Sustainable Metalworking Services
Introduction
Hello, we’re Jo and Nick of Ravens’ Way Metalworks. Are you looking for a metalworker to make you a one-off custom piece of metalwork but you’re not sure how to go about it?
Or are you looking for someone to work with you on a metalwork prototype, or who can do short run metalwork manufacturing for you?
Or even someone who can prepare CAD drawings for you?
Then we can help!
Using our extensive range of metalworking skills and equipment we can cut, shape, join together, finish and powder coat all sorts of common metals for you to make practical, architectural and decorative items for your business, studio, workshop, boat, home or garden.
If you don’t yet have any plans or drawings of your idea yet don’t worry, we offer artistic and graphic design and CAD drawing services too, so even if you have just a brief description or a rough sketch of your metalwork we can help.
We specialise in CNC plasma cutting, metal finishing, surface treatments and powder coating, light fabrication, and manual machining, plus we can laser mark metals, and laser engrave and cut non-metallic materials. We’re also more than happy to liaise with other craftspeople or manufacturers for you too.
Not only that, we’re 100% powered by renewable energy, plus we’re independent, ethical and sustainable, so if you want your metalwork to be planet- and people-friendly as well as marvellous then you’ve come to the right place. We’re the leading sustainable metalworkers in the UK – we make metalwork with sunshine!
Let’s work together to bring your metal dreams to life.
Who We Make Metalwork For
Ravens’ Way designs and makes practical, architectural and decorative items for businesses, manufacturers, artisans, boats, homes and gardens.
Whether you’re a business, fabricator, a mechanical or marine engineer, or even an artist, designer, hobbyist or home or boat owner, our sustainable, small scale, friendly and flexible metalwork design & manufacturing services are the perfect fit for your project, and you don’t even need an account to buy from us.
These are just some of the metalwork ideas we could make for you, so even if you need something else in metal, we’d love to hear about it and work with you to bring your metal dream to life. Get in touch for a free, no obligation chat about your metalwork idea, or read on to find out more about our “Idea-to Item” Metalwork Service.
“IDEA-TO-ITEM” METALWORK SERVICE
One Offs, Prototyping, Small Scale Manufacturing & Designs
Ravens’ Way offers you a comprehensive “Idea-to-Item” metalworking service. Give us your paper sketches, or even just a description, and we will work with you every step of the way to transform your idea into the item you want.
Services include creating full scale CAD drawings, artist’s impressions and 3D visualisations, advising on materials and finishes, testing manufacturing techniques, undertaking iterative product prototyping, and manufacturing small numbers of items up to a few thousand units.
Develop your product for third party manufacture
You can also work with us to develop your ideas, designs or CAD drawings so you can send them to other manufacturers such as 3D printers or CNC manufacturing services. We use industry-standard drawing formats including .DWG, .DXF, .SVG, .STL, .STEP and .STP so our drawings will work on their machines.
If you’d like us to talk to your manufacturer about their technical requirements we can do that for you too.
CNC Plasma Profiling (CNC Plasma cutting)
Ravens’ Way can make one off and short-run items, components and parts cut from sheet metals using our Hypertherm CNC plasma cutter. We offer this service right across the UK on secure overnight parcel and pallet delivery as well as for our local customers in Gwynedd and Anglesey.
We can cut all types of commonly used metals from your own CAD drawings, or we will work with you to finalise your design from paper sketches, or even just a description, through our “Idea-to-Item” metalworking service.
Wherever you are, and whether you’re a professional or amateur fabricator, an engineer or a craftsperson, if you need one off, small number or whole sheet quantities of CNC plasma cut parts give us a call.
We also offer basic manual machining of cut items such as drilling, tapping and reaming.
Metal FabRICATIONs
Ravens’ Way undertake smaller scale general fabrication projects in most common ferrous and non-ferrous metals. If you need something in metal that you can’t find elsewhere we would be happy to look at making it for you.
Examples of what we can make for you include metal workbenches, tables, tool racks, frames, gates, tanks and boxes.
If you don’t see what you’re looking for, do get in touch, we’re more than happy to discuss your ideas and needs.
We can work from your own CAD drawings, or we will work with you to finalise your design from paper sketches or even just a description through our “Idea-to-Item” metalworking services.
Capabilities & Equipment
Metalworking Capabilities
We have the skills and equipment for metal cutting, forming & welding, manual metal machining, surface finishing, laser metal marking, and laser engraving & cutting of non-metallic materials.
We also have a range of other machinery and tools available, and we are more than happy to work with other craftspeople such as laser profilers and CNC machinists to get your job done. Read on to find out more, or tap the orange button to contact us and talk through what you need.
Metals we can work with
We cut, shape and join together all types of commonly used metals including:
– hot and cold rolled mild steels
– stainless steels including 316 stainless steel (“marine grade”)
– weathering steels such as COR-TEN
– toughened steels such as Raex
– aluminium
– tread plate
– premium metals such as brass, copper & bronze
Metal cutting
– CNC flatbed plasma cutting system for cutting up to 12mm steel or 10mm aluminium, 2.5 x 1.3m bed
– Manual plasma cutter
– Pull down mitering band saw
Metal forming & welding
– 1200 x 2mm manual box-and-pan folder capable of folding up to 2mm, or thicker with easing cuts
– Build-Pro Precision welding fixture and jig table
– MIG/MAG, TIG and MMA stick welding in ferrous & non-ferrous metals
CNC metal machining
– CNC gantry router 600x900mm bed, 250mm z axis
– a wide variety of mills & drills
– suitable for most non-ferrous metals
Manual metal machining
– Beaver Mk2 ISO40 turret mill
– Harrison M300 centre lathe
– automatic servo tapping arm M3-M16 capacity
– a wide variety of metric & imperial drills, taps and reams
Abrasive Finishing, Degreasing & Pre-Treatments
– Loewer swing grinder for surface finishing flat parts
– Floor standing belt linishers
– Vibratory bowl and horizontal tumbler for mass finishing
– Range of bench mounted and hand held machines for finishing edges and complex parts including drum sander burnishers, power files, belt sanders, disc sanders, disc grinders and pencil grinders
– Range of abrasives and compounds for all grades of metal surface finishing including de-slagging, de-burring, edge bevelling, fine satin brushing and mirror polishing
– Metal degreasing and chemical pre-treatments
Powder Coating
– Wagner powder coating system
– PID-controlled powder oven
– Coloured gloss, satin, matt polyester powder coatings, many to Qualicoat Architectural Standard
– Special effect powder coatings including metallic, candy, cast iron effect and textured
– Powder coating primers including zinc free and zinc rich formulae
– Specialist high temperature VHT powder coatings
– Huge range of colours and textures to order
CNC laser engraving, marking and cutting
CNC laser engraving and cutting machine:
– 1200 x 900mm (A0) working bed area
– bed adjusts down to 250mm deep for taller items
– pass through doors for longer items
Laser engraving & marking:
– Metals including steel, stainless steel, aluminium, anodised aluminium, brass e.g. Yr Helfa energy system control panel pictured
– Slate, stone, marble, glass, ceramic tile
– Solid wood, bamboo, plywood, cork
– Vegetable tanned leather, thick fabrics, fleece, felt
– Natural rubber, stamp maker’s rubber
– Cardboard, grey board, pulp board, framer’s backing board, paper
– Plastics including acrylic, polyamide, laser engraving laminate e.g. laser extractor control panel pictured
Laser cutting:
– Solid wood, bamboo, plywood, cork
– Vegetable tanned leather, fabrics, fleece, felt
– Natural rubber, stamp maker’s rubber
– Cardboard, grey board, pulp board, framer’s backing board, paper
– Plastics including acrylic, polyamide, laser engraving laminate e.g. laser extractor control panel pictured
Need something urgently?
Ravens’ Way can offer rapid turnround with same-day service. While this is subject to job complexity and materials availability, we do hold stock of commonly used materials, and we’re flexible because we’re small and independent.
Tap the orange button to contact us now!