pack clear lacquer afterwards.
DG: Can you cast shapes?
KH: Yes, shapes and even photos can be cast.
DG: Are there size limitations to the process?
KH: Limitations are few as long as it's not too small lettering wise. As for overall size, about 1500mm wide is about it.
DG: Finally, Kevin, any particularly memorable projects you can tell us about?
KH: The most memorable would have to be the ten huge plaques we produced to commemorate HMAS Sydney that was sunk during World War 2.
KH: Yes, shapes and even photos can be cast.
DG: Are there size limitations to the process?
KH: Limitations are few as long as it's not too small lettering wise. As for overall size, about 1500mm wide is about it.
DG: Finally, Kevin, any particularly memorable projects you can tell us about?
KH: The most memorable would have to be the ten huge plaques we produced to commemorate HMAS Sydney that was sunk during World War 2.
Kevin Hall was email interviewed by Darrel Griffin, Signs & Lines' Business Development Manager
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