Kinnebrew has worked in cast iron since 1966 when he began taking patterns to a foundry in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In 1968 he served an apprenticeship in St. Johns, Michigan. There he worked in a very old foundry that cast manhole covers and gate valves. He was paid for his time with their agreeing to cast his work.
"I like iron because it is so basic. There is a primitiveness about
it that is earthy and good. Iron has more limitations than bronze. The primary
one being the weight and the fact that it can not be cored or cast hollow."
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How we treat the surfaces
Depending upon the siting of the piece we can let the surface go to weather or we, in some cases, can give it a more refined appearance. Cast iron can under some circumstances look allot like bronze. In fact when seeing some iron sculptures in our garden at The Quarry many people think the pieces are bronze.
The bronze like appearance is the result of heating the iron and repeatedly spraying a mixture of linseed oil and mineral spirits on the sculpture. This is similar to seasoning an iron skillet. The heat allows the oil to penetrate the metals surface and actually turn black as it burns. If we continue it leaves a glossy surface that is very rich and multicolored in dark browns and black.
Inside, the finish is relatively maintenance free but outside a sprayed of wiped coating of the oil mixture will renew and darken the surface.
recipe:
50% mineral spirits + 50% linseed oil
We also use this mixture to renew the coloring on our welded steel pedestals.