Fucina Artistica Boranga: artisanal production methods for manufacturing our range of wrought iron creations.
The skills of a master iron worker, thanks to centuries of experience handed down through six generations
The knowledge and skilful use of forging techniques allows us to achieve excellence when working with modern methods, and to restore antique objects that cannot be recovered in any other way. Processing metals using traditional techniques involves cutting the long iron bars down to size, before heating them in ovens at a temperatures of around 1,000 degrees. When the iron assumes a white and a malleable consistency, but before it reaches its melting point, it is worked using a hammer or mallet and anvil, lengthening and straightening it as required.
The individual forged pieces are then assembled into the final item, using rivets or ties, an ancient and elegant technique which is always performed when the metal is hot. The items are then given an anti-oxidising treatment consisting of sandblasting, zinc metallisation, painting/varnishing or gilding. These finishing treatments are always non-toxic.
The operational area of Fucina Artistica Boranga combines the features of a workshop (blacksmiths, forges, anvils, hammers) with the efficiency of up to date technologies and working methods, and is divided into a series of departments that are segregated to achieve an effective work flow.
BORANGA DEPARTMENTS
- the first department is where the iron and all of the other metals are stored according to shape and size
- the second department is where the materials are cut, depending on the specific forging project
- the third department, the heart of the company, is where the individual iron elements are forged
- the fourth department is where the forged items are assembled, using nails or ties, to create the finished item, for example a gate, a staircase or a railing
- the fifth department, and arguably the most important from our employees’ point of view, is where the continuous maintenance operations are carried out on the various machines to ensure they function safely and efficiently at all times.
- the sixth department consists of a vast warehouse containing unassembled items and elements, which our customers may purchase, either pre-assembled or for assembly in the field.
- the seventh department catches everyone’s attention, because it’s the company’s showroom, with old and new products on display, as well as a collection of ancient anvils that date back to the Middle Ages and creations by several of the great masters of wrought iron work
- the eighth department is essentially our technical office, which is responsible for taking measurements with precision laser instruments anywhere in the world, as well as producing the resulting drawings, and the executive design using 2D and 3D computer programmes
- the ninth department hosts the management, commercial and administrative offices.
Various departments work together to create unique wrought iron items
Hand forged metal, crafted to perfection.
Smithying, or forging, is a process used to transform metal items by heating them in a forge or furnace to temperatures where plastic deformation occurs, and then processing them through repeated, calibrated hammer or mallet blows, which permanently change the item’s shape, without splitting the metal.
The forging method used by Fucina Artistica Boranga is authentic, and does not involve cold bending, moulding or casting. In fact, the “wrought iron” work produced by Fucina Artistica Boranga is not even comparable to that made from iron that’s been “bent” cold by machines or “cut” using laser equipment, where operators simply press a button, without a craftsman or artist in sight. Neither are items made by Fucina Artistica Boranga assembled using electro-welding equipment, which is intended for processing multiple copies of smaller items. Finally, Fucina Artistica Boranga’s blacksmiths – all highly skilled employees who were trained in the workshop – are able calibrate the striking force necessary for the size of the iron exactly, without using an excessive number of strokes, thereby avoiding the unpleasant appearance of “beaten” iron.
Contract work
Fucina Artistica Boranga supplies products and services for residential and office projects, as well as for restaurants and hotels. Large “turnkey” projects: designing, identification of excellent materials and products, which are supplied and installed by a highly skilled workforce.
Store
The Fucina Artistica Boranga store has been designed to allow you to appreciate the variety and quality of our stock, to make purchases and to provide you with a fast, easy shopping experience. Thousands of items are available for expert locksmiths, carpenters and “do-it-yourself” enthusiasts too, thanks to our assistants and trainees. The store includes “first class” and “standard” items.
All of the metal work Fucina Artistica Boranga manufactures is finished with an anti-oxidising treatment that enhances its appearance and ensures it remains unaltered over time. Finishing treatments are performed using the following procedures:
1 - SANDBLASTING
Sandblasting: the final assembled item has the oxide and processing slag cleaned off by sandblasting, until the surface of the product takes on a metallic, uniformly white appearance.
2 - METALLIZATION WITH ZINC
Metallization with zinc: after sand-blasting, the products are coated in 100% pure zinc wire, with an average thickness of 60 to 80 microns, in accordance with the provisions of European legislation.
3 - PAINTING AND VARNISHING
Painting: lastly, the galvanised surfaces are coated with high quality enamels that are pigmented with non-toxic, light-solid dyes, using an oven technique.
4 - GILDING
Gilding: as an alternative to painting, our master craftsmen can cover the entire surface of a forged item with gilding, a process of embellishment and ornamental decoration that Fucina Artistica Boranga performs using two different techniques
Gilding by applying “pure gold leaf” onto the surface of the product. Gold leaf is a very thin sheet that’s obtained by rolling a 24 carat gold bar, from which sheets with a width of circa 60 mm and an approximate thickness of 0.3 mm are obtained.
Galvanic gold plating. The item to be gilded is immersed in a galvanic bath through which an electrical current is passed, this causes particles to be detached from one electrode and transferred to the other, some of which remain attached to the surface of the item. The result is a thin, uniform layer of 24 carat gold, that is permanently integrated with the ferrous surface.
Fucina Artistica Boranga produces wrought iron creations of the highest quality, because it controls every phase of the creative process, starting with the design.
Every item that leaves Fucina is the result of close and respectful attention to our customers’ requests and requirements, which is why every single one of them is unique and unrepeatable
Absolutely nothing is left to chance: our designing know-how, supported by our collection of ancient and modern books on the art of forging metals, allows us to create gates, fences, stairs, chandeliers … that integrate perfectly with the settings in which they are installed.
Irrespective of the project or the location, we always carry out an inspection, since this enables us to take precise measurements using laser instruments, before producing both hand made drawings and the final designs using 2D and 3D computer software.
Thanks to the continuous, constructive discussions we have with our clients, the projects we undertake can be approved and implemented with rigorous adherence to the agreed quality, time schedules and costs.
Traditional and innovative also implies a synergy between the artistic design (which are always hand created) and the technical design, which is performed using CAD programmes.
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