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Post by rockpickerforever on Oct 4, 2013 20:39:35 GMT -5
I promised I would post pics of lights and other things that we used to make out of metal. The lights were custom made to the customers ideas/thoughts. We figured out the details. He called these "ice cream cones." I drew a template out on paper, than cut aluminum sheet. This was curled on a roller, and given a slight twist. Edit - only protoype was aluminum, the lights were made from copper. (See next photo.)  After carefully measuring where to put them, holes were punched along the upper edge, and a mount was fastened to back of light. The customer put in a light fixture, and gave them a patina. He had them wired up and installed on the outside of a building in La Jolla. We made about 30 of them.    The customer was into pyramids, made of copper sheet. This was actually going to be a mailbox, installed on top of a brick pillar by someone's gate.  And then lights to match. The sides would be filled with mica sheet, and a light installed.  Yeah, bunches of them to mount along a property line/street frontage. These were all made from strips of copper cut on shear, which then got bent on a press brake. Then all the joints were fused with copper. Customer did all the patinas, installed all mica, light fixtures and wiring. We gave them to him unfinished or "raw." These had been taken to him, and he put the patina on them, but he sent them back for some rework - He thought some of the joints were too "visible", so they got sanded down some.  This is made of brass. We went through a lot of copper and brass sheets. Again, it would have mica installed inside of it. Don't remember if this was brazed or soldered.  All of them.  Same idea, only this one would mount on a ceiling.   We did a lot of repairs/fabricating. Can you tell which little "twisted spear" is a new replacement?  It's the one in the front center in the above photo, the lower left in this pic (same piece). Take a piece of brass, mark out the spiral, and hit it with a die grinder.  This was fun to do. Gate pulls that reflected the poppies carved into the wooden gate.  Closeup of installed.  Here's the whole gate, showing carved poppies in the wood.  Just a couple pics of the garage. Turnmaster lathe. This doesn't even scratch the surface.  This is an anilam (CNC) mill. In the almost 24 years since we bought the house, there has NEVER been a car in the garage, LOL  I'll post more photos as I get them ready. The biggest project we did for ths guy was three fireplace fronts in different styles and sizes. All out of copper/brass. Thanks for looking. |
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jamesp
Cave Dweller 
Member since October 2012
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Post by jamesp on Oct 4, 2013 21:25:32 GMT -5
Serious metal manipulation going on over there. The cones are cool. That is a huge job. Jobs like that help out on financing some of that machinery. Impressive.
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garock
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since February 2006
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Post by garock on Oct 6, 2013 9:50:04 GMT -5
Thanks for Sharing the photos ! !
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 6, 2013 10:19:08 GMT -5
I am impressed Jean. There are not a lot of women that are willing to "put some dirt on it" but it looks like you took to it like a fish to water. Art in copper and get paid for it, WOOHOO, can't beat a deal like that. What kind of a punch did/do you have?
I have played with copper and other metals a lot but the copper is the mostest funest metal to work with. I posted some of it on here a long time ago.
Looking forward to seeing more.
I finally got the Yellowstone Park photos up that I thought looked like yours.
Jim
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Post by rockpickerforever on Oct 6, 2013 10:50:05 GMT -5
You're welcome, Frankie. Always like to show the stuff off.
Jim, the punch was just a hand-held one, a Roper. Draw lines, measure, center punch, then punch the hole. I had forgotten how labor intensive doing all that was, seeing these photos brought it all back to me.
For the most part, I liked doing work for/dealing with customers directly, not this lighting guy. But, you go where the money is.
Just wait until you see the pics of the fireplace fronts. That was the biggest (read, took the most time to accomplish, and brought in most money) job we did. Of course, there were some hitches along the way. Will try to get those photos up next week.
Thanks for taking the time to look!
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ash
spending too much on rocks
Prairieville, Louisiana
Member since July 2012
Posts: 361
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Post by ash on Oct 6, 2013 12:34:07 GMT -5
that is some pretty serious skill you have there. The metal work is great! you should make those to sell
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 6, 2013 21:11:01 GMT -5
Jean those are really really sweet. Love the "film" conical light sconces. Quite nice, really.
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Post by Pat on Oct 6, 2013 22:33:01 GMT -5
Jean, I like everything you did! Good work on good designs. I might try a simplified gate pull myself!
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
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Post by jamesp on Oct 6, 2013 22:52:26 GMT -5
It is sad to sell to a middle man for 100 and he transfers it and gets 200. We are a bunch of brokers.
Japan has put the respect and the money into the designers and the builders and look where that politically correct practice got them.
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droseraguy
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Member since April 2012
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Post by droseraguy on Oct 7, 2013 11:20:48 GMT -5
Da*n that was some nice stuff. If only I could make a go of something like that. Looks like fun though, and frustrating too but in a good way !
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Post by rockpickerforever on Oct 7, 2013 19:40:12 GMT -5
Scott, I find it interesting that you see those round holes along the edge as sprocket holes in film. I can accept that. The photographer in you is showing.
Ash, Scott, Pat, James and Chris - thanks for the comments! Was away most of the day, did not get any other photos ready yet - soon, I promise! Believe I'll start with the fireplace fronts. Should I add to this post, or start a new one?
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Post by rockpickerforever on Oct 8, 2013 18:10:37 GMT -5
Okay, gonna just add more to this post. Next up, #1 of the three copper fireplace fronts. These went into a large private home/lodge up in Boise, ID. The first one went into what they called "the great room." They weren't kidding! The inside of this fireplace is 56" tall.   Pile of materials   Everything on this was copper, even the screen. Well, we did use some steel threads on the backs of these  to hold things together. Threaded copper would not have done it. Structural parts like the hinges were 1/4" plate.  The sheet metal for the rest of it was sheared close to size, then we used a pneumatic impact hammer with a rounded tip to hammer the texture into it. Then all the pieces were sheared a second time (since they expanded when beat on) to final size.  Although the guy we did the work for had ideas of what he wanted, we had to come up with the structural design and make it work.  As designed (based on his measurements). Tabs at top to attach.   After he put on patine and flew with it to Boise to install it, he realized it was not going to install the way he thought it would. He brought it back, and we had to modify it, cutting the upper frame and installing more metal and bolts so it could be dismatled a bit, installed, and reassembled.  Pulls and hinges were hand hammered.   We did two other fireplace fronts for this same home (all different), will post them tomorrow. Jean |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 8, 2013 21:11:40 GMT -5
Way way way cool Jean. Some super art work there. I have hand hammered copper and it is not a lazy persons work. I suppose if you did it every day it wouldn't be so bad but to just sit down and start hammering kills the arms and hands after a while. The way you made those pyramid ?? buttons or whatever you want to call them was way smart and very impressive. I would have been wonking on them with a hacksaw or something. I guess that is why I am (was) not a machinist.
I put some copper window screens on a house in Texas and it is nice to work with but I was really glad I was not paying for it.
Jim
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mibeachrocks
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since September 2013
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Post by mibeachrocks on Oct 9, 2013 7:34:26 GMT -5
Really nice work.
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Post by rockpickerforever on Oct 9, 2013 10:19:56 GMT -5
Thanks, Jim and mibeachrocks. It was an interesting job. I have photos of three more fireplace fronts, I'll try to keep the next post somewhat abbreviated. We had been told of this upcoming job during that summer, but the guy kept dumping more and more little jobs/repair jobs on us, and told us we had plenty of time for the fireplaces. By the time we got started, it was already into November. We were about to go to the desert for Thanksgiving, when he drops the bomb on us that the customer wanted them all done in time for a Christmas party! Oh, and he also asked us if we could knock some off the price we had quoted him. That was the part of doing this that sucked the most.
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Post by rockpickerforever on Oct 9, 2013 13:09:47 GMT -5
Last two fireplace fronts, then I'll ease off on ya, lol! You did ask to see them... If I don't do this now, I never will.
Photo and measurements of this fireplace, and other elements of room.
Door pull shape was inspired by the ones on wood cabinet to left of fireplace. Machined on mill out of brass.
Sides were left open (no screen) and filled with mica sheet (isinglass) after patina was applied.
We were working into the night for a about a month, trying to get these done. Long days...
Installed. I can see door height was not adjusted yet (we did not go to Boise to install).
This was also all copper, except for the pull.
Fireplace front 3 - Last one, dimensions.
Other elements in room
Fastening the screen. Holes drilled in sheet copper were filled/fused with copper wiere to screen.
All copper, except the brass hinges, looks like.
The patina he put on. I kinda liked the clean copper look, would've just let that patina naturally, myself.
But he was big on patinas.
Installed.
Ready for Christmas party.
Since the largest one (first one) had to be brought back here to be modified, it was
installed at a later date. They only had two of them to show off at their party.
Okay, that's it with the fireplaces, and I'm sure you've seen enough lights.
I've bored you enough, you can go back to what you were doing!
Thanks for looking, tho'. Jean
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 9, 2013 16:54:21 GMT -5
Hell, the last thing it was is boring. Very interesting metal work, the kind I like. If I could have worked with copper all my life instead of steel I would have been much happier.
You did an awesome job on those and you should be very proud of your work.
Jim
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
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Post by jamesp on Oct 9, 2013 19:05:15 GMT -5
It is basically a big piece of jewelry. You guys have a very broad range of talent. Very impressive.
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Post by rockpickerforever on Oct 10, 2013 10:11:06 GMT -5
Thanks, guys. It was fun for the most part (also a learning experience!), but did not appreciate the fireplace job being put off for months ("you'll have plenty of time") after we were given it, then having to bust our butts getting it done when they moved up the finish date. That's the kind of stuff I don't miss about it.
The job was done in 1996 or thereabouts. Wonder how they are holding up? Guess that would depend on how much they use the fireplaces...
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 10, 2013 11:24:38 GMT -5
The way they were made and the quality of the work would lead me to believe that they are standing strong even if they have been used regularly every winter.
Jim
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