Local design company Compass Ironworks offers stunning metalwork project using unconventional technologies, writes Joseph N. DiStefano for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Owned by Amos Glick and operated by a team of Amish employees, the company completes intricate metal and steel projects while relying on technology permitted by Amish religious practices.
The company has completed a number of home projects for customers across the East Coast. Projects include custom staircases, fencing, outdoor gates, railings, and metal architecture.
Since Amish culture often opposes a reliance on outside technologies, Compass Ironworks has relied on inventive new methods to complete their projects.
“What sets us apart is that, as a culture, some worldly conveniences are not OK. So we need to adapt,” he said.
This adaptation has included relying on non-electric energy sources, including battery-operated machinery and hydraulics. The shop itself uses cordless tools, an oil-fueled generator to charge batteries, and a propane-powered oven for heat treated projects.
Though the company serves much of Chester County, Glick trained in metalwork at the Pequea farm-equipment foundry in Lancaster County.
In addition to the company’s large projects, Glick also makes metal sculptures to donate to yearly fundraiser by University of Pennsylvania medical providers who research genetic conditions that disproportionately affect Amish communities.
Read more about Compass Ironworks and the company’s unique metalwork practices in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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