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Horse Brass History - Cast Brasses
Cast Brasses
Cast brasses were first seen about 1825. As demand grew, specialist workers in metal started to produce finely made brasses. Many were made to order.
Brass varies considerably in quality depending upon the proportions of ingredients used, copper and zinc forming the major part. Other metals that might be added include lead, tin and iron. For casting it is necessary to have a mould, the patterns of which were carved in close grain pear wood.
Brasses are cast by, first, pressing a wood pattern into foundry sand in groups. The impressions are joined by short cavities to allow the molten metal to reach each impression. The piece of metal joining each brass is called a "get". These are often at the hanger and are trimmed off in the finishing process. Cast into the back of the brasses are two stubs, one on each side of the brass, which allowed for the brasses to be held in a vice during finishing. These are normally filed off; otherwise, they would damage the harness, but even so some trace of them can usually be felt or seen.
Brasses are cast by, first, pressing a wood pattern into foundry sand in groups. The impressions are joined by short cavities to allow the molten metal to reach each impression. The piece of metal joining each brass is called a "get". These are often at the hanger and are trimmed off in the finishing process. Cast into the back of the brasses are two stubs, one on each side of the brass, which allowed for the brasses to be held in a vice during finishing. These are normally filed off; otherwise, they would damage the harness, but even so some trace of them can usually be felt or seen.
Cast Brewery Brass circa 1880 to 1890 Not To Be Beaten
Note the two stubs on the rear at 3 o´clock and 9 o´clock
The mould was then pressed into the foundry sand in groups. The impressions were joined by short cavities to allow the molten metal to reach impression. The brass was then fettled or cleaned off by hand, taking off any rough edges and giving the brass a polish before dispatch.
The city of Walsall, Staffordshire situated N.W. of Birmingham, had many small brass foundries which cast buckles and harness fittings as well. Stanley Bros. of Walsall, was established in 1832 and still remains. In the beginning, manufacturers borrowed each other’s designs. It wasn’t until 1842 that a diamond shape registration mark appeared to guard their designs.Commercial Information
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