Bear Creek Bronze manufactures decorative metal tile, cabinet hardware, switch/outlet covers, address plaques/house numbers, and custom embellishments. 

Bear Creek Bronze tiles are available in five alloys: bronze, copper, white bronze, yellow brass, or aluminum. With the exception of our oil rubbed bronze tiles, our tiles are manufactured without clear coat or lacquer to allow the natural process of aging. To increase variety we offer four finishes: burnished, polished, brushed, or our rich oil rubbed bronze finish.

Great for kitchen, bathroom, fireplace accents, entryways and outdoor settings such as patios, walkways, fire-pits and even pool areas. Our knobs and pulls have an ergonomic and unique hand cast quality to them with an authentic feel and weight not found in other products.

Due to the handmade nature of our products, no two are exactly alike and possess their own individual characteristics. Just like the people who produce them, and those who acquire them. Bear Creek Bronze products are produced using only certified alloys obtained from domestic sources.

To see how our products can accentuate areas such as bathrooms, kitchens or outdoor settings look at our
photo gallery. We are currently accepting authorized dealer and reseller applications. Contact Bear Creek Bronze
for more information.

More Product Info

Manufacturing Process

• National Aluminum Brass Foundry has been in the sand-cast industry for over 85 years. We utilize the same over-all principles instilled thousands of years ago, but with the advances of modern technology.

• First molds are produced with specifically prepared sand, clay and water. Metal is then heated in electric furnaces to temperatures exceeding 2000 degrees Fahrenheit, and poured into these molds. After the cooling time required for solidification, the molds are shaken apart revealing hidden Bear Creek Bronze castings within. The sand from the mold then travels back to the sand silo for retention and renewed for use again. After the castings are out of the mold they then undergo a shot-blast operation prepping them for the next operation which is to remove them from the gating system by means of a large band-saw. The gating system metal is recycled to be used once again. The Bear Creek Bronze castings are then sorted and inspected prior to the grinding operation which removes any flash from the perimeters.

Finishing Bear Creek Bronze products are ground by hand then placed in a shot blast machine to blend the grind marks. Following this process, the hardware along with special polishing media and water are loaded into a large tumbling machine to achieve a beautiful burnished surface.

• Next, the hardware is placed in a heated centrifuge for drying. Once these operations are complete we then either apply a brushed, polished or oil rubbed bronze finish by hand. When machining is required, we perform the operations without the use of cutting fluids or lubricants to prevent discoloration. Our products are produced without clear-coat or lacquer of any kind in order to allow the natural process of aging to occur. With the exception of Lacquered items such as address plaques, house numbers or any of our products in our rich oil rubbed bronze.

Materials

• Bear Creek Bronze products are produced using only certified alloys obtained from domestic sources. These alloys are a minimum of 95% recycled material in their creation. The five alloys used are a specific Silicon Bronze containing approximately 90% Copper, 5% Zinc, and 5% Silicon; a high grade Copper alloy containing around 94% Copper, 2% Tin, and 4% Zinc; our Nickel appearing White Bronze containing approximately 60% Copper, 25% Zinc, 10% Manganese, and 5% Nickel, our Yellow Brass contains approximately 70-75% copper and 20-25% zinc, and lastly our Aluminum alloy which is a utilized in many industries such as after-market decorative motorcycle and auto parts for its polish and finish retention properties.

Care and Cleaning

• As Bear Creek Bronze products age, they will develop a natural darkening known as “patina”. With the exception of Lacquered items such as address plaques, house numbers or any of our products in our rich oil rubbed bronze. We manufacture our products with the premise of allowing this natural aging process to occur. Be aware that once this process has begun, complete reversal is impossible. However, if you wish to brighten/renew aged items, we recommend using a metal cleaner/tarnish remover. A metal polishing crème works well on any of the alloys to brighten and shine the pieces and can be used instead of a metal cleaner. If using a metal cleaner/tarnish remover, we highly recommend following with a metal polish or light coat of a paste wax to seal the products and prevent further darkening. Follow the instructions carefully when using any type of cleaner or polish. If darkening or patina is not desired, simply seal the products with a clear lacquer or wax.
• Note: It is always recommended to apply a clear lacquer or wax to our products when installing outdoors or in highly humid locations if the natural aging process is not desired.