Enduring Bronze -
The Metal of the Ages
Traditional Bronze is a copper alloy with up to 10% tin. The tin in
bronze makes it more resistant to wear than unalloyed copper.
Bronzes today are usually stronger and more resistant to corrosion
than brass.

Contemporary bronzes are typically copper alloys that may contain
silicon, manganese, aluminium, lead, iron and other elements, with
or without tin.
The variations in bronze composition significantly affect its
characteristics. Durability, machine ability, corrosion-resistance and
ductility for deep drawing are often considered.
Bronze Grade A 5%
1922° F.
Modern Bronze
Copper - Tin alloy
from 3% tin (mild bronze) to 25% tin (bell metals)

The first metal used by man was copper so it is natural that the first
alloys widely used were copper alloys. The two alloys of most
significance are bronze and brass. Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin,
while brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. Recently many objects,
thought to be bronze, have been found to be brass. Since the patina and
color of bronze and brass are almost indistinguishable from each other.

All copper-tin alloys with more than 78% copper are called bronzes.
They are chemically very stable. When in dry air the metal does not
change at all, while in moist air they produce a beautiful, green,
pore-free, surface film (patina) which protects the layers it covers from
corrosion.

The tin content makes the alloy hard, bronzes with 6% tin can still be
rolled, or hammered, while bronzes with 10-20% tin are usually require
casting. Bronzes with more than 20% tin are used for bell casting, these
alloys are hard and rather brittle, but when struck they emit a clear
note. Even higher tin content (up to 40%) produces radiantly white
alloys; like the bell alloys these are brittle and hard, but accept a
beautiful polish. They were used for bronze mirrors even in antiquity,
and today are called speculum (mirror) alloys.

Bronze was the first alloy intentionally manufactured and used by man.
Early bronze was an alloy of copper and arsenic that occur together
naturally, and was used from about 4,000 BC until about 3,500 BC.
While we do not really know, the copper-arsenic alloys probably fell of
favor because:
1. They were unpredictable in composition, giving unpredictable
properties to the finished product.
2. The smelting process releases arsenic gas, probably killing the
metalworkers and causing the uses to think the metal was evil.

About 3,500 BC true bronze started to appear. This true bronze was
harder and less brittle than copper-arsenic bronzes, could be made
copper and tin ingots if the natural materials were not available, and
could be made the same every time.

Bronze was widely used for utilitarian and artistic purposes until iron
became cheaper and more plentiful. Bronze continued to have wide
utilitarian uses until it became cost prohibitive, now except for a few
applications as a bearing metal in the engineering and automobile
industries has fallen out of use. Artistically bronze is still widely used in
casting sculptures of all sizes, plaques, and bell founding.
Bronze Ingots ready to be fired.
Our custom forged plaques adorn
homes,  businesses, schools, vacation
retreats,  classrooms,  clubs, docks, airplane
hangers, boats,  restaurants,  taverns -
you name it!
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Every Plaque is Custom Cast
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Weathering and Patination:
The oxidation process that gives Bronze its
characteristic green patina is a result of
exposure to an acidic atmosphere. The process
is, therefore, faster in some metropolitan,
marine, and industrial areas, where higher
concentrations of pollutants exist. When acidic
moisture comes in contact with exposed Bronze
surfaces, it reacts with the copper to form
copper sulfate. The acid is neutralized during
the reaction with the copper. This patina
eventually covers the surface and adheres
tightly to it, thus providing a protective layer
against further weathering.
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