The casting method is a complicated and highly skilled process. From start to finish, highest standards are maintained and many skilled technicians will have been involved in the making of your bespoke bath.

The initial, and perhaps most significant part of casting, is the reviewing of design and process. This is where Darren and foundry specialists will consult to decide the best options for casting;

How many sections to make the mould in, what type of bronze to use, whether angles need to be changed slightly for a sound casting and so on. All these primary decisions are paramount to the end result, as they affect each stage of the process to come.

Once this is finalised, an 'original' is made, usually using foundry patterns. This original will form the basis for the mould to be made. Once the original is made a sand mould of this can be made.

The molten metal is poured into the cast, forming, once again, a 'positive' of the original - this time in the chosen metal. This is perhaps the most exciting stage of the casting - it is where all the previous processes come together and prove their significance. If just one of the previous techniques has not been carried out to the highest quality, once cast, this mistake can be glaringly obvious and oftentimes can not be rectified. This is what makes casting such a skilled process, and one that requires careful attention to each part of the cast.

Once the cast has been poured, the metal is allowed to cool. Then the sand mould can be removed and the casting sand-washed off to remove the remaining sand and to clean the metal so that subsequent workings, such as welding, will be made easier by a purer quality of metal.

Now the cast is ready for finishing. This is usually the most time consuming part of the process, as any defects caused during the cast and pour will be rectified here. Also, this is where the finish is created - mirror polish, for example. The runners and risers are removed from the cast. They are chased back and metal-worked so as it appears they were never there. Any 'pits' (they appear as small black flecks and are impurities in the metal) need to be ground out and then welded over. These welds then need to be chased and metal-worked in the same way as the runners and risers.
After all defects have been worked, all the workings need then to be 'made invisible' by careful sanding. All grind marks etc need to be sanded out, and then the cast can be sanded up to a polished finish.