Austin Fountain

Campania Cast Stone: The Process The creation of Campania's cast stone pieces begins and ends by hand. Fr om the creation of an original design, making of a mold, pouring the cast stone, application of the patina to the final packing of an order, the process is both technical and artistic. As many as 30 pairs of hands are involved in the creation of each Campania piece in a labor intensive 15 step process.

The process begins either with the creation of an original copyrighted design by Campania's artisans or an antique original. Antique originals will often require some restoration work, which is also done in-house by expert craftsmen. Campania's mold making department will then begin a multi-step process to create a production mold which will properly replicate the detail and texture of the original piece. Depending on its size and complexity, a mold can take as long as three months to complete. Campania creates in excess of 700 molds per year.

After a mold is completed, it is moved to the production area wh ere a team individually hand pours the liquid cast stone mixture into the mold and employs special techniques to remove air bubbles. Campania carefully monitors the PSI of every piece. PSI (pounds per square inch) measures the strength of every piece to ensure durability. The PSI of Campania pieces is currently engineered at approximately 7500 for optimum strength. Each piece is air-dried and then de-molded by hand. After an internal quality check, pieces are sent to a finishing department wh ere seams are ground and any air holes caused by the pouring process are filled and smoothed. Pieces are then placed on a pallet for stocking in the warehouse.

All Campania pieces are produced and stocked in natural cast stone. When a customer's order is placed, pieces are pulled and unless a piece is requested in natural cast stone, it is finished in a unique patinas. All patinas are applied by hand in a multi-step process; some patinas require three separate color applications. A finisher's skill in applying the patina and wiping away any excess to highlight detail requires not only technical skill, but also true artistic sensibility. Every Campania piece becomes a unique and original work of garden art as a result.

After the patina is dry, the piece is then quality inspected. All pieces of a customer's order are batched and checked for completeness. A two-person packing team will then pack the order by hand into gaylord boxes on pallets. The packing material used is excelsior, a natural wood product that has no chemical additives and may be recycled as display material, repacking customer orders, mulch,or even bedding for animals. This exhaustive process ensures that Campania will remain a popular and beloved choice when it comes to garden decor.