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Iron railings have been around for centuries and still have not gone out of style. They were popular when they were first crafted because of their durability; their long life is still the reason they stay in vogue. In this article, you will find all of the information you need regarding iron railings.
When it was discovered that iron could be softened at very high temperatures and formed into any shape, iron railings became popular among rich homeowners in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. It was an expensive and time consuming process, so only the wealthiest could afford iron railings. The designs that were created were of such quality that wrought iron and cast iron railings were considered art. Nothing could be mass produced, so only artisans were involved in the creation of beautiful iron railings. Welding as we know it today did not exist, and so pieces of iron were joined together by heating them and forcing them to join by hammering them. Rivets were also used sometimes to join two pieces of iron.
Iron railings are broken down into three categories: wrought iron railings, cast iron railings (which existed as far back as the seventeenth century) and steel railings (a relatively new invention). Even though iron railings have undergone many changes throughout the centuries, they have not been much influenced by fashion, and maintain the same characteristics today
that they did centuries ago. They are truly ageless fashion.
Iron is the main ingredient in iron railings, although the very wealthy, including kings and dukes in their castles, might have added gold to ornament their railings.
Various metals are used in iron railings and we will discuss each of them. Wrought Iron Railings: The process of making wrought iron railings is very labor intensive. A length of iron has to be heated to a red hot intensity and then hammered to the desired length and shape. Not many people were attracted to this craft, which required not only hard work but also a strong artistic bent. As a rule, artists are not hard workers, and laborers tend not to be too artistic. This led to a scarcity of craftsmen who could produce wrought iron, which of course led to high prices for wrought iron, following the laws of supply and demand.
Cast Iron Railings: Cast iron railings are forged by melting iron and pouring it into pre-cast molds. These molds were usually made from sand in order to make cast iron railings. Railings produced by this method were were fragile. If one was broken, it usually could not be repaired. Because of these limitations, only the very wealthy could afford cast iron railings.
Mild steel railings: Mild steel was developed in the eighteenth century and found immediate popularity. It was a perfect material for fencing and railing. Pieces of mild steel could be worked in a cold state, and simply joined by riveting. Not requiring a smithed shop with dangerous heat and flames for forging made mild steel a very practical alternative to cast or wrought iron, and it therefore became popular for railings.
Many advances have been made since the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries in the manufacture of iron railings. Today's important advances in welding methods have made it possible to bend iron into shapes that would have been very difficult in the old days. In addition, the pieces of iron can be more easily joined together by modern welding techniques, which render the iron lighter yet stronger. Repair is also easier now, with these modern welding techniques. Today, iron is poured into plates, and then bent to suit a purpose, such as a railing. It is still strong, durable iron, but with a new look, since the shapes it can be bent into is limited only be the imagination of the designer.
Stainless steel is now being used for the same purposes as iron once was, and many think that stainless is more elegant looking. Stainless has the added advantage of little maintenance besides easy cleaning. Stainless steel may eventually replace iron as the preferred material for railings.
Traditional Yet Modern - Iron Railings
Iron railings have been used since the start of industrial revolution in the sixteenth and seventeenth century. At that time, the metallurgy was still an art and not an exact science as it is today. Being the work of art, it was costly to have iron railings and only the rich could afford the wrought iron and cast iron railings. The technique of welding was non-existent and metal joining was only be heating and hammering together or riveting.
The iron railings may be classified as wrought iron railings, cast iron railings or the steel railings. Stainless steel railings were non-existent in seventeenth century.
Now after the fashion has gone through many iterations the iron railings have never got out of fashion since the life of the iron railings is more than the life cycle of fashions. Iron railings will never go out of fashion any time.
The metal used in railings was primarily iron although the rich and the kings used other metals including gold for railings inside the houses.
Metal Used In Iron Railings
Wrought Iron railings: Wrought iron railings were made be a laborious process of heating the pieces of iron to red-hot heat and hammering out the pieces of the railings to the required shape and size. The work was labor intensive and only those artistic tendencies and the ability to work hard were able to make the wrought iron railings. Since the artists are never hard workers, and vice versa, the supply was limited, and hence the prices were very high.
Cast iron railings: The cast iron railings were made by melting the iron and casting the hot iron into molds. The molds were made from sand and used for making cast iron railings. The railings were fragile and if one breaks, it was virtually impossible at that time to repair the broken railing. It had to be handled with care and not many would go for the cast iron railing except the rich persons.
Mild steel railings: The mild steel made its appearance some where in the eighteenth century and was immediately popular material for fencing and railing. The pieces could be cold worked and joined by riveting. The cold working was the major advantage and this increased its use for everything including the used for railings.
Advances in Iron Railings
Advances in welding technology changes the way we used iron for railings. Now it was possible to bend the iron rods in shapes that were hitherto unimaginable and it was possible to join them with welding. The welding technology also made it possible for us to reduce the weight and cost without reducing the strength. As the iron rods were weldable, the repair also became easy.
Now it is possible to make railings out of plates and bend them into shapes as required. The material remains the same old iron but now the form can be changed to make it look more attractive and maintenance free. Stainless steel is utilized for this purpose in increasing quantities, and the stainless steel looks more elegant and requires no maintenance at all (other than regular cleaning).
Thus, iron railings have given way to stainless steels and it is being increasing used for all railing related work.