The Rise and Fall of Radiator Foundries: A Two Century Journey to Casting Radiators for Today

Erin Holohan Haskell

THE GENERAL SOCIETY OF MECHANICS & TRADESMEN OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK
FOUNDED 1785

Labor, Literature and Landmark Lecture Series
Fall 2023

The Rise and Fall of Radiator Foundries: A Two Century Journey to Casting Radiators for Today
With Nick and Annie Baylis, Owners, Castrads

Tuesday, October 24th at 6 p.m.

An Online and In-Person Program

To register in-person, please click here.

To register for online attendance, please click here.

General Admission: $15

Seniors & General Society Members: $10

Students: $5

Advance registration is required.

All registrants will receive a link to the recording approximately 10 days after the lecture.


Castrads is a small, family-run business that manufactures new cast iron radiators in Manchester, England. This talk with the husband and wife owners of Castrads, Nick and Annie Baylis, will cover the development of heating technology in textile mills both sides of the Atlantic, the early manufacturers, the American Radiator Company's domination of the global market, and on to the eastward march of foundries as demand in the west diminished.

Castrads is now casting radiators in England fifty years after the last English radiator foundry closed its doors. The talk will also cover the technical challenges associated with onshoring this long-lost skill.

In 2018, Castrads opened a showroom in Manhattan and a warehouse in Brooklyn to serve the US market with new cast iron radiators and a refurbishment service. This talk will also celebrate the launch of their new showroom in SoHo - Manhattan's cast iron district. For more information on Castrads, please visit www.castrads.com.

Nick and Annie Baylis met while studying for their undergraduate degrees at University College London. After his masters degree, Mr. Baylis began working in the family business, Castrads, in 2009. Ms. Baylis joined the company in 2018 after a career in translation and research, when the couple relocated to New York to set up Castrads North America.

The process of refining their products for tomorrow’s heating systems and on-shoring production continues to fuel their interest in cast iron radiators as markers of social and political change over the past 150 years. The couple now live in Stockport, England with their two daughters.

Mad Dog_2

This looks great.  Ill be there.  Mad Dog 🐕 

Nick_Castrads

That's great Mad Dog. Look forward to meeting you.

Steamhead

Is that a Castrads Rococo that says "American Radiator Co" on it?

Nick_Castrads

No that's an American Radiator Co. Rococo that we refurbished in Upper West. Here's the case study we wrote about it: https://www.castrads.com/us/inspiration/how-to-heat/the-norman-upper-west/

tim smith

Erin, are they reconditioning in their USA plant or only in england? Just wondering.

Nick_Castrads

Hi Tim, we offer refurbishment in NYC / tri-state area as well as UK.

tim smith

Have you considered making a pattern to match the American radiator Rococco desigtn. They look a bit better to me. Also match many places we all work on in USA. Just a question. I know it a demand issue and that may be the clog in the pipe.
Tim

Nick_Castrads

We're currently working on a new patterned radiator that we're going to call Celeste. It's based on the body shape of our Emmeline (which is itself an evolution of the ARC Princess et al) and the motif will be new - it'll be of our own making - but it will of course reference the great pattern makers that came before us including very much the Rococo of course.

We have an illustrator called Suzy who works for us in England. She's currently taking a sabbatical from her usual role in sales to work on the Celeste pattern by modelling the patterns in clay onto the body of an Emmeline.

When we're happy with the pattern, we'll then 3D scan and turn it into CAD to be CNC machined onto a mould. I wish I could share some photos of the work in progress but I'm afraid it's commercially sensitive right now.

Celeste will be available in the same nine sizes as Emmeline. Until then, we still have Rococo which is a direct replica of the original ARC model (albeit the later version with nipples top and bottom).

Erin Holohan Haskell

I'm really looking forward to this talk. The team at Castrads loves heating history just as much as we do (https://www.castrads.com/uk/inspiration/how-to-heat/heating-history/).

And take a look at the meticulous attention to detail in their work. They're really highlighting the art in the Lost Art.

I love this Whitworth Wall Stay. The worker bee motif represents the industrial heritage of Manchester. And it's named after Sir Joseph Whitworth. In 1841, he devised the British Standard Whitworth system, which created an accepted standard for screw threads.

tim smith

This is a pic from your above resto job. These are what we find to be most prevalent and they do look different than your rococco. Just a note.
Thanks
Tim

Nick_Castrads

Yeah I agree, the original Rococos were wonderful. I'm hoping we'll get to something equally impressive when we launch our Celeste next year.

Mad Dog_2

The detailed Filagree is SICK!!!   Unfortunately, I just realized I'll up be up with My Taco Fambly training that day.  Will that be accessible via internet? I'm sure the Hotel will have a computer 🖥...Mad Dog 

Erin Holohan Haskell

Mad Dog_2 said:

The detailed Filagree is SICK!!!   Unfortunately, I just realized I'll up be up with My Taco Fambly training that day.  Will that be accessible via internet? I'm sure the Hotel will have a computer 🖥...Mad Dog 

@Mad Dog_2, yes you can watch online. Just sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-rise-and-fall-of-radiator-foundries-a-200-year-journey-online-tickets-736788292617

EdTheHeaterMan

Just signed up to watch from Charleston SC. Looking forward to the presentation.

Nick_Castrads

@EdTheHeaterMan that's great, thank you! 

@Mad Dog_2 Shame you can't make it but as Erin says, it'll be online. Would have loved to meet you in person - next time! 

JohnNY

I'll be there along with my students. Nick is a passionate artisan and the products are just beautiful. We install many of them throughout the NY-NJ area where steam heat is the period appropriate method of heating a home. Cast Rads' customers are design oriented by nature and are willing to pay well for this elevated heating product while others throw a cover over an old radiator after a renovation. Most often, these are people who appreciate steam every bit as much as we do and showcase their radiators as if they were a new chandelier or a painting on the wall. Cast Rads is a great company and their showroom is two blocks from the building I live in so I'm fortunate to see a lot of the product line on display.
We're very much looking forward to this event.

Mad Dog_2

I'm really happy 😊 they are selling well too!  Mad Dog 🐕 

JtownDan

I think this is fantastic. I live a few blocks from the location of the former National Radiator Co. In Johnstown Pa.
I've also worked in the plumbing and heating industry here in town and have seen my share of radiators.
Also just fantastic seeing manufacturers still at it! Kudos!

Mad Dog_2

The Great Johnstown Flood...what year was that again?  Mad Dog 🐕 

Nick_Castrads

@JtownDan thanks very much! Is there any sort of museum or visitor center connected to the old NRC foundry?

Mad Dog_2

Nick...how did you become involved in this unique industry?  Background?   Mad Dog 🐕 

Nick_Castrads

@Mad Dog_2 well that story is very much the introduction to our talk on Tuesday, but my father ran an architectural salvage business when I was a kid so as a teenager (and perhaps a bit before) I used to refurbish old radiators, cut down reclaimed lumber and clean up bricks on a Saturday to earn a few dollars (or pounds in fact - I'm English).

Here's a 1995 cutting from the local newspaper - the guy in the photo is my dad.

Mad Dog_2

Excellent...how old are you?  Favorite British Bands?  Mad Dog 🐕 

Nick_Castrads

I'm 36, big fan of the classics from when I was growing up - Radiohead, Blur, then onto people like Portishead, Massive Attack and the trip hop movement, also you can't be English, my age, and not love the more recent bands like Arctic Monkeys and Foals. Right now I'm listening to a jazz group called Ezra Collective out of London. Really fresh.

How about you? 

Mad Dog_2

#1 - Boys from Birmingham Black Sabbath 
#2 - Deep Purple- Rainbow & Cream/Clapton & Robin Trower
# 3 - Led Zep...
#4 Beatles & Stones
#5 Yardbirds & The Kinks
#6 Eric Burdon & The Animals 
#7 Queen
# 8 The Who
# 9 Moody Blues
Et cetera.  The British Invasion was a once in a Thousand Year Phenomenon...spawned from the combination of Empire, Two world Wars, industrial Dominance, the peak of Art, Music 🎶 and Culture....What a body of work...an onslaught...a Tidal Wave.. Mad Dog 🐕 

Mad Dog_2

Of Course...
The Clash
Duran Duran
Robert Palmer
T Rex
Boy George
Squeeze...

CLamb

Nick_Castrads said:

@Mad Dog_2 well that story is very much the introduction to our talk on Tuesday, but my father ran an architectural salvage business when I was a kid so as a teenager (and perhaps a bit before) I used to refurbish old radiators, cut down reclaimed lumber and clean up bricks on a Saturday to earn a few dollars (or pounds in fact - I'm English).

A great business. It is much more environmentally friendly than most of the current recycling efforts. Does it still exist?

Nick_Castrads

@CLamb unfortunately not. My dad sold the business in 2003 and I'm afraid to say it went under a few years later. 

He then started Castrads in 2005/6, and I joined soon thereafter. 

@Mad Dog_2 an excellent selection there - a very fine representation. 

Erin Holohan Haskell

In case you missed the lecture, here is a link to the video.

And for more information on Castrads and their Soho showroom, please visit here.

Nick_Castrads

Thank you so much for all of your support Erin, and thank you to those people who watched live and afterwards. Annie and I really enjoyed speaking about the topic that we love to people who clearly love it too.

ChrisJ

Nick_Castrads said:

I'm 36, big fan of the classics from when I was growing up - Radiohead, Blur, then onto people like Portishead, Massive Attack and the trip hop movement, also you can't be English, my age, and not love the more recent bands like Arctic Monkeys and Foals. Right now I'm listening to a jazz group called Ezra Collective out of London. Really fresh.

How about you? 

I knew you did fantastic work but didn't know you had good taste in music as well.

Nothing like sand blasting with Teardrop playing in the backround.

Waher

It looks like Castrads discontinued the Neptune series of radiators. The new website (which seems worse than the old website, not sure why they changed it) says the radiators are cast in Turkey with finishing in the UK. Seems odd because they appeared to be putting great effort into UK production.

Nick_Castrads

@Waher we discontinued the Neptune line a couple of years ago. We didn't own the patterns and couldn't control the quality. We replaced it with our Emmeline line which we designed from scratch.

Sorry to hear you're not a fan of our new site. Anything in particular we could improve?

The majority of our radiators are cast in Turkey as that's where the best quality radiators were being made until recently. As of summer 2023, we started production-quantity casting in Walsall, England, following three years of R&D, and with just one model. We're now working with two British foundries to cast all that we can in England, and the number of models is growing every month, but the flask size for these UK foundries limits us to just those models that are 22" tall and below.

It's a long and expensive process moving moulds but we are working on it! Regardless, our two partner foundries in Turkey offer superb quality and they're casting on patterns and running systems that we've designed ourselves with help from some of the world's most renowned experts.

Waher

@Nick_Castrads

The version 100.2 booklet I received feels like it condenses and conveys this information more clearly than the current iteration of the website. Or at least how the website loads on my phone.

I recall each radiator style page had a side view of each profile (family photo) in the full range so that one didn't have to individually click through each size to see the differences and could determine the full range of sizes available per the number of columns & the like. Similar to the booklet it is my recollection each page used to list the dimensions, BTU per section, EDR, and now that information is buried in the radiator builder. The radiator builder doesn't list EDR or show the side views. Having the radiator builder display the selected options, colors/fittings/etc. would be a nice functionality.

It would be great if you could list which models and sizes are made in the UK vs. Turkey. As the website reads now it looks like all your casting is in Turkey with the accessories, finishing, and assembly occurring in the UK. I think it's a major selling point that you have castings being fabricated in the UK.

Nick_Castrads

Thanks for the feedback @Waher, this is really useful. We're in the process of implementing some of your suggestions right now.

Thanks again.

dko

@Nick_Castrads

Some other things I noticed

When entering the radiator builder through the default page https://builder.castrads.com/en-US,
it will start you at choosing Hydronic, One Pipe Steam, Two Pipe Steam. Then give you list of the models.

If you enter the builder via a radiator's product page, it will automatically scroll you all the way down to choose # of sections and finish. Once you add to cart, it will give you options to add accessories and at this point it will list hydronic valves as default. This is because hydronic is the default selected option in the radiator builder. I feel it shouldn't be selected by default. If you happened to scroll up before adding to cart and select one of the steam options, all the options you've chosen (sections, color) are gone and you start from the beginning.

The vacuum breaker option is always there whichever application is chosen, and the description/photo is of a hydronic bleeder. It's still there even if a steam vent is chosen over the TRV.

I mention this because the wrong valves are purchased all the time. Sometimes contractors are installing it with no idea of how to install a steam radiator. Some plumbers too. I have homeowners, plumbers, and contractors come to me with photos of hydronic valves in a steam application from castrad. "I only used one of the valves" only to see it's a 1/2" niva TRV valve on 20 section Grace rad running on one pipe steam.

This isn't Castrad's mistake, but not allowing potential mismatch purchases can go a long way. If it gives the option, some people assume it's compatible without more research.

Waher

@Nick_Castrads
I looked at the website on a desktop vs. my phone and the "technical data" section for each radiator that include EDR/etc. and the line drawings of the profiles that I said were missing appears on the desktop version while being cut off in phone browsers (mobile Safari & Brave) without a visual indicator to scroll horizontally to see the rest of of the information. I have an iPhone mini-12 so maybe it's just a smaller screen than typical phones these days, but perhaps there's something the web designer could add visually to alert users to scroll horizontally for more information or adjust the formatting dynamically for screen size on mobile devices.

Nick_Castrads

@dko thank you! Fantastic feedback - I hadn't considered the heating mode selection for entries post stage 1. I think we could force that to be the first query at whatever stage the user enters (if not previously selected). 

Good point also about the vacuum breaker image, thanks. We can fix that no problem. 

Forcing the heating mode selection should then fix the issue with hydronic valves being shown by default. 

Have you experienced any issues with the routing through the valves when heating mode has correctly been selected? For instance if 1PS, do you find the correct inlet valve and vent options are displayed? It should be the case that selecting finish or size in one step automatically adjusts the selection in following steps - are they all correct? 

Nick_Castrads

@Waher thank you, I know what you mean. I like your idea of making the scroll bar more obvious. Should be pretty simple. 

I'm actually in the process of mocking up an additional tool that will sit below that size table. User selects the number of sections and heating mode (steam, hydronic, heat pump), to reveal all the specs for that specific size. 

At present, I've got: 
- Length
- Height 
- Depth
- Empty weight 
- Internal volume 
- Output (BTUs)
- EDR
- Flow rate (hot water only)

I have a few questions on this that I'd love your (and anyone else's) input on if you're feeling generous enough to spare a few minutes: 

1. Are there any other specs you'd like to see? Are these the right specs? What format would you like to have these available in? (I was thinking PDF and CSV downloads in addition to the on-screen display). 

2. For heat outputs, I could go really granular and allow the user to select precise flow and return temperatures, or I could keep it as a black box (steam 215F, hydronic 170F, maybe with a heat pump at, say, 120F). 
I'm erring on the side of a simplistic three options with the option to enter precise temps via an "advanced" function. 
Would you find this useful? Do you often find yourself correcting outputs for different system temps? If you would find it useful, how would you design the system temp selector? 

3. Are there any other features similar to this that you'd like to see? 

With many thanks in advance
Nick