Symmetry Lead Work Ltd

Symmetry Lead Work Ltd Traditional lead roofing specialists. We handle everything from bespoke architectural details and hand-bossing to full heritage restoration projects.

Quality work that speaks for itself. Get in touch for a quote.

Everyone knows Le Stryge—or if you don’t know him by name, you’ve definitely seen him. Positioned high on the gallery of...
28/08/2026

Everyone knows Le Stryge—or if you don’t know him by name, you’ve definitely seen him. Positioned high on the gallery of Notre-Dame, this iconic “Thinker” chimera has been sitting with his head in his hands, brooding over the Paris skyline since the 19th century. When you get the rare chance to work alongside him on these roofs, matching his pose to debate whether to boss or weld the next detail is basically mandatory. 🇫🇷

He was originally designed by architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc back in the 1850s as part of the cathedral’s famous historic restoration. Having spent roughly 170 years looking down from these heights, he’s easily the most famous site inspector in trade history. 🔨

Leadwork KeepCraftAlive RoofingLife Restoration HeritageCraft LeadBossing

Since the last bossing post went down so well, here’s a proper look at a box gutter step we’ve been working on. 🔨We like...
19/08/2026

Since the last bossing post went down so well, here’s a proper look at a box gutter step we’ve been working on. 🔨

We like taking close-up shots at Symmetry because there’s nowhere to hide. No wide angles or strategic framing to cover up rough edges—just the work as it actually looks when you get your face right up to it.

A few things to notice when you zoom in:

Building paper underlay: You can see the paper installed underneath and all the way up the sides of the lead right through the whole gutter. Skipping this to save a few minutes is how you end up with thermal drag and underside corrosion.

Hand-bossed corners: Working the lead by hand around the step keeps the thickness where it needs to be so the metal can expand and contract naturally without splitting.

Flush fixings: stainless steel nails spaced neatly across the top edge and dressed down flat so the next sheet sits dead flush over the step.

When you take macro shots of your work, the details have to be spot on.

Swipe through to get right up close with the prep and the finished bossed step.

TraditionalRoofing RoofingDetail KeepCraftAlive SheetMetal RoofingLife

Welding gets all the attention on here, but proper hand-bossing is where the real skill is at. 🔨Working a single sheet o...
16/08/2026

Welding gets all the attention on here, but proper hand-bossing is where the real skill is at. 🔨

Working a single sheet of lead over a four-way roll intersection like this isn’t easy. You aren’t cutting and joining—you’re physically moving the metal with wooden dressers, stretching and working it into shape without thinning out the corners.

Do it right, and you get a completely seamless, watertight detail that’ll outlast all of us. No welds to stress, split, or fail down the line. Just lead dressed perfectly to the timber deck.

It’s hard work on the arms and takes time, but on jobs like this, proper bossing beats taking shortcuts every single time.

Bossing it out by hand or reaching straight for the torch? What’s your preference? 👇

Leadwork RoofingLife KeepCraftAlive Restoration Craftsmanship

Before and after on these box gutter ends 🔥When you’re welding lead internal corners and stop ends, the prep and your we...
03/08/2026

Before and after on these box gutter ends 🔥

When you’re welding lead internal corners and stop ends, the prep and your welding technique make all the difference to how long that joint holds up under thermal movement.

Here’s why a stacked, multi-pass weld beats a single-pass run every time:

Proper Heat Control: Lead has a tiny window between melting and dropping out. Stacking smaller, controlled passes keeps heat input manageable so you don’t burn through or weaken the parent metal.

Full Pe*******on & Extra Mass: Instead of relying on a thin surface run, overlapping the beads builds up structural thickness right in the stress points where expansion and contraction hit hardest.

Zero Weak Spots: Clean lap prep paired with uniform ripple stacking eliminates micro-voids and cold laps. It creates a solid, homogeneous joint that moves as one solid piece of lead.

Swipe through to see the prep before torch met metal, right through to the finished run.
Proper prep, steady hand, zero shortcuts. 🛠️

SheetMetal Leadwork RoofingLife Craftsmanship RoofingDetail

Brilliant shout from the guys at Heritage Roofing Services. 🤝We loved being on this job. It was a great project over in ...
18/07/2026

Brilliant shout from the guys at Heritage Roofing Services. 🤝

We loved being on this job. It was a great project over in Northamptonshire, and putting down traditional sandcast lead on a building of this size is exactly the kind of heritage work we live for.

We’re booking up fast for the rest of the year, but if you’ve got a heritage project or high-end leadwork coming up and want it done right, drop us a message.

Just finished hand-forming these lead pinnacles for a pair of spires.Getting a perfectly smooth, uniform taper on a cone...
16/07/2026

Just finished hand-forming these lead pinnacles for a pair of spires.

Getting a perfectly smooth, uniform taper on a cone takes some serious patience. We finished them with hand-cut decorative scallops at the base to transition into the slating, and a clean bossed collar at the peak.

This is the kind of heritage work that makes the long days worth it. Built with traditional details, and ready to stand against the elements for another century.

Good to be back sharing the journey. What do you think of the scalloped detail on these spires? Drop a comment below. 👇

RoofingLife KeepCraftAlive Restoration Craftsmanshi

The final finish Seeing the full run completed really shows the impact of taking that extra time on the details. Instead...
23/06/2026

The final finish

Seeing the full run completed really shows the impact of taking that extra time on the details. Instead of a basic straight lap over the break in the pitch, every single panel was hand-bossed smoothly over the knuckle and finished with a custom decorative scalloped edge with matching detailed clips to lock down that lap from prevailing wind.

When you treat heritage roofing as an art form rather than just a job, the results speak for themselves.

Drop a comment and let me know what you think of this decorative detail. 👇

SheetMetal Leadwork HeritageCraft RoofingLife Craftsmanship

Trying something a bit different on this detail. 📐✨Instead of a standard, straight lap cut over the break in the roof li...
16/06/2026

Trying something a bit different on this detail. 📐✨

Instead of a standard, straight lap cut over the break in the roof line—what I like to call “The Knuckle”—we wanted to bring a bit of creativity to the roof. We went with a custom decorative trim to give the finish a bit more character.

The entire piece is traditional hand-bossed right over the change of pitch. Absolutely zero welding required to get it tracking perfectly over the wood roll and down the slope.

It’s always worth spending that extra bit of time to try new things and push the craft forward.

What do we think of this decorative finish? Let me know in the comments. 👇

SheetMetal Leadwork HeritageCraft RoofingLife

The art of hand-bossing. 📐🛠️We ran short on gas today, but traditional skills mean the project never grinds to a halt. I...
12/06/2026

The art of hand-bossing. 📐🛠️

We ran short on gas today, but traditional skills mean the project never grinds to a halt. Instead of welding up these internal corners, we went entirely old-school, drawing and working the lead by hand to flow seamlessly into place.

Modern gear is great, but relying solely on a torch can be a trap. When you understand the characteristics of lead, you can make it do exactly what you want with nothing more than a bossing stick and some serious precision.
True heritage work doesn’t cut corners—it forms them. 🪵✨

MetalSmithing RoofingLife HandBossed

Address

Cambridge

Opening Hours

Monday 7am - 5pm
Tuesday 7am - 5pm
Wednesday 7am - 5pm
Thursday 7am - 5pm
Friday 7am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+447795465141

Website

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