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Review GMAW modes of metal transfer, page 24.
Vol. 47, No. 5
Job Profile
Laser cutting technology creates intricate design of scenic panels See page 56
Ornamental & Miscellaneous Metal Fabricator September/Octobert 2006
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Lewis Brass 2C Sent separate cover
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JOIN N USS FOR
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FEBRUARY Y 28 8 – MARCH H3
METALfab 2007 Adding Value to Your Business
5 Reasons to Attend METALfab 2007 Great Location Fantastic Room Rate Outstanding Education Program Informative Supplier Showcase Educational Shop Tours
METALfab 2007 is the 49th annual convention of the National Ornamental & Miscellaneous Metals Association www.nomma.org/metalfab 888-516-8585 Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort – Destin, FL www.sandestin.com • www.nomma.org/metalfab
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Inside
September/October 2006 Vol. 47, No. 5
Richard Prazen creates a variety of animal forms. See page 64.
Tips & Tactics
Biz Side
Member Talk
Know the basics of copyrights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Learn about the “gray areas” of U.S. copyright laws.
How to sell your business and maintain harmony. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 He used to own his shop. Now he’s an employee. Find out what he’s learned.
Establishing business credit and why you must . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Don’t rely on your personal credit for business purposes.
By Doug Kenyon
By Sheila Phinazee
By William J. Lynott
Thrive with education Prevent distortion when roll in your tool belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 bending round material . . . . . . . . 16 Use education to improve bottom line. Six tips for creating a quality rolled By Rhoda and Ed Mack product. NEF Special Feature By Scott Wadas Make great designs and save labor time with a multi-use cutting tool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Learn how a plasma cutting system made one fabricator more efficient. Shop Talk Modes of metal transfer . . . . . . . 24 Review your welding knowledge with this excerpt from LE’s GMAW guide.
NOMMA Education Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 NEF is now accepting donated items for our annual live and silent auctions.
A little technology goes a long way ................................56 Laser technology helps fabricator stay true to the project’s design.
A fabricator invests a week at the Folk School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 The author gains new perspective on doing things the “old” way.
A ‘blacksmicator’ tames the beast of design ..................................64 Mixing Old World skills with modern technology yields a new friend.
By Lee Rodrigue
By Sheila Phinazee
Director’s Letter . . . . 8 Time marches on
By Mark E. Battersby
What’s Hot! Nationwide Suppliers
. . . . . . . . . . 80
New Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Job Profiles
By Paul Hill
President’s Letter . . .6 Work in and on your business.
Profits: Plow back or a separate nest-egg?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Built up a good business? Now maybe it’s time to start personal investments.
Biz Briefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Chapter News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Literature
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
New Products
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Metal Moment
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Fab Feedback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Reader’s Letters . . . 10 Arizona blacksmiths make a special request.
Fab Feedback . . . . . 98 Attaching new finials to an old fence.
Cover photo: This gate by Paul Hill Sculpture illustrates the benefits of laser cutting technology. See page 56. September/October 2006
Fabricator
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President s Letter Work in and on your business Dedicated to the success of our members and industry. NOMMA OFFICERS President Chris Connelly DeAngelis Iron Work Inc. South Easton, MA President-elect Breck Nelson Kelley Ornamental Iron LLC Peoria, IL
Vice President/ Treasurer Sally Powell Powell’s Custom Metal Fab Inc. Jacksonville, FL Immediate Past President Doug Bracken Wiemann Ironworks Tulsa, OK
FABRICATOR DIRECTORS Fred Michael Colonial Iron Works Inc. Petersburg, VA
Bob Foust Bob’s Ornamental Iron Studio Kansas City, KS
Don Walsh Pro-Fusion Ornamental Iron Inc. San Carlos, CA
Bruce Boyler Boyler’s Ornamental Iron Inc. Bettendorf, IA
Terry Barrett Royal Iron & Aluminum West Palm Beach, FL
Frank Finelli Finelli Ornamental Iron Co. Solon, OH
SUPPLIER DIRECTORS David T. Donnell Eagle Bending Machines Inc. Stapleton, AL
Wayne Haas Cleveland Steel Tool Co. Cleveland, OH
Gene Garrett Regency Railings Inc. Dallas, TX
NOMMA STAFF Executive Director Barbara H. Cook Meetings & Exposition Manager Martha Pennington
Administrative Assistant Liz Johnson
Communications Mgr. J. Todd Daniel
2006 ADVISORY COUNCIL Jay Holeman Mountain Iron Fabrications
Doug Bracken Wiemann Ironworks
Tom McDonough Master Metal Services Inc.
Nancy Hayden Tesko Enterprises
Rob Rolves Foreman Fabricators Inc.
6
Curt Witter Big D Metalworks
In an industry where smaller shops are more prevalent than larger ones, it’s not uncommon for businesses to go back many generations in a single family. It’s also easy to understand how a shop can fall into the habit of doing things the same way for years. Shop owners and managers wear many hats. At one time or another, any given individual may sell, measure, draw, fabricate, finish, or install a project—not to mention getting the office work done and dealing with human resource issues daily. We all have duties and responsibilities and the plain truth is that if we don’t get them done, the business will not succeed. Keeping the wheels turning and the lights on can often be an all encompassing effort. You may tell yourself you’re going to change this and improve that. However, forced to choose between seemingly less important improvements and fabricating something that will translate into billings, the choice often (and understandably) is to fabricate. Keeping your nose to the grindstone is working in your business. Conversely, working on your business is an absolute necessity if you intend to grow and improve over time. Working on your business can take many forms, including an inhouse (strategic) planning session. These can help greatly, and they may not be as difficult or involved as you may think. First, set aside some time to generate, organize, and prioritize a list of ways you can improve the way you conduct business. You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on a professional consultant or spend an entire vacation compiling your thoughts. Simply set aside a Saturday morning to gather a few key employees (at any location other than the office) to brainstorm and bounce ideas off one another. You’ll be surprised at the number (and quality) of good ideas that come out of this process.
Armed with a prioritized list, the next step is to determine a realistic time frame for implementation. Coming up with ideas is easy. Disciplining yourself to continually monitor implementation is difficult— as is coming up with the necessary resources (most notably time and money) to ensure a successful transition. But many shops have regularly scheduled job meetings to review the progress of work under contract, so take 15 minutes before or after this Chris Connelly meeting to discuss is president of the National improvements-inOrnamental & progress. Then, hold Miscellaneous the person who is Metals responsible for imple- Association. mentation accountable. Without accountability, the task will not get done. Of course, even the best-laid plans necessitate change. Realistically, your original brainstorming session won’t be so successful and comprehensive that implementation is seamless. Revisions to your plans should be expected and embraced. Truly successful improvements evolve over time through trial and error. (Hopefully, good planning will minimize the number of errors!) In no time, you will have created and updated your website, researched a new piece of equipment, found a valuable vendor, or come up with a better insurance program. Create a tool crib or implement a vehicle maintenance program. These are the things that separate an average business from a great business—but they take planning, discipline, constant monitoring, and occasional revisions. Good luck, have fun with the process, and best wishes for continued success. Thank you,
Fabricator
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How to reach us Ornamental & Miscellaneous Metal Fabricator (ISSN 0191-5940), is the official publication of the National Ornamental & Miscellaneous Metals Association (NOMMA). O&MM Fabricator / NOMMA 1535 Pennsylvania Ave. McDonough, GA 30253
Editorial Send story ideas, letters, press releases, and product news to: Fabricator at address above. Ph: (888) 516-8585. Fax: (770) 2882006. E-mail: fabricator@nomma.org.
Advertising For information, call Todd Daniel, Ph: (770) 288-2004. Ads are due on the first Friday of the month preceding the cover date. Send ads on CD to: Fabricator at address above. E-mail ads to: fabricator@nomma.org (max. 5 megs by e-mail). Or upload ads to our website where a downloadable media kit is available: www.nomma.org.
Membership In addition to the magazine, enjoy more benefits as a NOMMA member. To join, call (888) 516-8585, ext. 101. For a list of benefits, see membership ad in this issue.
Classifieds $25 for up to 35 words, $38 for 36–55 words, $50 for 56–70 words. Send items to: Fabricator, at address above, or E-mail: fabricator@nomma.org. Ads may be faxed with credit card information to: (770) 2882006. Deadline: 2nd Friday of the month prior to publication.
Subscriptions Subscription questions? Call (888) 5168585, ext. 101. Send subscription address changes to: Fabricator Subscriptions,1535 Pennsylvania Ave., McDonough, GA 30253. Fax: (770) 288-2006, or E-mail: fabricator@nomma.org. 1-year: 2-year: 1-year: 2-year:
U.S., Canada, Mexico — $30; U.S., Canada, Mexico — $50; all other countries — $44; all other countries — $78.
Payment in U.S. dollars by check drawn on U.S. bank or money order. For NOMMA members, a year's subscription is a part of membership dues.
Supplier Directory Published each December as a separate issue. Deadline for all advertising materials is Oct. 31. For info, contact Todd Daniel at (888) 516-8585 or todd@nomma.org.
Reprints For a quote, contact NOMMA at (770) 2882004 or fabricator@nomma.org. Opinions expressed in Fabricator are not necessarily those of the editors or NOMMA. Articles appearing in Fabricator may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express permission of NOMMA. Circulation: 9,000.
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Director s Letter Time Marches On Some of you may be aware of this, but our magazine is actually more than 125 years old. Back around 1960, NOMMA purchased a magazine, titled American Ironsmith, that had been started late in the 1800’s. The publisher could no longer afford to pay for printing, so NOMMA acquired it for the cost of an outstanding debt (which was less than many of today’s monthly mortgage payments!). The name was changed to Ornamental & Miscellaneous Metal Fabricator and the rest is, as they say, history. The magazine has gone though many changes over the decades from a few pages in the original publication to 100 pages packed with timely articles, feature stories, and of course, suppliers that are so vital to the operation of every ornamental shop. As we continue moving forward, you will soon see another change, because we are searching for a new editor. Since we have seen several outstanding candidates, we hope to finish up the search and have someone on board soon. To help us get through the transition period, Todd Daniel, our Communications Manager, will serve as interim editor. Todd has been with NOMMA for 15 years, most of that time as editor of the magazine, among many other jobs. This magazine in its present form was built by Todd from a scruffy 48-page, black-and-white publication to 100 pages packed with articles, feature stories, and industry information, in addition to a wide range of industry suppliers who advertise regularly. Although I know Todd will try to convince me not to publish this, I invite you to join me in thanking him for developing Fabricator into a top-of-the-line, award-winning magazine. His work with NOMMA continues to expand, and we are now in the process of moving him into a position of full-time Technical Affairs management to help ensure code-related issues and other
matters that impact the industry continue to be a priority. Since most of our readers either own or manage small businesses, I don’t have to tell you how valuable long-term employees are today. In addition to Todd, we are fortunate to have Martha Pennington, who has been with us for 14 years, managing our trade show, convention, and all of our education programs through NOMMA and NEF. It takes a true commitment to your job to constantly work with sales people from hotels and convention centers and negotiate contracts. Her negotiation skills and eye for detail go above and beyond what many small organizations are able to count on. Liz Barbara Cook is Johnson has been executive director with NOMMA for of the National seven years, keeping Ornamental & us all together, proMiscellaneous Metals cessing every check, Association shipping every new member kit and publication order, giving NOMMA a professional and warm image on the phone, and doing whatever it takes to support all of us. These individuals carry heavy workloads, they make NOMMA better (which even makes me look good!), and I just wanted to thank them for their continued hard work, even though some of those years have been tough at times. As we search for the right person to bring on board for the magazine, I can only hope to be as lucky as I have been with them.
Barbara H. Cook Executive Director
Fabricator
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Readers Letters Tell us what you think We need to hear from you. Please send us your article suggestions, editorial corrections, tips you’d like to share with other readers, and comments on new products and services. Your input makes our industry, association, and publications stronger. Mail: Letters to the Editor, c/o Fabricator, 1535 Pennsylvania Ave., McDonough, GA 30253.
Arizona Artist Blacksmith Association
bers who donate ironwork. A year’s subscription to Fabricator would make a wonderful prize. Would you please consider making a donation of that nature to our Scholarship Auction? ~April Witzke, Witzke Iron Works (866) 900-4766; www.4ironwork.com
Hello! My husband and I are subscribers to the Fabricator. It has helped us develop our forge business into something that sustains us well. We are also members of the Arizona Artist Blacksmith Association of which I am the current president. I am writing on behalf of the association. We are holding our sixth annual Scholarship Fundraiser Auction in October, and I am looking for prizes to give to mem-
April, You bet. Fabricator magazine appreciates our blacksmith readers and would be honored to help support education for our sister industry! ~NOMMA’s Fabricator
E-mail: fabricator@nomma.org Fax: (770) 288-2006. Ph: (888) 516-8585 Please include your name, company, address, telephone number, and e-mail. Letters are subject to editing for clarity, grammar, and length.
Enter the 2007 Ernest Wiemann Top Job Competition! Earn the recognition you deserve for your outstanding project.
Deadline: December 15, 2006 (postmark) Late Deadline: January 5, 2007 (postmark) Note: You must be a NOMMA member to enter.
John C. Campbell Folk School Since 1925 • Brasstown, North Carolina
Weeklong and weekend classes • Nationally-known instructors Friendly, supportive environment • On-campus housing Delicious meals served three times a day
To receive a free catalog, call or visit 10
1.800.FOLK.SCH www.folkschool.org Fabricator
September/October 2006
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Expert Opinion
Tips & Tactics Contact: Doug Kenyon Ph: (919) 899-3076 Web: www.hunton.com
Know the basics of copyrights The rights to protecting your designs are important to fabricators and suppliers of the ornamental metal industry. Below an expert in copyright law clarifies the grey areas of current copyright rights. By Doug Kenyon, Hunton & Williams
Copyright—a simple enough term, has the potential to confound. What is copyright? What does it protect? How do I get one? These are questions about which there has been too much unnecessary confusion. On the other hand, answers to some copyright question, including questions relating to the copyright ability of ornamental metal designs, require a good bit of subjective live drawing. This column is part one in a twopart series on the subject of copyright. Part one offers a short primer on copyright “basics.” Part two (coming in the November-December 2006 issue of Fabricator) will discuss copyright protection on three-dimensional works that have at least some utility beyond their aesthetic, or purely artistic, purposes. Copyright basics
“Copyright” is the protection afforded by the laws of the United States to authors of “original works of authorship” that have been “fixed in any tangible medium of expression.” Copyright “rights” are the bundle of exclusive rights granted, for a limited time, to authors of original works. The grant of these rights occurs automatically and immediately upon the creation of an original work, and includes the right to do or to authorize others to do any or all of the following: (1) reproduce the work in copies or phonorecords; (2) prepare derivative works based on the work; (3) distribute copies or phonorecords of the work to the public by sale or 12
About the author For the past 27 years, Doug Kenyon has practiced law with the international law firm of Hunton & WIlliams. He spends a substantial part of his time advising clients, including Fortune 100 companies, museums, and individuals, on copyright and trademark issues, both in the U.S. and abroad. He also litigates extensively in those fields. Kenyon can be reached at (919) 899-3076 and at dkenyon@hunton.com.
other transfer of ownership, or by rental, lease, of lending; (4) in the case of literary, musical, dramatic, and choreographic works, pantomimes, and motion pictures, and other audiovisual works, to perform the work publicly; and (5) in the case of literary, musical, dramatic, and choreographic works, pantomimes, and pictorial, graphic, or sculptural works, including the individual images of a motion picture or other audiovisual work, to display the work publicly. While U.S. law recognizes several exceptions to these rights, the general rule is that it is unlawful to exercise any of them without the consent of the copyright owner. Copyright ownership
In the first instance, the “author,” namely, the person who created the work, owns copyright. In the case of a
joint work, copyright is owned by each person who contributed to the creation of the work. Unless there is some kind of agreement that says otherwise, each joint author is entitled to exploit the work without the consent of any co-author. Certain works, known as “works made for hire,” are owned initially not by their creators but by the persons for whom the works were prepared. A “work made for hire” is either: A work prepared by an employee within the scope of employment or a work specially ordered or commissioned for use as (i) a contribution to a collective work, (ii) as part of a motion picture or other audiovisual work, (iii) as a translation, (iv) as a supplementary work, (v) as a compilation, (vi) as an instructional text, (vii) as a test, (viii) as answer material for a test, or (ix) as an atlas, provided that the parties agree in a written instrument signed by them that the work shall be considered a work made for hire. Thus, any work (otherwise qualifying for copyright protection) created by an employee within the scope of employment is a work made for hire. Conversely, no work created outside the scope of an employer-employee relationship can be a work made for hire unless it comes within one of the nine categories of works listed above and is the subject of a written agreement specifying that it is a work made for hire. Copyright ownership may be transferred in whole or in part by any Fabricator
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From a full line of ironworker and related tooling, to the machines that use them, we have what you need for fast, efficient metal fabricating. For nearly 100 years, The Cleveland Steel Tool Company has served the metal fabricating industry by providing high quality products for fast, efficient metalworking. We have more tooling ready for immediate shipment than any other tooling manufacturer. Our line of versatile, affordable, hard-working ironworkers will give your shop the competitive edge you need.
For hole making on the go, you can’t go wrong with The Porta-Punch, a 35-ton portable punching machine. Several magnetic drilling machines and a full line of cutters are also available. Whatever your fabricating needs may be, count on The Cleveland Steel Tool Company for the best products available, friendly and fast service, and expert technical support.
800.446.4402 • www.clevelandsteeltool.com • sales@clevelandsteeltool.com
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Tips & Tactics means of conveyance or by operation of law (such as by merger). Any of the exclusive rights comprised in a copyright may be transferred and owned separately. An exclusive license is considered a transfer of ownership. No transfer, other than by operation of law, is valid unless an instrument of conveyance, or a notice or memorandum of the transfer, is in writing and signed by the transferring party. Copyright registration
Copyright formalities, including notice and registration, are not required as a condition of copyright. That’s right, copyright protection exists from the moment of creation. However, both notice and registration bestow substantial benefits on the copyright owner. Notice, for example, prevents a defense of innocent infringement. Registration within three months of first publication or prior to infringement enables the copyright owner to argue for an award of statutory damages (helpful when actual damages may be difficult to prove) and attorney’s fees. Because registration is required before an infringement suit can be commenced, copyright owners should consider seriously, and well in advance, whether their works are sufficiently valuable to protect in litigation against infringers. If the answer to that question is anything other than an unqualified “no,” copyright owners are well served by implementing a registration and monitoring program as early as possible in the life cycle of their works. Copyright entitlement
There is no question that, as a general proposition, sculptural works are protected by copyright. Sculptural works include, but are not limited to, carvings, ceramics, figurines, maquettes, molds, and relief sculptures. The nature of materials used to create the works are not important for purposes of copyright protection. All other things being equal, for example, a paper sculpture is entitled to the same copyright protection as a metal sculpture. 14
“Because registration is required before an infringement suit can be commenced, copyright owners should consider seriously, and well in advance, whether their works are sufficiently valuable to protect in litigation against infringers.”
On the other hand, not all sculptural works are entitled to copyright protection. Section 101 of the Copyright Act provides as follows: “Pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works” include ... two-dimensional and three-dimensional works of fine ... and applied art ... Such works shall include works of artistic craftsmanship insofar as their form but not their mechanical or utilitarian aspects are concerned; the design of a useful article ... shall be considered a pictorial, graphic, or sculptural work only if, and only to the extent that, such design incorporates pictorial, graphic, or sculptural features that can be identified separately from, and are capable of existing independently of, the utilitarian aspects of the article.” Thus, a useful article may have both copyrightable and non-copyrightable features. For example, a carving on the back of a chair, a floral relief design on silver flatware, or dragon designs on a metal gate could be protected, but the designs of chair, flatware, and gates themselves could not. Unfortunately for craftsman of useful articles having ornamental features, the line between utility and art is not always easy to draw. Few analytical problems arise where the artistic feature can be physically removed from the work as a whole without altering the functionality of the whole.
For example, a removable decorative finial on the top of a lamp would, assuming at least a small amount of artistic originality, mostly likely qualify for copyright protection. The more difficult analytical problems in connection with works the artistic components of which cannot be physically separated from the work as a whole, such as the spiral shape of metal bars that form a part of a railing or the decorative design formed by the distribution and alignment of spokes on a wheel. Here, the question is whether the artistic expression is conceptually separable from the work as a whole— a question that a leading commentator has characterized as “ethereal.” Despite years of experience wrestling with this question, the law is still not certain. What can be said, however, is this: The likelihood that copyright exists in a utilitarian work increases in direct proportion to the ability clearly to articulate the artistic features for which copyright is claimed and to explain how those features can be perceived separately from the utilitarian aspects of the work. In two different cases, for example, courts have held that mannequins were and were not protected by copyright. The differences in results turned on the nature of the creative process. In one (copyright claim rejected), the mannequins were designed to standard shapes, without facial expressions. In the other (copyright recognized) the mannequins tended to have customized features—particularly unique facial expressions that could be perceived as original and unnecessary to their use as mannequins. There will, of course, continue to be uncertainty in this area of the law, and not all works will qualify for copyright protection. Creators of ornamental metal works and other sculptures can improve their chances of obtaining copyright protection, however, by taking care in the design process to remember “separability” and to create their art, to the extent possible, in ways that can be discerned apart from the functionality of the work as a whole. Fabricator
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Ornamental Metal Parts QUALITY FORGED AND WROUGHT IRON COMPONENTS
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Download our complete catalog at: http://www.newmetals.com/omp/
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Technique
Tips & Tactics Contact: Scott Wadas Oakley Steel Products Co. Ph: (888) 625-5392 Web: www.oakleysteel.com
Prevent distortion when roll bending round material Whether you roll your own or outsource roll bending, these six tips can help you end up with the product your customer wants. By Scott Wadas, Oakley Steel Products Co. One of the main problems encountered with any type of bending is distortion. Distortion is where the original section is squeezed, pulled, or pushed during the rolling process whereby the original shape is lost. When rolling/bending round tube or pipe, one may experience the section losing its “roundness” and taking on an oval or egg shape. There are a number of ways to prevent this type of distortion from occurring.
1Select pipe over round tube
The first consideration should be selecting pipe sized material over regular round tube material. Standard pipe, because of its strength, resists distortion better than round tube. Standard pipe comes in structural grades as well, which stand up better under bending pressure. For these reasons and more, bending standard pipe is much more common than bending round tube, and many rolling fabricators opt for maintaining a full set of pipe sized dies for their pyramid style rolling machines. Pipe sizes are slightly larger than their round tube counterparts. If a 2inch round tube, for example, is required to be bent, it will usually be bent with tooling to accommodate 2inch standard pipe (2.375-inch diameter). As a round tube is rolled in dies that are slightly larger, the pressure of bending will compel the round tube to conform to the larger die size, thus squeezing the tube. The end result is 16
an oval shaped pipe. So if you require a round tube to be bent, it is best to try selecting a comparable pipe size as a substitute if at all possible. But if you need to use a round tube, there are other alternatives.
2Increase wall thickness
One alternative is to increase the round tube material’s wall thickness. Thin walled tubing just doesn’t hold up as well during the rolling process as compared to thicker walled tubing because thicker walled tubing is stronger and resists pressure much better. Thicker walled tubing that bends better has a wall thickness of 1/4 inch or better. Sometimes you have applications where an architect or engineer wants a specific round tube that will not have a very good fit in the pipe dies. By increasing the wall thickness, the tube will hold up better during the rolling process. In most cases, an architect/designer will not mind opting for a stronger tube as long as the size considerations are met. Be sure to suggest it.
3Switch to solid bar
There are some other choices you can utilize if switching to pipe or increasing the wall thickness are not viable options. One solution would be to switch to a solid round bar. The advantage of going to a solid bar is that you can usually take them down to much tighter radii than you can
Selecting pipe over round tube in a quick and easy way to avoid distortion.
with round tube or pipe. Another consideration would be to adjust the diameter.
4Avoid twisting
Another form of distortion that can occur during the rolling process is twisting. Twisting, however, is something that is caused during the rolling process, not because of poor or uninformed design. Unlike square or rectangular tubing, round tubing and standard pipe do not have nice flat edges to facilitate the rolling process. It is imperative that the operator roll the pipe carefully as to not twist it during the rolling process. Whenever you cold work steel, it hardens. So attempting to eliminate a twist can be difficult for the roll operator once it has occurred. The roll operator has to constantly check the round section during the rolling process not only for the proper radius or diameter, but to make sure it is also level. Fabricator
September/October 2006
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Tips & Tactics
5Communicate with your customer
A very important thing is that you communicate with your customer. You need to let your customer know what kind, if any, distortion is possible. You also need to find out what kind, if any, distortion is permissible. An application where a bent pipe section is going to be viewed from afar may be able to accommodate a little distortion. Some applications where people will be able to touch and see the material up close, on the other
hand, will be able to afford less distortion.
6Communicate with your vendor
Don’t forget to also communicate with your vendor if you outsource your roll bending. As a designer or fabricator, you need to consider many factors in order to achieve your desired end product. One thing is for sure, it helps to deal with a company that has been in business for some time and has a suc-
cessful track record. Rely on your vendor’s experience to explain the possibility for distortion before you even decide to purchase the rolled or bent section. You have nothing to lose by asking your vendor about what can be expected during the rolling process. Distortion should not be a surprise. If you place an order for a certain section to be bent, and distortion is not mentioned, it is then acceptable to expect a distortion free product. Just remember communication is always the key.
Fabricate Your Own Architectural Components Hebo invented the modern wrought iron machine and is the worldwide leader in this field. For decorative iron operations including scroll bending, forging, embossing, hammered tube, belly pickets, twisting, texturing. For all applications including steel, aluminum, bronze, copper and brass.
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US Representative, Robert Rayson, Stratford Gate Systems Office 503.658.2881 Fax 503.658.2517 Cell 503.572.6500 Email: sgs@worldstar.com www.drivewaygates.com hebo Maschinenfabrik, Am Berg 2, 35285 Gemunden-Grusen, Germany. Phone ++49 6453 91330 Fax 49 6453 913355 Email: marketing@heboe.com www.heboe.com
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Fabricator
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Testimonial Q&A
Tips & Tactics Contact: Chad Diets, CD Stairs Ph: (928 )565-5018; Web: www.cdstairs.com PlasmaCAM, Ph: (719) 676-2700 Web: www.plasmacam.com
Make great designs and save labor time with a multi-use cutting tool Fabricator Chad Dietz explains why PlasmaCAM is such an essential shop tool for his one-man shop and how the tool paid for itself on its first job. Fabricator: How many people work in your shop? Dietz: I have been creating metal art work for 23 years, and I am a one man show.
Fabricator: What kinds of projects do you typically work on? Dietz: Iron staircases and railings for nicer homes.
Fabricator: What made you decide to buy PlasmaCAM? Dietz: I had a contract to provide over 1,000 feet of decorative railing along the riverfront in Fairbanks, AK. The fence had over 200 very detailed silhoettes of animals that were to be perfectly mirrod on both sides of the railing. The PlasmaCAM paid for itself and then some in that first project. I am good with a torch, but why walk when I can fly.
Fabricator: What was involved in setting it up in your shop—did you have to buy other equipment/tools/software to go along with it, and does it take up much space? Dietz: The PlasmaCAM table was very easy to set up in one afternoon. Wiring the plasma cutter was a challenge, but PlasmaCAM provided an instructional video that made it simple. I had to replace my plasma cutter from a cutmaster 75 to a cutmaster 80 because the frequency of the plasma cutter can interfere with the computer running the CNC machine. I also bought an 20
older “shop computer” that is soley dedicated to running the machine. I have a 1,600 square foot shop in Arizona (winter) and the same size in Alaska (summer). I actually bring the PlasmaCAM with me back and forth but hope to get another one soon. The PlasmaCAM takes up hardly any space. You need a 10-foot by 10foot area to have enough room to walk around the machine and sit in front of the computer. I finally built a special room for the machine to control the dust, since I use it almost every day.
ABOVE AND BELOW: Dietz recently completed this stair case and rail for a high-end home in Alaska. He designed the entire project, cut the supports for each tread, and cut the rail design with PlasmaCAM.
Fabricator: How do you use it on various projects? Dietz: The software is easy once you figure it out. The manual that came with the PlasmaCAM was very helpful. I use the software to import and draw cut patterns for the machine. I also use it almost every day to design layout for every project I work on. Fabricator
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Tips & Tactics Almost all of my work is artistic drawings that I freehand, scan into the computer, and cut out of plate steel. These are usually the centerpiece of my railings and gates. After having it for over a year now I don’t know how I could live without it. It is awesome for making special brackets, tabs, mounting plates, etc. It can cut a perfect circle or square with just the right size holes in it. I hardly ever use my drill press anymore since the PlasmaCAM cuts all my holes for me.
Fabricator: Can you tell me about a recent project you used the system on, and how it helped you to work more efficiently? Dietz: I just finished a staircase in a beautiful log home in Alaska. The customer wanted a monolithic stringer down the middle. The entire project was designed on the PlasmaCAM software within a few hours. It was easy to factor the math on the program, such as angles, hypotinos, and even code concerns. I drew
the tread support brackets to weld to the stringer in just a few minutes, and within a few hours I had all the supports for each tread cut out with notches to mark for each bend in the brake. From there I sketched a dead tree design for the railing and scanned it in. With the PlasmaCAM software, I resized the drawing to fit the exact space and angle needed to fill in between the upper and lower rails. The final result was a stair that thrilled the customer and made their home unique.
In Stock Ready To Ship. Steel & Aluminum Drive Gates Residential & Commercial Steel Fence Panels Aluminum Fence Panels
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5768 Distribution Dr. Memphis, TN 38141 (901)547-1198 Ext. 124 Fax: (901)547-1148 22
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MAC METALS IS THE ONLY DOMESTIC BRASS MILL SERVING ORNAMENTAL FABRICATORS, HARDWARE/LIGHTING MANUFACTURERS AND THE FENESTRATION INDUSTRY FOR OVER 40 YEARS. • MAC SPECIALIZES IN CUSTOM EXTRUSIONS IN BRASS/BRONZE AND NICKEL SILVER. • BRASS/BRONZE "IN-STOCK PROGRAM" INCLUDES: – RECTANGLES/SQUARES – ANGLES/TEES/CHANNELS – ROUNDS/HALF ROUNDS – HANDRAILS – COMMON PROFILES
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Fax or e-mail your prints or mail samples for immediate quotation!
Mac Metals, Inc. 936 Harrison Avenue Kearny, NJ 07032 Tel: 800.631.9510 Fax: 201.997.7457 Website: www.macmetals.com E-Mail: Sales@macmetals.com
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Modes of metal transfer The GMAW process is flexible
in its ability to provide sound welds for a very wide base material type and thickness range. However, the four modes of metal transfer explained below have definite effects on the finished weld profile. Low spatter and increased electrode efficiency make MIG welding attractive for ornamental applications, although care must be used in outdoor use to avoid loss of shielding gas.
Current (A)
Short-Circuit Metal Transfer GMAW-S
1
Short-circuiting metal transfer, known by the acronym GMAW-S, is a mode of metal transfer, whereby a continuously fed solid or metal-cored wire electrode is deposited during repeated electrical short-circuits. The short-circuiting metal transfer mode is the low heat input mode of metal transfer for GMAW. All of the metal transfer occurs when the electrode is electrically shorted (in physical contact) with the base material or molten puddle. Central to the successful operation of short-circuiting transfer is the diameter of electrode, the shielding gas type and the welding procedure employed. This mode of metal transfer typically supports the use of 0.025 inch to 0.045 inch (0.6 - 1.1 mm) diameter elec24
Electrode P A2
Pinch effect force, P
For your information
Figure 1: Pinch effect during Short-Circuiting Transfer
trodes shielded with either 100 percent carbon dioxide or a mixture of 75–80 percent argon, plus 25–20 percent carbon dioxide. The low heat input attribute makes it ideal for sheet metal thickness materials. The
Material reprinted with permission from the GMAW Guidebook (C4.200) published by The Lincoln Electric Company, Cleveland, OH.
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Shop Talk
flat, horizontal, vertical-up, vertical-down and overhead. Handles poor fit-up extremely well, and is capable of root pass work on pipe applications. Lower heat input reduces weldment
distortion. Higher operator appeal and ease of use. Higher electrode efficiencies, 93 percent or more.
Limitations of ShortCircuiting Transfer Restricted to sheet metal thickness range and open roots of groove joints on heavier sections of base material. Poor welding procedure control can result in incomplete fusion. Cold lap and cold shut are additional terms that serve to describe incomplete fusion defects. Poor procedure control can result in excessive spatter, and will increase weldment cleanup cost. To prevent the loss of shielding gas to the wind, welding outdoors may require the use of a windscreen(s).
Description of ShortCircuiting Transfer
The transfer of a single molten droplet of electrode occurs during the shorting phase of the transfer cycle (See Figure 2). Physical contact of the electrode occurs with the molten weld pool, and the number of shortcircuiting events can occur up to 200 September/October 2006
Fabricator
Current Zero
Arcing Period Extinction
All-position capability, including
Time
Reignition
Advantages of ShortCircuiting Transfer
Figure 2: Oscillograms and Sketches of Short Circuiting Transfer
Voltage
useable base material thickness range for short-circuiting transfer is typically considered to be 0.024 inch and 0.20 inch (0.6 – 5.0 mm) material. Other names commonly applied to short-circuiting transfer include short arc microwire welding, fine wire welding, and dip transfer.
Short
Zero
A
B
C
D
E
A The solid or metal-cored electrode makes physical contact with the molten puddle. The arc voltage approaches zero, and the current level increases. The rate of rise to the peak current is affected by the amount of applied inductance. B This point demonstrates the effect of electromagnetic forces that are applied uniformly around the electrode. The application of this force necks or pinches the electrode. The voltage very slowly begins to climb through the period before detachment, and the current continues to climb to a peak value. C This is the point where the molten droplet is forced from the tip of the electrode. The current reaches its maximum peak at this point. Jet forces are applied to the molten puddle, and their action prevents the molten puddle from rebounding and reattaching itself to the electrode. D This is the tail-out region of the short-circuit waveform, and it is during this downward excursion toward the background current when the molten droplet reforms. E The electrode at this point is, once again, making contact with the molten puddle, preparing for the transfer of another droplet. The frequency of this varies between 20 and 200 times per second. The frequency of the short-circuit events is influenced by the amount of inductance and the type of shielding gas. Additions of argon increase the frequency of short-circuits, and it reduces the size of the molten droplet.
times per second. The current delivered by the welding power supply rises, and the rise in current accompanies an increase in the magnetic force applied to the end of the electrode. The electromagnetic field, which surrounds the electrode, provides the force, which squeezes (more commonly known as pinch) the molten droplet from the end of the electrode. Because of the low-heat input associated with short-circuiting transfer, it is more commonly applied to sheet metal thickness material. However, it has frequently found use for welding the root pass in thicker sections of material in open groove joints. The short-circuiting mode lends itself to
root pass applications on heavier plate groove welds or pipe. Solid wire electrodes for short-circuiting transfer range from 0.025 inch to 0.045 inch (0.6 –1.1 mm). The shielding gas selection includes 100 percent carbon dioxide, and binary blends of argon + carbon dioxide or argon + oxygen. Occasionally ternary blends, (three part mixes), of argon + carbon dioxide + oxygen are sometimes employed to meet the needs of a particular application. Inductance control
The application of an inductance control feature is typical for most GMAW power sources. Inductance has effects only in the short-circuit transfer 25
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mode. Usually, inductance is either fixed or variable; and this depends upon the design of the power source. A fixed inductance power source indicates that an optimum level of inductance is built into the power source, and variable inductance indicates that the amount of inductance applied to the arc is adjustable. Inductance controls the rate of current rise following the short-circuit condition. Consequently, its use is beneficial because its adjustment facilitates adding or decreasing energy to the short-circuit condition. Inductance plays a role in the frequency of droplet transfer per unit of time: as the inductance increases, the frequency of short-circuit metal transfer decreases. Each droplet contains more energy and toe wetting improves. As the inductance decreases, the short-circuit events increase, and the size of the molten droplet decreases. The objective for the variable inductance control feature, on any given power source, is to transfer the smallest molten droplet possible with the least amount of spatter, and with sufficient energy to ensure good fusion. Additions of inductance will provide the essential energy to improve toe wetting. Inductance is measured in Henries, and in a variable inductance power source it is the resulting arc performance characteristic that results from the interplay of a combination of electrical components. These components typically include the choke filter, capacitors, and power resistors.
2Globular Transfer
Globular metal transfer is a GMAW mode of metal transfer, whereby a continuously fed solid or metal-cored wire electrode is deposited in a combination of short-circuits and gravityassisted large drops. The larger droplets are irregularly shaped. During the use of all metal-cored or solid wire electrodes for GMAW, there is a transition where short-circuiting transfer ends and globular transfer begins. Globular transfer characteristically gives the appearance of large 26
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irregularly shaped molten droplets that are larger than the diameter of the electrode. The irregularly shaped molten droplets do not follow an axial Globular Transfer detachment Figure 3: Globular Weld from the elecMetal Transfer trode, instead they can fall out of the path of the weld or move towards the contact tip. Cathode jet forces, that move upwards from the work-piece, are responsible for the irregular shape and the upward spinning motion of the molten droplets. The process at this current level is difficult to control, and spatter is severe. Gravity is instrumental in the transfer of the large molten droplets, with occasional short-circuits. During the 1960s and 1970s, globular transfer was a popular mode of metal transfer for high production sheet metal fabrication. The transfer mode is associated with the use of 100 percent carbon dioxide shielding, but it has also seen heavy use with argon/carbon dioxide blends. For general fabrication on carbon steel, it provides a mode of transfer, just below the transition to axial spray transfer, which has lent itself to higher speed welding. The use of globular transfer in high production settings is being replaced with advanced forms of GMAW. The change is being made to GMAW-P, which results in lower fume levels, lower or absent spatter levels, and elimination of incomplete fusion defects. Advantages of Globular Transfer Uses inexpensive carbon dioxide shielding gas, but is frequently used with argon/carbon dioxide blends. Is capable of making welds at very high travel speeds. Inexpensive solid or metal-cored electrodes. Welding equipment is inexpensive.
Page 26
Limitations of Globular Transfer Higher spatter levels result in costly cleanup. Reduced operator appeal. Prone to cold lap or cold shut incomplete fusion defects, which results in costly repairs. Weld bead shape is convex, and
welds exhibit poor wetting at the toes. High spatter level reduces electrode efficiency to a range of 87–93 percent.
3Axial Spray Transfer
Axial spray metal transfer is the higher energy mode of metal transfer, whereby a continuously fed solid or metal-cored wire electrode is deposited at a higher energy level, resulting in a stream of small molten droplets. The droplets are propelled axially across the arc. Axial spray transfer is the higher energy form of GMAW metal transfer. To achieve axial spray transfer, binary blends containing argon + 1–5 percent oxygen or argon + carbon dioxide, where the carbon dioxide levels are 18 percent or less. Axial Figure 4: Axial Spray spray transfer Weld Metal Transfer is supported by either the use of solid wire or metal-cored electrodes. Axial spray transfer may be used with all of the common alloys including: aluminum, magnesium, carbon steel, stainless steel, nickel alloys, and copper alloys. For most of the diameters of filler metal alloys, the change to axial spray transfer takes place at the globular to spray transition current. A stream of fine metal droplets that travel axially from the end of the electrode characterizes the axial spray mode of metal Fabricator
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robotic, and hard automation applications.
Table 1 — Transition Currents for Axial Spray Transfer GMAW Axial Spray Transition Currents for Carbon and Stainless Steel Solid Wire Electrodes
Filler Metal Type
Carbon and Low Alloy Steel
Electrode Diameter Inches (mm)
Shielding Gas
Page 28
Limitations of Axial Spray Transfer Approximate Current (Amps)
Restricted to the flat and horizontal welding positions. Welding fume generation is higher.
0.030 0.035 0.045 0.052 0.062
(0.8) (0.9) (1.2) (1.3) (1.6)
90% Argon, 10% CO2 90% Argon, 10% CO2 90% Argon, 10% CO2 90% Argon, 10% CO2 90% Argon, 10% CO2
155 - 165 175 - 185 215 - 225 265 - 275 280 - 290
The higher-radiated heat and the generation of a very bright arc require extra welder and bystander protection.
0.035 0.045 0.052 0.062
(0.9) (1.2) (1.3) (1.6)
98% Argon, 2% O2 98% Argon, 2% O2 98% Argon, 2% O2 98% Argon, 2% O2
130 - 140 205 - 215 240 - 250 265 - 275
The use of axial spray transfer outdoors requires the use of a windscreen(s).
0.030 0.035 0.045 0.062
(0.8) (0.9) (1.2) (1.6)
98% Argon, 2% O2 98% Argon, 2% O2 98% Argon, 2% O2 98% Argon, 2% O2
120 - 130 140 - 150 185 - 195 250 - 260
0.030 0.035 0.045 0.062
(0.8) (0.9) (1.2) (1.6)
98% Argon, 2% CO2 98% Argon, 2% CO2 98% Argon, 2% CO2 98% Argon, 2% CO2
130 - 140 200 - 210 145 - 155 255 - 265
Stainless Steel
transfer. The high puddle fluidity restricts its use to the horizontal and flat welding positions. For carbon steel, axial spray transfer is applied to heavier section thickness material for fillets and for use in groove type weld joints. The use of argon shielding gas compositions of 95 percent, with a balance of oxygen, creates a deep finger-like penetration profile, while shielding gas mixes that contain more than 10 percent carbon dioxide reduce the finger-like penetration profile and provide a more rounded type of penetration. The selection of axial spray metal transfer is dependent upon the thickness of base material and the ability to position the weld joint into the horizontal or flat welding positions. Finished weld bead appearance is excellent, and operator appeal is very high. Axial spray transfer provides its best results when the weld joint is free of oil, dirt, rust, and millscale.
Employs a wide range of filler metal types in an equally wide range of electrode diameters. Excellent weld bead appearance. High operator appeal and ease of use. Requires little post weld cleanup. Absence of weld spatter. Excellent weld fusion. Lends itself to semiautomatic,
The shielding used to support axial spray transfer costs more than 100 percent carbon dioxide.
4Pulsed Spray Transfer
Pulsed spray metal transfer, known by the acronym GMAW-P, is a highly controlled variant of axial spray transfer, in which the welding current is cycled between a high peak current level to a low background current level. Metal transfer occurs during the high energy peak level in the form of a single molten droplet. GMAW-P was developed for two demanding reasons: control of weld spatter and the elimination of incomplete fusion defects common to globular and short-circuiting transfer. Its earliest application included the welding of high strength low alloy base material for out-of-position ship hull fabrication. The advantages that it brought to the shipbuilding industry
GMAW Mode of Metal Transfer Selector
Pulsed Spray Transfer Surface Tension Transfer™ Axial Spray Transfer Short-Circuit Transfer
Advantages of Axial Spray Transfer High deposition rates. High electrode efficiency of 98 per-
cent or more. 28
Material Thickness Range 19.0mm 12.5mm 6.4mm 3.2mm 3/4” 1/2” 1/4” 1/8” UT = Unlimited Base Material Thickness.
UT(1) (1)
Fabricator
1.6mm 1/16”
0.9mm 0.035”
September/October 2006
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Flexible. All railings are not created equal. That’s why we designed our CableRail™ assemblies with quality and flexibility in mind.
The sleek and durable stainless steel cable assemblies are beautifully unobtrusive and come in a variety of diameters and lengths to fit any railing design you devise, indoors or out. And our unique, smallprofile QuickConnect hardware makes installation a breeze.
CableRail™ – the flexible solution.
Architectural Cable Assemblies For free catalogs 1·800·888·2418
www.cablerail.com/fab0906
Design: House+House Architects, SF
Photo: davidduncanlivingston.com
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Handles poor fit-up. When compared to FCAW, SMAW,
and GMAW-S, pulsed spray transfer provides a low cost high-electrode efficiency of 98 percent. Lends itself to robotic and hard automation applications. Is combined for use with Tandem GMAW Twinarc™ or other multiple arc scenarios.
Pulsed Spray Metal Transfer helps control heat induced distortion on aluminum.
included: higher efficiency electrodes than FCAW, and the ability to deliver lower hydrogen weld deposits. The mode employs electrode diameters from 0.030 inch to 1/16 inch (0.8–1.6 mm) solid wire electrodes and metalcored electrodes from 0.045 inch to 5/64 inch (1.1 – 2.0 mm) diameter. It is used for welding a wide range of material types. Argon based shielding gas selection with a maximum of 18 percent carbon dioxide supports the use of pulsed spray metal transfer with carbon steels. The welding current alternates between a peak current and a lower background current, and this controlled dynamic of the current results in a lower average current than is found with axial spray transfer. The time, which includes the peak current and the background current, is a period, and the period is known as a cycle (Hz). The high current excursion exceeds the globular to spray transition current, and the low current is reduced to a value lower than is seen with short-circuiting transfer. Ideally, during the peak current, the high point of the period, a single droplet of molten metal is detached and transferred across the arc. The descent to the lower current, known as the background current, provides arc stability and is largely responsible for the overall heat input into the weld. The frequency is the number of times the period occurs per second, or cycles per second. The frequency of the period increases in proportion to the wire feed speed. Taken together they produce an average current, which leverages its use in a wide material thickness range. 30
Advantages of Pulsed Spray Transfer Absent or very low levels of spatter. More resistant to lack of fusion
defects than other modes of GMAW metal transfer. Excellent weld bead appearance. High operator appeal. Offers an engineered solution for the control of weld fume generation. Reduced levels of heat distortion.
Capable of arc travel speeds greater than 50 inches per minute.
Limitations of Pulsed Spray Transfer Equipment to support the process is more expensive than traditional systems. Blends of argon based shielding gas are more expensive than carbon dioxide. Higher arc energy requires the use of additional safety protection for welders and bystanders.
Ability to weld out-of-position. Adds complexity to welding. Lower hydrogen deposit. Reduces the tendency for arc blow.
Requires the use of windscreens outdoors.
Figure 5: A single pulsed event.
4
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9)
2
C U R R E N T
3
Front Flank Ramp-up Rate Overshoot Peak Current Peak Time Tail-out Tail-out Speed Step-off Current Background Current Period and Frequency
6 1
5
7
8 9
TIME (mS) Fabricator
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NEW wall mount
flush mount
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”
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Designing and Manufacturing a full line of product since 1948 TM
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DOOR K I NG Parking Control
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A fabricator invests a week at the Folk School
These beams are being removed from a zinc bath, a process of hot-dip galvanizing.
For your information Class description: In the week-long workshop Rodrigue attended at the Folk School he and his classmates designed and executed a small architectural project. Emphasis was on traditional joinery and the interaction between design and joint choices. The class also covered layout and measurement, estimating and calculating stock, and the standard techniques for joining with variations.
A fabricator gains new perspective
on the value of doing things the old way. By Lee Rodrigue
In early June I had an opportunity to attend a week-long workshop at the John C. Campbell School. At first, I wasn’t sure what to expect of a school that actually teaches basket-weaving. However, attending the class titled “Design and Technique in Architectural Metalwork,” led by Walter 32
Hull, changed my perspective. The John C. Campbell School, or the Folk School, offers a focused and economical way to develop blacksmithing skills or improve existing ones with the masters of the trade. Their blacksmithing education is world renowned, and their instructors (who are
Prerequisite: An introductory course in blacksmithing or one year of experience was required. Contact: The Folk School Ph: (800) 365-5724 Web: www.folkschool.org
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Shop Talk invited to teach and fly in from all over the country) are the leaders of demonstrations and conferences across the U.S. The John C. Campbell Folk School focuses on traditional blacksmithing skills, but like most modern blacksmiths they still have welders, torches, and other modern metalworking tools. And like most modern blacksmith “purists,” they hide them in a separate area that is kept under lock and key. It is only when the scope of a task demands use of a power tool or welder that they go into “the shed” and partake in the decadence of technology.
Ultra-tec
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Of course, as a business owner, there is no better value than the Folk School. I calculated the amount of class time spent during the week, including after-dinner sessions, and determined that my class cost less than $10 an hour. In addition, I got a modern hotel-style room and all-you-caneat meals for under $80 a day. I initially thought that by the end of the week, I’d be tired and sore from smithing all day, but after learning proper technique and economy of motion, I was able to work the entire week and leave more energized than when I arrived. As a business owner, the value of the Folk School’s offerings lies not only in my own education, but also as an incentive for employees. Offering a week-long course as a reward for productivity or a job well done has the double benefit of improving employee loyalty and morale. It can also increase your employees’ skill level and make them a more valuable asset to your company. My instructor at the Folk School, Walt Hull, myself, and another blacksmithing instructor who was in our class, Dave Tucciarone of Virginia, reflected one evening on the importance of education. In discussing the Folk School program and the future of blacksmithing in modern American fabrication, they agreed that educating customers on the value of traditional blacksmithing techniques encourages greater demand for the high-end market of metal fabrication. The key is helping the right customers find you and your products, and then maintain the flexibility to accommodate a large enough group of customers to keep yourself in business. My week at the Folk School
My week-long workshop ran from June 4 through June 10 (Sunday to Saturday). Sunday, as I drove up to the Keith House, which houses the main meeting hall, administrative offices, and dormitories, I felt as though I’d been transported back in time to summer camp check-in. There were middle-aged “campers” everywhere, looking for name tags and deciphering campus maps. The excitement level was through the roof, and everyone I chatted with seemed to be a first-timer. This was confirmed when I attended the orientation meeting, where a show of hands indicated that more than half of this week’s students were first-timers. This was probably because the week’s courses were mostly beginner courses. But the blacksmithing course I was signed up for September/October 2006
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The many work stations in the Folk School’s Francis Whitaker Forge allow students plenty of time to hone skills learned during the week.
required at least a beginning course or one year of experience. The orientation meeting provided us with the ground rules for attending classes,
meals, and extracurricular activities. We also met our instructors and arranged to meet with them again after dinner in the dining hall.
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During orientation I learned that my course’s instructor, Walt Hull from Walt Hull Iron Work in Lawrence, KS, had been bamboozled by the airlines and wouldn’t be arriving until sometime on Monday. In the meantime, we had a substitute instructor who lives in the area, a fellow by the name of Clay Spencer. You may recognize him from his notorious treadle hammer and tire hammer designs, as well as his roles as the editor of Bituminous Bits and member of the ABANA Board of Directors for many years. We also had a teaching assistant, a local smithy named Seth Gaddis, who works at Elmer Roush’s shop (another former ABANA Board member), just a mile away. After orientation, our family-style dinner was served. A bell let us know the meal was ready. Later in the week, this proved to have a Pavlovian effect on me, and by Friday, I actually salivated each time someone bumped into a gas cylinder. Although the Folk
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The group of students agreed upon this final design sketch for their fireplace screen.
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School encourages people to sit with strangers, preferably from other classes, it seemed to always be that blacksmithing students would sit together and talk about smithing. After dinner, Clay and Seth began our class by taking us around campus and showing us some of the work that had recently been completed by visiting smiths during this year’s annual Work Week. We examined the different types of joints and discussed why they were used in that particular application, as well as what other options might have been available. After the stroll around the school, we returned to the blacksmithing shop to hear a little bit about the history of the program and some of Clay’s experiences with his mentor (and the namesake of the very shop we were learning in), Francis Whitaker. Then he told us about our group’s project: we were assigned to make a screen for the fireplace in the library of Keith Hall. Because it is one of the oldest buildings on campus and is in the National Registry of Historic Places, it made a perfect project for a class where only traditional joinery would be employed. After a discussion of design techniques, each student was given the rough dimensions of the fireplace opening and invited to sketch a design on a work table. This “optional” activity took us into the evening of our first class, and given the long distances traveled by most of us earlier in the day, it was no surprise that after 15 minutes, most participants had packed up and headed back to their rooms for the night. This is another great feature of the Folk School philosophy: they encourage you to make your own schedule, so you’re free to take the afternoon off to visit other classes or sleep in one morning if you wish. Monday morning brought more excitement, partially because it represented the first time I had been away from my three-month-old son since he was born. As a result, I actually slept a solid 9 hours without changing a single diaper, and felt like I could have hammered all day with my newfound energy. I celebrated my full night’s sleep by attending Fabricator
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WHAT’S NEW at the 2006 Automated Manufacturing Laser Cell New for 2006! We bring the shop floor to the show floor by creating a working manufacturing cell – featuring live demonstrations of laser cutting, welding, marking, and other related processes. Stop by the Automated Manufacturing Laser Cell for an in-depth look at numerous laser and robotic processes in action. See how a trailer hitch cover is manufactured from start to finish utilizing the various machine tools in the cell. Attendees get their own personalized hitch (while quantities last) and a better understanding of how each piece of equipment contributes to the production process. American Laser Enterprises BLM Group Bystronic Custom Machines
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Managing Today’s Workforce Company owners and top managers won’t want to miss the Executive Forum Breakfast where Dr. Bob Rausch, a favorite contributor to the Fabricator and thefabricator.com, will present a stimulating program on Strategies for Motivating Members of your Workforce. Visit www.fmafabtech.com for full details on these events and much more you can experience at the show Oct. 31 through Nov. 2 in Atlanta, GA. 750 exhibitors are getting ready to WOW you with the latest technology. Register your team online for free admission to the exposition, or call 800-432-2832.
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Morningsong, which takes place every morning at 7:45. It was preceded by a morning walk, but in exchange for the first day of REAL sleep, I had to let it slide. Sometimes Morningsong is a monologue of storytelling. Other times, it’s a sing-a-long, and if you attend, participation is required, whether you can sing or not. We enjoyed a brief history lesson on the school and a musical performance given by the Director of the Folk School, Jan Davidson. His recollection
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The design process: A fireplace screen
After a full breakfast and plenty of coffee, we strolled through the woods over the chipped-bark paths by freshly-cut hay fields to the blacksmith shop where we returned our focus to
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A student watches the progress of flattening a full lap joint.
the fireplace screen. By 10 a.m. we each had our individual designs completed. The most nerve-racking portion of the day followed, where the entire class went through every design and analyzed it, choosing the elements they liked and disliked. After a few more hours of discussion, we broke for lunch. It was then that our instructor, Walt Hull, arrived via shuttle from the Atlanta Airport. Spending the first few sessions with Clay Spencer was a treat in itself, but he had taken great care not to get too much into the design of the piece, fearing that he might set us off in one direction when Walt had intended something different. Fortunately, Walt hit the ground running, and after a quick introduction to each of the students he managed to get all our ideas together and incorporate them into a fireplace design that represented a conglomeration of all our ideas. I have never seen a design-by-committee come together so smoothly, but when you’re learning in a non-competitive environment, amazing things can happen. A big part of this was due to Walt’s experience. He had that knowledgeable twinkle in his eyes that could make the most egotistical young whippersnapper listen when he spoke, even though there were none in our particular class. More importantly, his patience allowed each student to Fabricator
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speak freely, dropping the barriers new students tend to have. The forging process: Half-lap joints
By the afternoon, however, students were getting antsy. It had almost been 24 hours, and they hadn’t lit anything on fire yet. Walt sensed this and chose to let us start working on prototypes of components for the fireplace grille. Not only did this allow us to “start hammerin’,” but it also allowed Walt
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and Seth to gage each student’s skill levels. By the end of the day, small groups of us were assigned specific tasks. I joined a group of three other students, and we began tackling the task of creating half-lap joints between two different size bars in the frame. We had a few corner joints, but the most challenging was the T-joint. We started on that one first. To accomplish this we used a chisel to mark two lines that were exactly half the desired opening width. We
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then used a fuller to set the edges of the half-lap, then a flatter to flatten the area between the two lines, and adjusted the thickness until our caliper (set at half the thickness of the bar) indicated there were no more “high” spots. It took about three attempts to make a perfect half-lap joint, but the end result looked almost machined. More importantly, we learned how to do it fast. Although the first one took over an hour to make, the final product took only 10 minutes and 2 heats. As Walt pointed out, “Once you know what you’re doing, you can heat and forge that lap before a machinist can even get his mill set up and his piece clamped down.” While we were making the laps on the outer door frames, other students worked on the tree, vines, and repousséd flower elements. Others worked on parts for the sun, practiced square rivets for the corners, or made the curved parts of the door frames. Walt let students choose the task that suited their skills best, or simply the task that they wanted to learn most. By the end of the third full day, we had all the components forged and ready to assemble. By Friday, we were scurrying to get parts assembled and operational. This involved wrapping collars, setting rivets, upsetting tenons, and twisting bars to lock them into place. Although we didn’t succeed in installing the hinges, we did complete our project so that it could be displayed at the exhibition of work in Keith House. At the exhibition, I overheard someone from the cooking class ponder why we “spent all week working as a group, and only made ONE screen?” Arguably, back in the shop at home, I would be embarrassed to spend hundreds of manhours and produce only a single fireplace screen. But the value of this particular screen lies in the fact that, after our week of comraderie, sulfurous smoke inhalation, and slightly scorched fingers, each one of us could return home and duplicate this project on our own in less time. In fact, during my 10-hour drive back to civilization, I envisioned all kinds of applications for my new skills. Fabricator
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How to sell your business and maintain harmony
Whether you’re moving out or staying on,
selling your business can be tough. See what you can learn from this NOMMA member’s mistakes. By Sheila Phinazee The decision to sell your business can be a difficult one, especially considering all the time and effort you’ve invested in it. It may even be a family business, something that’s been handed down to you, further complicating the issue because of the emotional investment that comes along with family businesses. Todd Jordan sold his business, 42
NOMMA member firm Jordan Ornamental Iron Works in Vincentown, NJ, three years ago. Although he loved the work—it’s in his blood—and was making good money, the stress of running his own business while supporting a young family just got to be too great. So Jordon decided to sell. He came up with a selling price for his business, based on the fact that he would be staying with the new owners as a fabricator for another 10 years and earn-
Johnson’s Powder Coating purchased Jordan’s Ornamental Ironworks in March 2003.
For your information NOMMA member: Jordan’s Ornamental Ironworks, Vincentown, NJ. Previous owner, now employee: Todd Jordan.
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Member Talk ing a salary of his choice. “Selling was a wise decision,” says Jordan. “The business end was killing me. There were a number of ups and downs and unforeseen problems—lots I couldn’t imagine, but I have no regrets. Selling allowed me to continue to do what I love to do.” As a fabricator, Jordan currently specializes in high-end, ornamental iron driveway gates, interior and external railings, and fencing, but he got his humble start in 1987 when he began working with his dad. “My father started this business in the early 1970s in basic welding repair, then later got into wrought iron railing,” says Jordan. Initially, the firm didn’t even have a bench and did the layout on the floor. After acquiring a bench, the quality and scope of their work improved, and the business grew from there. In fact, Jordan credits the use of AutoCAD 2000 LT with dramatically increasing the sales of driveway gates and getting jobs done with ease.
“Selling was a wise decision,” says Jordan. “The business end
was killing me. There were a number of ups and downs and unforeseen problems—lots I couldn’t imagine, but I have no regrets. Selling allowed me to continue to do what I love to do.”
“I firmly believe you’re behind the times if you’re fabricating without it,” Jordan says. Over the years Jordan developed a good working relationship and friendship with Johnson Powder Coating. In fact Johnson used to powder coat all Jordan's business. Jordan’s salesman let it be known that the Johnson’s were interested in taking on the fabricating end of business. The mother of that family business decided to buy Jordan’s company for one of her sons. Although the transition has not been a smooth one, Jordan still has a good relationship with the new owners and it continues to improve. Still, there are a few things Jordon would have done differently. Here are some
tips Jordan hopes others can learn from his experience:
a lawyer—no handshake Obtain agreements.
Jordon had two contracts: One was written and the other was by handshake—beware of these. He now has a lawyer to look over contracts.
your roles and decide Define who is doing what.
This should also be in writing. For example, determine who will handle the bills and who will handle customer relations and their problems. “My job as fabricator was to fabricate. You need to define, for example, who’s in charge of inventory,” says Jordan.
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when Useusingcaution your name.
In Jordan’s case, the new owners kept the name. Because of this, it mattered to Jordan how they handled business. He had a good reputation and good working relationships with vendors and wanted to keep it that way. Unfortunately, during the transition there were disgruntled customers and a loss of regular customers too.
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bills into the new Change owner’s name.
an early-out Getexclusion.
everyone you deal Inform with of the sale.
Tips on selling from the SBA
Even if you become an employee and stay on, all of the company’s bills should be in the new owner’s name.
Make sure all of your vendors and suppliers know about the changing of hands even if the address and company name stays the same.
Be sure to do this just in case the agreement doesn’t work out or someone violates the agreement, so you can get out if necessary.
The Small Business Administration (SBA) says that there are many reasons for selling a business such as partnership problems, health issues, retirement, career changes, or money losses. It’s tough to sell because the business is not just your source of income, it’s your lifestyle too. Their advice is to plan carefully and allow three to five years for the business to actually sell. According to the SBA, this allows time to establish a track record of maximum profits and get accounting records in order. See www.sba.gov for additional resources. Once you decide to sell, you need to find a qualified buyer. Some ornamental metal business owners decide to hire a real estate broker while others do their own advertising in local newspapers, trade publications, or talk to vendors they know. Seeking out other experts
Donna Kelsick, business consultant with Clayton State University Small Business Development Center in Morrow, GA, cautions business owners to get a professional valuation before selling a business. “I advise clients to make sure they have valued their businesses properly. There are a number of ways to do a valuation of a business. The best way is to get a certified appraisal by contacting the Institute of Business appraisers,” says Kelsick. Some business owners, however, don’t seek out this expert advice. “Getting this valuation tends to be costly, so many don’t do it. But it is important to get the appropriate value established or you may not get the full value,” says Kelsick. At the very least, she suggests that business owners consult their accountants to know where they stand financially. NOMMA member Don Stumpf 44
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did just that when he recently put his business on the market. Stumpf started in architectural metals right out of high school 34 years ago with the intention of making a couple of car payments. “I stuck with it, made a very good living, and bought a house at the age of 23,” Stumpf says. He’s now making plans to retire but has the challenge of finding qualified workers. After he sells his aluminum railing business in the north Jersey area, he plans to stay on board awhile to help with the transition. Trade association support
Having support of other professionals in your field is also helpful,
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whether running a small business, or buying or selling one. Jordan joined NOMMA in the late 1990s and says, “It’s been a godsend.” He even paid for the membership for two years out of his own pocket until the new owners picked up the membership. Jordan considers the benefits of NOMMA to include getting supplies, learning techniques, and being able to network. “The [METALfab] convention sparked a fire in me,” Jordon says. “I didn’t realize that many people were as passionate as I was.” The first convention Jordan attended in Las Vegas felt like he “died and went to heaven. I learned a lot and made great friends. Also, you know where you
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stand when you see others’ work.” More tips for selling your business Check the NOMMA bulletin board online at www.nomma.org. Other NOMMA members can share insight. Get your financials in order—take those receipts, accounts payable, etc. out of the shoebox and into ledgers or electronic spreadsheets. Get the word out, advertise in the Fabricator and the newspaper, network, and tell everyone you know. Be patient. It may take about a month, like it did for Jordan, or a couple years or more.
The total scope of this project, completed in Spring 2005 included a driveways gate, walkway gate, front yard fence, and knee-wall fence.
Despite a managerial transition, Jordan’s Ornamental Ironworks maintains a reputation for beautiful metalwork! One look at the property and you can see why Jordan calls this job, “a big deal.” Jordan was hired by a prominent, local landscaper to tackle a large set of driveway gates—with fencing and walkway gates to match—for his home/landscaping showcase. The whole job was pre-assembled as component pieces, and then welded together at final assembly. “Spanning four months and consuming three welders and all the benches in the shop for three weeks straight, not to mention the one man, four week pre-pre-production phase, this job pushed some envelopes,” says Jordan. When it comes to driveway gates, hinges are crucial. “Thanks to Jay and the guys at Architectural Iron 46
Designs (AID), we were able to build a mammoth gate without worrying about sagging in the middle.” We’re talking BIG—each gate leaf was almost 15 feet. It took six men to flip one gate leaf. To get them to their final destination, it took four men with a forklift. The anchor posts were a challenge, too, with anchor holes measuring 4 feet by 4 feet by 5 feet. To finish, their own ovens weren’t large enough, so they sent the job out to be powder coated in “silvervein” with two clear coats. “This job, and many others couldn’t have been done without “Super Salesman” Mike Orodenker and “Welder Extraordinaire” Mike McDonald,” says Jordan. Approximate labor: 510 hours. Fabricator
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Member Talk
Thrive with education in your tool belt NOMMA members and industry veterans (l to r) Art Ballard, Phil Heermance, and Jay Mudge listen intently to Uri Hofi leading a class held at the Center for Metal Arts.
Taking an industry course offers more than an
opportunity to spend time with old colleagues. Education as a tool improves your bottom line. By Ed and Rhoda Mack Fine Architectural Metalsmiths and the Center for Metal Arts As metal fabricators, how do we survive the ever-changing market forces that pressure our bottom line? How do we stay competitive with the rising cost of material and erratic stock availabilities, combined with the pressure of cheap standardized imports? The rules for working with metals are rapidly changing, with competition coming from unexpected sources. Suddenly we have to change our assumptions, our rules of thumb, and our standard operating procedures. Education is one of the best tools for staying competitive because it allows us to stay ahead of the changes in the market. Education can provide new ways to work efficiently. It affords us different methods and technologies for working with the traditional materials. And it can even introduce 48
us to new and unusual materials. Education can be a source of fresh and unexpected design solutions that keep our customers coming back, even if our prices get higher. Innovation is one of the most obvious sources of new business growth, but changing old ways of doing business is a hard thing to do. Most of us need to see something new several times before we adapt it for ourselves. On the other hand it is often challenging for those who are new to the industry or who have come in through channels other than blacksmithing or welding to appreciate how the fundamentals of our industry still hold value, and in fact add value to our increasingly competitive and now quite global market.
For your information NOMMA member: Ed Mack, Fina Architectural Metalsmiths, Chester, NY. Topic: How education can help improve your bottom line, specifically. Contact: Ed Mack, Fine Architectural Metalsmiths and The Center for Metal Arts Ph: (845) 651-7550 Web: www.iceforge.com
What subjects can help your businesses grow?
For starters, courses on drawing and design can expand your metal fabrication Fabricator
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See membership application on the next page!
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NOMMA Member Benefits and Application Form Technical Affairs Division — By supporting NOMMA,
bers around the world via e-mail. The ListServ works by “bouncing” each person’s e-mail to all others on the list, and in that way conversations take place.
you promote the work of our technical team. Our volunteers and staff continually represent industry interests with ASTM, ANSI, ICC, NFPA, UL, and ADA. This advocacy work is essential to ensure that our industry has a voice in building codes, standards, and government regulations.
Top Job Awards Competition — All members are eligi-
ble for the annual Ernest Wiemann Top Job Contest. Enter your best work in any of 16 categories that covers sculpture, gates, rails, furniture, structural, and more. All entries are displayed in a gallery during the METALfab convention and the winners are announced at a special awards banquet on the last night of the event. Winners receive a plaque and the “best of the best” winner is awarded the Mitch Heitler Award for Excellence.
NOMMA Education Foundation — The NOMMA Education Foundation works to advance the educational mission of NOMMA. The Foundation provides resources ranging from training videos to continuing education programs. Plus, the Foundation continually evaluates innovative learning programs to keep pace with new industry technologies and trends.
Member Discounts — Members receive discounts on all publications, videos, educational seminars, METALfab (our annual convention and trade show), and on display advertising in Ornamental & Miscellaneous Metal Fabricator.
E-Mail Discussion List — Get quick answers to your
question by joining our on-line "ListServ." The systems connects you to a community of fellow NOMMA mem-
Membership Categories
Affiliate $275.00 - Individuals, firms, & organizations which do not engage in the fabrication of ornamental or miscellaneous metal products and do not provide products or services to the industry but which have a special interest in the industry.
Please Check One: Fabricator $365.00 - Metal fabricating shops, blacksmiths, artists or other firms and individuals in the industry whose products or services are sold directly to the consumer or the consumer's immediate agent or contractor. Nationwide Supplier $560.00 - Firms that sell supplies, raw materials, equipment, machinery, or services on a nationwide or international basis. Regional Supplier $430.00 - Firms that sell supplies, raw materials, equipment, machinery, or services only within a 500-mile radius. Local Supplier $340.00 - Firms that sell supplies, raw materials, equipment, machinery, or services only within a 150-mile radius.
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Please note: The membership year runs from July 1 to June 30. Membership dues payments are not deductible as charitable contribution, but may be deducted as an ordinary and necessary business expense. By signing this application, you agree to abide by NOMMA’s Bylaws and Code of Ethics upon acceptance. Checks should be made payable to NOMMA (U.S. dollars, check drawn on U.S. bank).
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Return to: NOMMA, 1535 Pennsylvania Ave., McDonough, GA 30253 (888) 516-8585 Fax: (770) 288-2006 Or join online at www.nomma.org
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businesses. Our customers may be trained to only ask for the standard metalwork patterns they are already familiar with, but for the metalsmith who wants that competitive edge, design is an ongoing learning process. Being able to offer something fresh and new will get your work valuable notice. Sharpening hand drawing skills, and expressing handworked design ideas effectively using line weights and texture tools in CAD blueprints not only give the customer better sense of a concept, but they allow the designer to push the drawing process further toward new ideas. And while the Golden Mean rule may be embedded in our instinctive sense of proportion and beauty, learning how to use it consciously as a tool to evaluate sketches can tell us how to quickly fix something that’s not quite right in a design idea. After taking a course on CAD, taking one on three-dimensional modeling is a good idea. It may seem like a superfluous and expensive step in the design process, but some projects really benefit when viewed from many angles before they are built. Such perspective can help work out design solutions and save fabricators from costly changes later on. Three-dimensional modeling should also never be underestimated as a sales tool, and if your drafting people have no time to learn 3-D skills, there are industry specialists who will work on a project basis for you. Taking advantage of fabrication courses that combine computer modeling programs with CNC routing, milling, and forming can help move fabrication offsite and open up your shop’s in-house job flow. Likewise, computerized mold-making techniques may make specialty custom castings a feasible option for in-house work. Thinking “outside the box” with new materials means staying current. Fabricators can stay competitive by learning more about specialty metals and alloys, such as pre-textured stainless steels and titanium. You can also learn new ways of incorporating multi-media designs into your portfolio by working with glass and the September/October 2006
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many new plastics now available in combination with metal. How can blacksmithing courses expand your business?
Forgework may be an older profession than fabrication, but the many excellent books on new forged work illustrate that this design process still has a lot of room for exploration and fresh ideas. Fabricators have much to gain by experiencing the basics of
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blacksmithing. While those new to blacksmithing may benefit by learning the feel of the hammer, more experienced fabricators can appreciate the basics of running an efficient blacksmith studio in tandem with an efficient fabrication shop. And there are always more skills, techniques, and concepts for even the most accomplished blacksmiths to learn. New design possibilities come into play when fabricators take advantage
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of methods like traditional joinery. Blacksmithing techniques such as fullering, tapering, curving, hot-splitting, and upsetting all offer old ways of developing new design elements. A hands-on understanding of metallurgy, gained by practicing forge heats and tempering in the classroom also increase a fabricator’s ability to design. In forgework, the natural scaling of material in fire and forge marks invite advanced finishes that show off the metal’s texture. Modern work once prized a look of sleek machined preci-
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sion, but now that it is possible to create technically polished work, the raw textured look of forged metal has regained new value for its authenticity and mark of the artisan. Of course, don’t forget welding can be used as an intermediary or finishing technique. What about courses on tooling? To the seasoned professional, one of the most interesting things about blacksmithing is the ability to forge tooling. While many blacksmithing tools are available on the market, there is always that one form that requires a special
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jig, tongs, or other tool. A blacksmithing course can be a great source of information on ways to go about making specialty tongs, hammers, drifts, jigs, and dies to produce jobs more efficiently and competitively. Resources for fabricators Educational outlets NOMMA’s Education Foundation
offers a three-day education program yearly at METALfab, NOMMA’s annual convention and trade show, and regional workshops throughout the year. Visit: www.nomma.org/metalfab or see page 3 for details on this year’s convention in Destin, FL. NOMMA Chapters hold meetings four to six times a year, usually on Saturdays. Visit www.nomma.org/ chapters or see page 94 for a listing of NOMMA Chapters and their upcoming meetings. Or find out how to set one up in your area. Check the Events department in every issue of Fabricator for a listing of education opportunities ranging from power hammer workshops to electrostatic spraying to code hearings. The Center for Metal Arts (www.iceforge.com) was founded in upstate New York to provide advanced education by and for today’s masters of the metal arts. Courses range from basic blacksmithing to innovative tooling and computer modeling, and many award-winning NOMMA members have gone through the door of CMA, alongside eager beginners. A well-stocked resource library In the competitive business office,
technology is best balanced with a well-stocked process and design library. Books can be costly, but you can start on a shoestring with the NOMMA Literature Guide, coordinating the book list with titles available through your public inter-library loan system. To search the Literature Guide visit the NOMMA website (www.nomma.org) and click on support. The Literature Guide is listed under Resource. The direct link is: 52
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www.nomma.org/database/ lit_resourcesFRAME.htm. Elements of Style, A Practical
Encylcopedia of Interior Architectural Details from 1485 to the Present (Stephen Calloway and Elizabeth Cromley, Simon and Schuster 1991) is a valuable guidebook to period styles. For conservation and repair of ornamental metalwork, Metals in America’s Historic Buildings (by Margot Gayle and John C. Waite, U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 1980) is the reference book for restoration work.
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on the member’s only area.
www.artmetal.com/project/ AM_res.html.
For personalized business education, a resource partner with the Small Business Administration is SCORE, where retired business owners donate time and energy to advise business owners. It doesn’t matter that your chances of finding a retired fabricator are small; advice from someone who ran a totally dissimilar business can provide perspective on ways of doing business. Visit: www.score.org.
Project how-to’s and artful sketches: www.blacksmithsjournal.com. Blacksmithing resources and news from England: www.baba.org.uk. Resources for jewelers, designers, and metalsmiths: snagmetalsmith.org. Jewellery-making techniques from antiquity to recent times: www.add.gr/jewel/elka/page18.htm.
Learn on the Internet Forging forum:
www.artmetal.com/brambush/forum/ bramyak2/index.html.
Fibonacci and phi for fashioning furniture: http://www.mcs.surrey. ac.uk/Personal/R.Knott/Fibonacci/fibI nArt.html#furniture.
Learn from others biz owners NOMMA’s ListServ is an excellent
resource for our industry. You must be a NOMMA member to participate, but you’ll get quick answers to tough and specific questions from NOMMA members around the globe. If you are a NOMMA member and want to sign up, go to www.nomma.org and click
Forums, events, and links: www.anvilfire.com. Shop tips (“Blueprints”) from the pros: www.iforgeiron.com/ Blacksmith_Blueprint_Index.
For design tips using classical proportion, look at “Symmetry” and “The Divine Proportion” by visitng: www.blc.edu/fac/rbuelow/ common/links.htm.
A great metals resource collection:
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NOMMA Education Foundation In partnership with the National Ornamental & Miscellaneous Metals Association
Get ready for METALfab 2007 and donate your auction items Auction items from METALfab 2006 included design books, fire bowls, lamps, and finishing products.
It’s auction time again. Help make this year’s live and silent auctions even more successful than last year when NEF raised over $25,000. Dear Fabricator Readers: I hope you are beginning to make your plans to attend METALfab 2007 at the Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort. If you have never been to a METALfab convention, you are missing out on a wonderful opportunity to learn, share, network, and party. If you have been to our convention, you already know all that. In addition to making your convention plans, decide to donate something to the annual NOMMA Education Foundation auction. Need an idea about what to donate? Use your imagination as a guide because the sky’s the limit! Your donation could be a metal sculpture, a garden gate, hand-forged furniture, books, or the use of a condo at the beach. The auction at METALfab 2006 created many laughs and much excitement as auctioneers Carl Grainger and Roger Carlsen kept the bids coming. Together, both live and silent auctions were hugely successful, as
For your information
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over $25,000 was raised for the NEF—your NOMMA Education Foundation. Help us have another successful auction and start planning your donation. Whether it’s a case of wine, clothing, artwork, a travel opportunity, a beautiful presentation (proposal) drawing, or even the services of your business, every donated item will help our association fund education for our industry. Perhaps your NOMMA chapter can follow the lead of the Upper Midwest Chapter and schedule a work day to create auction items. To donate, fill out our auction donation form available at www.nomma.org, under METALfab. Sincerely, James Minter Jr. NEF Board of Trustees Chair
Contact: NOMMA / NEF 1535 Pennsylvania Ave. McDonough, GA 30253 Ph: (888) 516-8585 Fax: (770) 288-2006 Web: www.nomma.org
Date & Location: METALfab 2007 takes place at Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort in Destin, FL, February 28–March 3, 2007.
To order Videos/DVDs: www.nomma.org/NEF/index.cfm
Visit the NOMMA website for more details: www.nomma.org/metalfab
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Once on location, Hill decided to increase his material dimensions. Rather than using 4-inch by 4-inch by 1/4 inch stainless tubing he used a 10-foot by 6-inch by 6-inch by 1/4 inch stainless post.
A little technology goes a long way Laser technology helps this fabricator stay true
to his projectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s design, while heavily reinforced posts keep the work well grounded. By Paul Hill Paul Hill Sculpture The ideas and designs for this fantastic project began back in July of 2005. The client needed a gate system for a luxury beachfront developmentâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a system that would provide an automobile entrance, which would take drivers to the home sites, as well as a pedestrian gate, which would be used by homeowners as a walk access to 56
the beach, mailboxes, and their homes. Also, in the overall plans was a six to seven foot long bench, which would reside under a large, covered gazebo. Inside the gazebo and directly across from the bench would be the residential mailboxes. The location of this gate complex brought to the surface a number of concerns. The gates and bench were to be located right along the barrier island where there would be a great deal of salt spray,
For your information Project: Oceanfront stainless steel gates and bench. Shop: NOMMA member Paul Hill Sculpture, Wilmington, NC Owner: Paul Hill
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Job Profile
Before installing these gate posts in sand, Hill had to reinforce their footing. An architectural firm recommended an extensive footer. It is 3-feet deep and extends out 4 feet in the directions of the gate in both the closed and open positions.
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After fabrication began Hill realized he had to shorten the length of one part of the lower gate water scene by about 10 inches. Fortunately, his laser cutting vendor was able to remove a 10-inch area without any interruption in the overall design.
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and we all know what salt does to steel. My intent was to use stainless steel (my primary medium) for the gates and the bench. My client let me have a tremendous amount of creative freedom. His only requirements were that the metalwork represent a tropical feel with elements consistently transposed throughout the entire project. With the wood perimeter fence and driveway columns in place it was soon my turn to take measurements and begin drawing, etc. I began figuring the exact distance between the post columns, which I could now set in place. I was originally going to use 4inch by 4-inch by 1/4 inch stainless tubing. But once on location, I decided to move up to a 10-foot by 6-inch by 6inch by 1/4 inch stainless post, and am I glad I did. These posts were to be installed in the sand, and of course the compactness of the sand is much less than hard dirt. So I consulted with Johnston & Johnston architects. They recommended an extensive footer for the estate gate. The footer would be about 3-feet deep and extend out 4 feet in the directions of the gate in the closed and open positions. Within the area of this deep, huge hole, a complex configuration was designed and made from 1/2 inch rebar and attached to the 6-inch by 6-inch gatepost. About three or four yards of concrete was poured into each hole and also poured down into the opening of the 6 by 6 gatepost, and filled right to the top. These were now gateposts set to the extreme for support! I was also very concerned about the gates sagging in the middle as well as hurricane force winds blowing through. We did not want any shifting of the posts for any Fabricator
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THE GATE OPERATOR THAT OPENS MORE GATES AND CLOSES MORE DEALS.
The project’s pedestrian gate is shown above and below. Its design coordinates with the entire project’s overall design, which consists of flowing forms to impart a feeling of movement and blowing breezes. Going from a sketch to a finished drawing with exact measurements, however, revealed a project involving more math than he had originally anticipated.
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of the gates, so we also set and poured the pedestrian gates at the same time. Once these constraints were in place, the actual work on the gates began. Going from a sketch to a finished drawing with the exacting measurements requiredf more math than I anticipated. But still I pressed on, of course. Gulfstream Steel in Holly Ridge, NC supplied the stainless steel used on the gates and bench. The necessary footage of stainless and copper was figured; many sizes and shapes were needed to produce the two gates and the bench. My design consisted of flowing forms, which would impart a feeling of movement and blowing breezes. As I have a fairly small studio at present (25 feet by 14 feet) the gate was built a half at a time. The top and middle sections of the gates consisted of hand-made I-beams. They were formed from 1/8 inch stainless steel plate and 2 inch by 3/16 inch stainless steel flat bar. Two of the I-beam sections had September/October 2006
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Using laser cutting technology Hillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s design was able to hold all of its detail. There was no slag or rough cut edges, and Hill was able to take the laser cutting and go immediately into the polishing process.
to be 12 feet in length. Since sheet steel does not come that long, the Ibeams had to section together into one flowing 12 foot section. Where the two separate sections meet, they were
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TIG welded together and ground smooth with no visible seam showing. Below each of the I-beams are the laser cut scenic panels. Even though I designed and illustrated the panels, I
was not about to try and cut them out myself due to the size and complexity of the cuts. This is when I called Joe Vogler and Laser Precision Cutting, located in Weaverville, NC.
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One of the best reasons I can give initially for working with Laser Precisions Cutting is that from the first time I spoke with Joe Vogler I felt as though I had known him forever. There was such a feeling of confidence, knowledge, and sincerity in his voice that I knew then that this was the place to put my trust. As with all projects there were problems to work out, but LPC put these to rest as early as they arose. For example, as the estate gate progressed I found that I had made an error in the length of one part of the lower gate water scene. It was necessary to shorten about 10 inches from the longer section. I called Joe and he was able to remove a 10-inch area and continue that flow of the piece without any interruption in the overall design. It was wonderful. The laser cutting process worked perfectly on this project. I was able to hold all of the detail. There was no slag or rough cut edges, and I was able to take the laser cutting and go immediately into the polishing process. LPC followed my measurements exactly. Vogler, whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a fantastic graphic artist and designer, was able to translate my information and cut the stainless steel perfectly to fit the lower frame of the gates and to follow the flow of the I-beam. Another interesting and challenging part of this gate is that it opens on a bias and not on a vertical. The ellipse that is done in copper and aluminum needed to be attached to one side only of the gate. As the gate opens and closes, the ellipse logo side opens first and closes last fitting into the elliptical 3/16 inch by 2 inch stainless boarder on the opposite side of the gate. When closed the logo appears bolted. One may wonder how the gate opens if it appears bolted shutâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;I like that. The pickets are 1-inch stainless steel tubing and all hand curved to give the effect of wind blown saw grasses. They are all welded to the top of the bottom I-beam bar. The birds were made from copper and the 3/16 inch and 1/4 inch round bar were bent to simulate the wind and its constant changing motion. The gate installation with the supSeptember/October 2006
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The pickets are 1-inch stainless steel tubing and all hand curved to give the effect of wind blown saw grasses. They are all welded to the top of the bottom I-beam bar.
porting posts was about a three-day event with helper Bill Pate and Joseph Burton, excellent artisans and engineers. The gates mounted and hung exactly as we had planned. The gate was so stable that when both halves were hung there was about a 1/16 foot drop that was taken up by the adjustable stainless steel Daro™ hinges.
One of the more difficult problems was the last minute installation of an electronic gate lock. It was a trick to get the wires and mechanism to look like a part of the gate. I addressed it by bending a tube to follow the lower Ibeam and contain the wires. I also constructed stainless steel pieces to flow with the design of the angled,
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bias opening. Both the pedestrian gate and the gazebo bench were designed to tie the overall theme of “Palm Cove of the Carolinas” development. Precision Laser Cutting also did the fish scene of the pedestrian gate and the palm frond backs and end pieces of the gazebo bench—one end features a crab and on the other end features a loggerhead turtle. Both gates are electronically operated. The operators and key pad entrances pads were installed by Horace Sikes of Bushranger Gates—he did a marvelous job. To fabricate the gates I used a Miller Maxstar 200 TIG welder, a Miller 175 MIG welder, a Hypertherm 600 plasma cutter, and a tube roller. All stainless steel was hand polished and sealed with Permalac from Sculpt Nouveau in California. I went through more 40, 60, and 80-grit flap disks that I thought were made in America! I spent more than 500 hours on the entire project.
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Richard Prazen is shown with his 8’ Orangutan friend, named King Louie. The sculpture was created for a children’s play area. The structure is built around a wire frame. The fur and skin were crafted out of 20gauge sheet metal and then applied to the frame.
A ‘blacksmicator’ tames the beast of design A combination of
Old World skills and modern technology helps to create a friendly Orangutan
By Sheila Phinazee Richard Prazen of Pioneer Blacksmiths in
West Valley City, UT is an innovator. He combines traditional blacksmithing skills with cutting-edge technology. At METALfab 2006, Prazen presented the educational session, “How to Combine the Art of Blacksmithing and Fabrication,” or as he aptly says, “How to Become a Blacksmicator.” Prazen blends the two crafts—molding machines and plasma machines. “It’s 64
great for color techniques, grinding, and textural affects,” he says. “Many things are discovered while experimenting.” Applying his blacksmicator skills, Prazen completed a Top Job Silver Award winning orangutan last year. The commission came as an add-on for a project his team had already begun work on: a jungle theme residential railing. The orangutan adorns a cultural hall connected to the residence. Events like weddings are held at the hall, and the lower section functions as an art gallery.
For your information Project: 2006 Top Job Silver Award — An Orangutan sculpture that adorns a children’s play area. Shop: NOMMA member Pioneer Blacksmiths, West Valley City, UT. Conctact: Richard Prazen
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Job Profile “When you do a lot of custom work, there is usually a theme like mountains, cowboy, or Indian,” says Prazen. “It’s even in the lighting—such as plasma cut or laser cut silhouette forms—to create the theme.” The client wanted a theme park atmosphere for his 14acre estate using the jungle theme. The railing consists of bamboo with jungle grass motifs complete with ladybugs, dragonflies, bees, humming birds, butterflies, and more. There’s a large gazebo covering a children’s play area and jungle gym. “King Louie is mounted on top of the cupola to welcome the children ‘to come and play,’” says Prazen.
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The eight-foot tall orangutan in a dancing pose began as a pencil drawing inspired by Disney’s Jungle Book character. Prazen also studied photos and drawings of real orangutans during the design stage. The local zoo offered a fun research spot too. “Watching how they move is important—they are long and lanky,” Prazen says. “A Disney documentary shows how they combine cartoon and real images to make King Louie. They patterned the way he dances to look like an overweight man dancing around.” Capturing the look and the technique of making the hair and skin was challenging.
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Black
To make King Louie more weather resistant, he was powder coated with a rust colored powder called Coppertex. September/October 2006
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Nickel
Gray
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The railing is a bamboo framework of 11/2â&#x20AC;? pipe with joints forged intermittently. Prazen and his team made a special tool like a crimping tool to shape the bamboo joints. In a two-step process, they would heat the pipe, then use the tool to score a line in the pipe all the way around it. The pipe was heated again and then the knuckle was squashed from end to end, causing it to swell out as it compresses.
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The grass was made out of various sizes of flattened forged angle iron with stamped bugs added throughout. The mesh was added to meet the 4” code. The finished product was coated three different colors: straw yellow for the bamboo, a green color for the grass, and Coppertex Two, the same simulated rust color used on the orangutan, was used on the mesh.
“Orangutans always look like they’re having a bad hair day, with hair matted in different directions,” Prazen says. The shaggy cut sheet metal was a new technique for Prazen, although he considers every project to be a learning experience. It was somewhat similar to doing feathers as in his winged creations, but this time the pieces he worked with were larger. “It becomes a challenge because you want it to look natural,” says Prazen. “You have to think ahead to what you want the finished product to look like and proportions need to be true to form.” Fabrication
Using a large template drawing to help him keep the right proportions, Prazen started with a wire frame for the head and the hands. “For the head, I made the framework defining the mouth and eye area, then skinned that with carefully planned out and individually formed pieces for each area,” says Prazen, who always creates individual templates for each section. The hands and feet were made from different sized pipes cut to the shape of each joint and then welded together. After toenails and fingernails were added, Prazen built a wire frame for the body. “I built silhouettes of the outer frame and then began to fill it in,” says Prazen. “The framework of a sculpture requires adequate weight and strength for any given piece. On this project I found it necessary to add reinforcement rings inside the frame,” Prazen says. Prazen created the fur and skin from shaggy cut, 20gauge sheet metal pieces individually placed on the body, to cover the wire frame. “I wanted the belly and the chest to be more solid to repSeptember/October 2006
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resent the look of shorter fur, so I did that area with larger pieces of sheet metal,” says Prazen. Starting at the bottom of the legs and working his way up to the top, Prazen completed Louie by adding the spiky hair orangutans have on their heads. Finish
Even though the A-36 carbon steel Prazen used to build Louie will deteriorate over time, Prazen decided not to let the orangutan rust naturally. In the past, he created a large horse and allowed it to rust naturally. The horse, however, weathered nicely because it was made from Corten steel which contains copper allowing it to seal naturally, unlike the material used on the orangutan, which would have deteriorated in 10 years. Once finished, Louie was first primer coated. He was then powder coated with a rust colored powder coat called Coppertex Two, to help him endure the elements for a very long time.
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A Legacy of Pioneering
Prazen’s dad learned to smith from his stepfather and started the business in the 1930’s. It’s been running ever since. Prazen and his two older brothers learned from their father. The older brothers knew the welding business; they were fabricators and skilled artisans. Prazen’s dad patented something that should have made him a multimillionaire—he helped create the Tandem axle used on large trucks. During that time, there were only single-axles that were constantly breaking due to bumps in the road. The Tandem axle the senior Prazen helped create has a spring with a rocker beam in the middle of each axle, allowing the axles to lift up and rotate. Justin, Prazen’s son, is the webmaster of Pioneer’s cool website and finds a different outlet for his 3-dimensional artistic skills—computer web design. Although Justin and his two brothers, Jared and Josh, and step-brother, Tom Burrows, were all able to build trailers
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at the age of 10, each of Prazen’s four sons has taken a different path instead of blacksmithing and fabricating. “I think I scared them away,” says Prazen, who is still very proud and supportive of his children. “Josh has done quite a bit of sculpture himself, and worked with me here at the shop until recently,” says Prazen. Once again, being true to its name, Pioneer uses its website to educate and will soon feature an Artist Community section to showcase the combined work of Prazen’s and other artists’ multimedia creations made of wood, glass, rock, or stone joined with metal to create sculpture. “The website has been a great tool to help educate people as to what can be accomplished with metal,” says Prazen. About 25 percent of his work is art, but Prazen wishes it were more and he’s trying to steer it that way. “But you’ve got to keep living,” he says. “Functional pieces become an avenue to doing art.”
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When he’s not taming the beast of sculptural design, Prazen focuses on railing fabrication. This 250 foot forged spiral stair took six months to complete. About its design Prazen says, “This particular client wanted somehting that no one else had ever seen. So we went back to the drawing board to create something totally useful. Our Russian blacksmith designed a beautiful flowing scroll design that the client really liked. We had to scale it to fit the space and in many places the scroll design became hard to stretch as some of the stairs in a complex spiral are longer than other. Sometimes you have to get creative to make it work!” Prazen won a bronze 2006 Top Job Award for this interior railing. In all he brought home three awards from the 2006 Top Job contest.
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Establishing business credit and why you must
Don’t rely on your personal credit rating for your
business. Rather, start building up your firm’s credit now, even if you don’t need it right away.
By William J. Lynott If you haven’t yet taken steps to establish
credit in the name of your business, you should do so at once. Using your personal credit profile to obtain credit for your shop can be a costly mistake. First, it makes you personally liable if the business cannot meet payments on its debts. Equally important, personal credit used for your business can have a negative and permanent impact on your personal credit score. While you may not feel the need for it now, almost every business will need to apply for the granting of significant credit at some point. To avoid having to depend on your personal guarantee, it’s important to build a positive business credit profile before you actually need it. This is especially important in the case 70
of startups or relatively new shops. The experience of Gonzalo Flores of Nevada Wrought Iron Inc., Las Vegas, NV is probably typical. Mr. Flores, who has been in business for about 11/2 years, has been able to establish a minimal line of credit largely based on his personal guarantee. Now, as the business is growing, he recognizes the need to expand his credit line. Suppliers granted Josh Guillory, owner of Custom Iron by Josh, Westlake, LA, minimal credit of about $1,000 when he started up. While he hasn’t yet been asked to sign personal guarantees, he’s been able to build his business credit line to about $5,000 by paying his bills promptly. Establishing a Separate Credit Profile
The first step in separating your personal credit from your business is to incorpo-
For your information The following are a few tips for establishing credit: Improve your credit score by avoiding large credit balances. Try to keep balances at or below 25% of your credit limit. Review reports from the three credit bureaus once a year to check for accuracy. Build your profile by making a few small purchases on credit with one or two suppliers. Make sure they are reporting your good transactions to a credit reporting agency. Eliminate preapproved credit card offers in your mailbox by contacting the Consumer Credit Reporting Industry.
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rate or form a Limited Liability Company (LLC). Your business must be a separate legal entity in order to establish business credit completely separate from your personal credit. Sole proprietors and partnerships are personally liable for everything the business does, including the debt it incurs. With a sole proprietorship or partnership, your personal credit information could be mixed in with your business credit report. That’s why it’s impossible to separate personal from business credit under those forms of business. Chances are your business is an LLC or is already incorporated. If so, you’ve taken that most important first step in establishing a separate credit history. If you have recently changed your form of business from sole proprietor or partnership to corporation or LLC, you must obtain a new Federal Employers Identification Number (EIN). For more information about whether you need a new number for your business and how to apply, log on to http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/index.html. Be Prepared to Sign a Personal Guarantee
Assuming that you already have a separate bank account under the exact legal name of the business and have obtained all business licenses and permits required in your area, you’re ready to establish a business credit history. Be prepared at this point for requests that you sign a personal guarantee on credit applications until you have a solid credit history in the name of your business. That’s why it’s a good idea to make sure that your personal credit history is solid before you set out to establish business credit. If asked, you probably shouldn’t hesitate at this point to provide a personal guarantee. That’s one way to demonstrate to potential lenders that you have plenty of confidence in the future of your business. John Bayer of Quality Welding, Baton Rouge, LA, like many others, found that he had no choice. In order to get credit from any supplier for his startup operation 21/2 years ago, Bayer had to give a personal guarantee to his suppliers. “They started me out with a credit line of about $2,500,” he says. “Simply by paying my bills promptly, I’ve worked that up to $20,000.” Once you get the job done, your new business credit history will bring you several important advantages. With solid business credit, you will: • Make it easier to buy from vendors on advantageous credit terms. • Qualify for better interest rates from your banks and other lenders. • Lower your workers’ compensation premiums. • Make your shop more attractive to potential buyers or investors. After you’ve laid the groundwork, there are two ways to get started on the road to solid business credit. First, you should open a credit file with each of the credit reporting agencies (CRAs). See the page 74 for contact information. The CRAs compile data about your business credit transactions in order to generate a credit report for your busiSeptember/October 2006
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ness. When you contact them to open a file, they will need the exact name of your business, address, and EIN. Building Your Credit Profile
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Then, if you haven’t already done so, arrange to make a few small purchases on credit with one or two of your suppliers. Then, ask them to report the transactions to the CRAs. Keep in mind that your creditors aren’t obligated to send any information to the CRAs; they must do it voluntarily. Most credit suppliers will be very quick to report negative credit information, but often must be prodded to report positive transactions. You may well have a long-standing, golden credit reputation among your individual suppliers, but if none of them bothers to report their experiences with you, the CRAs will have no data around which to build your credit report. That’s why you should let your suppliers know that you would appreciate it if they would help you by reporting your credit history. Now it’s time to apply for one or two credit cards in the legal name of your business, completely separate from your personal credit. If you’ve laid the groundwork by establishing a credit file with the CRAs, you should have no trouble qualifying for business credit cards solely in the name of your business. If you decide to open more than one business credit card, avoid applying for them all at once. It’s best to apply for one at a time. Then, build up a history with that card before applying for another. Each step of the way, you will be building and strengthening your credit profile. Protecting Your Credit Reputation
Once you have established a credit history for your business, it’s important for you to guard it carefully. Like fire, credit can be a valuable friend or a dreadful foe. Used sensibly, credit can be a major asset in your business and personal life. Use it carelessly and it can become your worst enemy. Once the CRAs establish a credit profile for your business, they will use Fabricator
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the information it contains to generate a credit score. If your score is “good,” it will be easy for you to get credit whenever you need it. If your score is “bad,” you may find it impossible to get credit from anyone. Business credit scores range from zero to 100, with 75 or more considered an excellent rating. Be aware that the CRAs will build your business credit score around a number of factors. These include the amount of credit available to you and the amount of that credit that you have used, whether or not your business has a good record of on-time payments, and many other variables. To learn more about how your credit score is calculated, see the Federal Trade Commission’s information site at www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre24.htm. Take Advantage of the Free Annual Credit Report
The CRAs are required by law to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. You can order your free annual credit report online at www.annualcreditreport.com, or by calling 877-322-8228. Improve Your Credit Score
A good score makes it easier for you to obtain credit and to qualify for loans at advantageous interest rates. You can improve your score by: • Paying your bills on time. This is the smart way to handle credit. Late or missed payments are a sure way to lower your score. • Avoid large credit card balances. Outstanding balances larger than about 25 percent of your credit limit are a red flag to financial institutions. • Transferring balances won’t help. Closing out an account and transferring the balance to another credit card is likely to lower your score. Each time you close an account, you lower your overall credit limit. That makes the same amount of debt a larger percentage of your credit limit. • Review your reports from all three credit bureaus for accuracy once a year. When you find an error such as a September/October 2006
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payment wrongly labeled as late, notify the CRAs of the error and make sure it is corrected. Eliminate Pre-approved Credit Card Offers from Your Mailbox
Once you have established a favorable credit history for your business, so-called pre-approved credit offers are likely to find their way into your mailbox. These packages offer a temptation to identity thieves who might try to open new credit accounts in your name or the name of your business. Once they get their hands on such a piece of mail, they can complete the offer by listing a different address. Then they will have an account opened in your name without your knowledge. Fortunately, there is a way for you to opt-out of these credit offers. Just visit the official Consumer Credit Reporting Industry website at www.optoutprescreen.com or call 888567-8688 to opt-out via telephone. Conclusion
Crescent City Iron Supply www.crescentcityiron.com
Despite its inherent risks, credit in itself is not harmful. In fact, used skillfully, credit can be a profitable tool for managing your financial affairs. Observance of these tips will help to make credit one of your business assets, not one of your liabilities. The Three Major Credit Bureaus
Chicago • Indianapolis • New Orleans 800.535.9842 • Fax: 866.345.6661
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Use this guide as a handy reference when ordering credit reports or reporting fraud.
Equifax P.O. Box 740241 Atlanta, GA 30374-0241 Credit report: (800) 685-1111 Report fraud: (800) 525-6285 Experian P.O. Box 2104 Allen, TX 75013 Credit report: (888) 397-3742 Report fraud: (888) 397-3742
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Biz Side
Profits:
Plow back or a separate nest-egg? As some point you should begin planning for retirement by
diverting some of your profits into long-term investments.
By Mark E. Battersby If you are at all like the owners of many other ornamental and miscellaneous metalworking businesses—particularly those with young, growing operations—you have a large portion of your personal assets invested in that business. For some, this may be necessary in order to ensure the continued survival and growth of the operation. Other metalworking business owners, however, are faced with the question of whether to plow the profits back into the business or whether it might be more advisable to establish a separate nest-egg. Presumably, one of the main reasons why you chose business ownership was to be able to enjoy a certain standard of living and personal wealth. Today, that established metal fabrication business probably generates a major part of your—the operation’s owner—personal income. Obviously, your business deserves your main attention and priority - both in time and necessary working capital. However, now might be time to think about investment planning. September/October 2006
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Investment planning involves finding the best type of investment for the income generated by your metalworking business. The type of investment vehicle decided on will vary depending upon the lifestyle desired by the investor, his or her temperament, the goals being targeted and the time-frame available to achieve those goals. The investment planning process does not in any way require you to pull back from the metalworking business at any time, it does suggest that you should build the capability to do so, if you ever desire. A diversified investment portfolio embodies that old saw that warns against putting all of our eggs in one basket. By having several kinds of investments, such as stocks, bonds (both general and corporate), real estate and, perhaps, precious metals, you greatly reduce the chance that a particular economic or legal change will devastate your investment fund. Your profitable business as an investment vehicle
Have you examined your metalworking or fabrication business as an investment
For your information Tips for wise investment planning: Create a wide diversity of investments, including real estate and maybe even precious metals. Don’t forget that investing in your own business is one option. However, it’s important to have a secondary income source as well. Prepare for the day when you might eventually open your company to additional investors. You may even consider giving your company a loan from your personal finances. This can provide a higher rate of return than depositing the money in a local bank. Remember that good financial planning means you don’t HAVE to retire; it just gives you the capability to do so.
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vehicleâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;as opposed to that business serving as your own job-replacement gadget or a much-needed service to customers? Examining your business as an investment vehicle helps you gain another vantage point from which to evaluate and fine-tune the operationâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;as well as helping you to decide where your extra savings or business profits would produce the best return. It should not surprise many fabricators that small businesses are a growing industry. U.S. government statistics show that about two thirds of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economic growth in the last decade has occurred in the small business sector. In fact, your successful small metalworking business may be the most profitable investment you can make. Often, however, small business owners desire income from a source or sources outside the business. A second source of income, be it dividend and interest income generated by a nest egg, other investment income or even income from another business, is best compared as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;safety netâ&#x20AC;? as you operate your metalworking business. Thus, it is important in choosing how and where to invest. Re-investment in your metal fabricating business might help insure its success. Or, should you invest to provide that safety net? The ultimate payoff from a metalworking business
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Not too long ago during the socalled â&#x20AC;&#x153;dot-comâ&#x20AC;? age, the grand prize for many internet companies was the initial public offering (IPO). Although IPOs are enjoying an amazing comeback, it may not be a realistic goalâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;or even a desirable goalâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;for many metalworking operations. However, preparing for that future moment can help even the smallest metalworking operation reap tremendous benefits. Envisioning the day your metalworking business must woo and convince the investing public, telling the story about why they should buy your businessâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stock rather than a competitorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, is a meaningful exercise. Why? By examining your business as an Fabricator
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A successful financial plan should offer you the choice between
allocating business profits back to the business or into a more diversified portfolio.
into your plans? That is where that all-important financial plan comes into play. Financial planning
investment vehicle it can be compared with other investment vehicles available to you as well as to other investors. Obviously, possessing great investment-type characteristics are not the be-all-end-all. Past performance, vision, leadership and intangibles such an innovation and culture or even market conditions, are all considerations for any potential investor. In the end, potential investors not only look at past numerical facts but also at the nature of the business. Second, while investment philosophies are varied and debatable, the process of translating a stable and adequate income supply into the achievement of your economic goals begins with planning. Through the development of a personal financial plan, for example, you will be able to identify
and reach your monetary goals by deciding how best to pay yourself, spend and invest your money - and how to take advantage of tax saving opportunities. Business investing options
Investing in the metalworking business can take a variety of forms. For example, loans to the business, properly structured and treated as armâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s length transactions, can provide a higher rate of return than lending or depositing the money in the local bank. If you factor in tax saving opportunities, another option, personally owning the building that houses the metalworking operation and leasing it back to the business, emerges. This strategy can generate rental income and tax deductions. What type of income would best fit
A successful financial plan should offer you the choice between allocating business profits back to the business or into a more diversified portfolio. In other words, your financial plan should do for you the same thing that your business does: increase your personal wealth. Over time this financial planning process should enable you to rely less on earned income (that is, the income that you derive from your metalworking business and more from unearned income (â&#x20AC;&#x153;outsideâ&#x20AC;? investments, such as stocks and bonds. Most financial plans involve four steps: 1) Identify what you already have. The first step is a personal inventory of your wealth, income and expenses as well as any existing planning documents such as insurance policies, wills
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and the like. You must know where you are financially before you can decide on future goals and the steps necessary to achieve them. 2) Deciding what you want. Next, you have to set your goals and quantify them in terms of dollar amounts and the time that you have left to achieve them. Admittedly, establishing a dollar figure for the amounts needed in order to maintain your present lifestyle a number of years down the road can be a complex process involving inflation and future value. Keep it
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simple by thinking in today’s dollar value. 3) Determine how to reach those goals. This is the heart of the financial plan. You must figure out what should be done to achieve your goals or adjust them so that they become attainable. A fifty-five year old metalworking business owner establishing a financial plan to enable him or her to retire in 10 years cannot achieve financial security or any desired lifestyle by placing savings in today’s low yielding savings accounts. Similarly, although risk is
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generally equated with return, few metalworking shop owners would risk their investments with stock in startup or risky fast growth companies. 4) Implementing the plan, may be the most important step. After all, many think about, few plan and even fewer actually implement. 5) Maintain your plan. Even the best financial plan can sour with age. You need to keep your plan up-to-date by making sure that your investments perform as expected as well as by adjusting your financial plan for changed circumstances. Properly handled, the investment planning process should not, in any way require you to retire or pull back from your metalworking business at any time; it does suggest that you should build the capability to do so, if you ever so desire. Put it in Writing
The importance of financial planning should not be underestimated but it should be in writing. For one thing, if you write it down, you will not have to worry about remembering all of the factors that contributed to your plan. If circumstances change, updating that financial plan will require much less time and effort. For any metalworking business owner who may be uneasy about implementing his or her financial plan, a legion of professional advisors stand ready to help: lawyers, accountants, financial planners, stock brokers, bankers, insurance agents and the like. You can seek help on a particular part of your plan or merely a particular question. Or, perhaps a general review of the plan may be warranted. Some financial planning professionals - including some highly qualified and competent planners – are skeptical or even hostile to financial plans prepared by anyone else. If this is the case with a particular financial or investment professional, you should be able to discover it during your initial meeting (which the planner often provides free of charge). Shop for an adviser as you consider whether to reinvest in your metal fabricating business or create a separate nest-egg. Fabricator
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Print Clos e Date Oct. 30
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New NOMMA members As of August 18, 2006. Asterisk denotes returning members.
American Custom Fabricators Inc. Bayville, NJ Robert Schinder Fabricator Authementâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ornamental Iron Works Inc. Kenner, LA Ricky Authement Fabricator Countryside Wrought Iron Brockport, NY Michael J. Tuttle Fabricator Fierro Iron Works Norristown, PA Jim Haggerty Fabricator Hayes Brothers Ornamental Iron * Toledo, OH Doug Hayes Fabricator KAS Direct Building & Decorating Source dba DaVinci Iron Rocklin, CA Terri Louie Fabricator Kentex Spicewood, TX Eric M. Spille Fabricator Metal Creations & Design Inc. Clearwater, FL P. Dragoonis Fabricator New Market Iron Works Inc. * Huntsville, AL Earl Burkett Fabricator
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NOMMA Nationwide Supplier Members A Cut Above Distributing (800) 444-2999 Alfa Technologies Inc. (714) 550-9278 Allen Architectural Metals Inc. (800) 204-3858 Alloy Casting Co. Inc. (972) 286-2368 American Punch Co. (216) 731-4501 American Stair Corp. (800) 872-7824 Ameristar Fence Products (918) 835-0898 Apollo Gate Operators (210) 545-2900 Architectural Iron Designs Inc. (908) 757-2323 Atlas Metal Sales (800) 662-0143 Bavarian Iron Works Co. (800) 522-4766 Big Blu Hammer Mfg. (828) 437-5348 Julius Blum & Co. Inc. (800) 526-6293 Builders Fence Co. Inc. (800) 767-0367 Byan Systems Inc. (800) 223-2926 C. Sherman Johnson Co. Inc. (860) 873-8697 C.R. Laurence Co. Inc. (800) 421-6144 The Cable Connection (800) 851-2961 Carell Corporation (251) 937-0948 Classic Iron Supply (800) 367-2639 Cleveland Steel Tool Co. (800) 446-4402 CML USA Inc. (563) 391-7700 Colorado Waterjet Company (866) 532-5404 CompLex Industries Inc. (901) 547-1198 Crescent City Iron Supply Inc. (800) 535-9842 Custom Orn. Iron Works Ltd. (866) 464-4766 D & D Technologies (USA) Inc. (714) 677-1300 D.J.A. Imports Ltd. (888) 933-5993
DAC Industries Inc. (616) 235-0140 Dashmesh Ornamentals (011) 91-161-250-2574 Decorative Iron (888) 380-9278 DKS, DoorKing Systems (800) 826-7493 Robert J. Donaldson Co. (856) 629-2737 Eagle Access Control Systems Inc. (818) 899-2777 Eagle Bending Machines Inc. (251) 937-0947 Eastern Metal Supply (800) 343-8154 Eastern Ornamental Supply Inc. (800) 590-7111 Elegant Aluminum Products Inc. (800) 546-3362 Encon Electronics (800) 782-5598 Euro Forgings Inc. (800) 465-7143 EURO-FER SRL. (011) 390-44-544-0033 FabCAD.Inc (800) 255-9032 FabTrol Systems Inc. (541) 485-4719 Fatih Profil San. Tic. AS (011) 90-258-269-1664 Feeney Wire Rope & Rigging CableRail (800) 888-2418 Frank Morrow Co. (401) 941-3900 The G-S Co. (410) 284-9549 Geo. Bezdan Sales Ltd. (604) 299-5264 Glaser USA (888) 668-8427 Glasswerks LA Inc. (323) 789-7800 Hartford Standard Co. Inc. (270) 298-3227 Hayn Enterprises LLC (860) 257-0680 Hebo - Stratford Gate Systems (503) 658-2881 House of Forgings (281) 443-4848 Illinois Engineered Products Inc. (312) 850-3710 Fabricator
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Indiana Gratings Inc. (800) 634-1988 Industrial Metal Supply Co. (818) 729-3333 Innovative Hinge Products Inc. (817) 598-4846 Interstate Mfg. Associates Inc. (800) 667-9101 The Iron Shop (800) 523-7427 Jansen Ornamental Supply Co. Inc. (800) 452-6736 Justin R.P.G. Corp. (310) 532-3441 King Architectural Metals (800) 542-2379 L.E. Sauer Machine Co. (636) 225-5358 Laser Precision Cutting (828) 658-0644 Lawler Foundry Corp. (800) 624-9512 Lewis Brass & Copper Co. Inc. (718) 894-1442 Liberty Brass Turning Co. (718) 784-2911 Logical Decisions Inc. (800) 676-5537 Mac Metals Inc. (800) 631-9510 Marks U.S.A. (631) 225-5400 Master Halco (714) 385-0091 MB Software Solutions LLC (717) 350-2759 McKey Perforating (262) 786-2700 Metalform - Bulgaria (703) 516-9756 Mittler Bros. Machine & Tool (800) 467-2464 Multi Sales Inc. (800) 421-3575 Mylen Stairs Inc. (914) 739-8486 New Metals Inc. (956) 729-1184 Ohio Gratings Inc. (330) 477-6707 Overseas Supply Inc. (281) 776-9885 Precision Glass Bending Corp. (800) 543-8796 Regency Railings Inc. (214) 742-9408 Rik-Fer USA (305) 406-1577 Robertson Grating Products Inc. (877) 638-6365 September/October 2006
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Robinson Iron Corp. (800) 824-2157 Rockite, Div. of Hartline Products Co. Inc. (216) 291-2303 Rogers Mfg. Inc. (940) 325-7806 S & R Inc., Precision Cutting Specialist (615) 382-8850 Scotchman Industries Inc. (605) 859-2542 Carl Stahl DecorCable Innovations (800) 444-6271 Sculpt Nouveau (760) 432-8242 SECO South (888) 535-7326 Sharpe Products (800) 879-4418 Signon USA (718) 485-8500 Stairways Inc. (713) 680-3110 Steel Masters Inc. (602) 243-5245 Stephens Pipe and Steel LLC (800) 451-2612 Striker Tool Co. (USA) Inc. (866) 290-1263 Sumter Coatings Inc. (888) 471-3400 Tennessee Fabricating Co. (901) 725-1548 Texas Metal Industries (972) 427-9999 Transpacific Industrial Supply Inc. (909) 581-3058 Tri-State Shearing & Bending (718) 485-2200 Universal Entry Systems Inc. (800) 837-4283 Universal Mfg. Co. Inc. (901) 458-5881 Valley Bronze of Oregon Inc. (541) 432-7551 Vogel Tool & Die, Div. of TES Tube Equipment Inc. (630) 562-1400 The Wagner Companies (800) 786-2111 Wasatch Steel Inc. (888) 496-4463 West Tennessee Ornamental Door (901) 346-0662 Wrought Iron Concepts Inc. (877) 370-8000
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New NOMMA members continued . . . Newman’s Ornamental Ironworks Inc. Brielle, NJ Richard Newman Fabricator P & J Mfg. Co. Lima, OH Cindy Ricker Fabricator Padilla Designs LLC Kihei, HI Mary Jo Padilla Fabricator Paul Hill Sculpture Wilmington, NC Paul Hill Fabricator Precision Fence & Gate Deerfield Beach, FL Roger Mitchell Fabricator Robert Sarpy New Orleans, LA Robert Sarpy Fabricator Security Fence Systems Bronx, NY Gerald Copano Fabricator White’s Quality Products Cedaredge, CO Larry White Fabricator
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What s Hot ASA asks for changes in federal immigration proposal After the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published proposed regulations on June 14 that would redefine the existing safe harbor for employers that unknowingly hire an alien not eligible to work in the United States, ASA asked members to participate in the comment process, and members responded with a number of messages that helped ASA craft the public comments it filed with DHS. ASA's comments, filed Aug. 14, pinpointed several major problems with the DHS proposal, including the possibility that Congress could soon modify employer responsibilities; the insufficient time proposed for employers and employees to resolve no-match letters; and the potential legal and financial consequences for subcontractors that would be forced to single out employees who would be treated differently in hiring and employment. Under the proposal, an employer would have 14 days to resolve a discrepancy prompting a no-match letter from the Social Security Administration or notice from DHS that the documents submitted by an employee completing an I-9 form were not valid. The employer could check records to determine whether a dis-
crepancy was the result of a clerical error and ask the employee to go to the local SSA office to “resolve the matter personally.” Within 60 days, the employer could complete a new I-9 form for the employee, but only with documents that were not the subject of a no-match letter. An employer that followed these procedures would be found not to have "constructive knowledge" that an employee is not authorized to work in the United States. In its comments, ASA urged DHS to wait until the congressional debate on immigration concludes before implementing new regulations, and pointed out that the 14-day period to resolve no-match letters is not realistic. In addition, ASA’s comments said that the DHS proposal did not recognize that, in the first 60 days of employment, a subcontractor has often made a substantial investment in new employees. ASA noted that the absence of even one or two employees can seriously impact productivity and construction schedules. For more information, contact ASA Senior Director & Counsel, Government & Industry Relations, Bill Isokait at bisokait@asa-hq.com or (703) 684-3450, Ext. 1311.
Member Spotlight
Happy Birthday Wishes To Melvin Peterson A “happy birthday” goes to past NOMMA president and co-founder Melvin Peterson, who recently celebrated his 85th birthday. In addition, he and his wife Ruth recently observed their 60th wedding anniversary. While Mel still goes into his shop nearly every day, since retirement he has found more time for travel and working on small projects. During his earlier years, Melvin served in virtually every volunteer position that existed in NOMMA, and was president from 1964 to 1965. In 1972 he was honored with the Julius Blum Award. Some of the many roles he has held with NOMMA include historian and parliamentarian. During his time on the board, he would always be present with copies of all past meeting minutes on hand.
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Biz Briefs
Business conditions to show slight upswing The monthly Business Conditions Report has been conducted by the Precision Metalforming Association (PMA) since 1979. Conducted monthly, the report is an economic indicator for manufacturing, sampling 134 metalforming companies in the United States and Canada. According to the July 1 survey, metalforming companies expect a slight improvement in business conditions during the next three months. When asked what they expect the trend in general economic activity to be over the next three months, 30 percent of participants reported that business conditions will improve (up from 19 percent in June), 52 percent believe conditions will remain the same (compared to 58 percent the previous month) and 18 percent predict economic activity will decrease (down from 23 percent in June). Metalforming companies also expect incoming orders to improve somewhat during the next three months. Twenty-nine percent of respondents anticipate an increase orders (up from 27 percent in June), only 19 percent predict a decrease (down from 28 percent last month) and 52 percent forecast no change (up from 45 percent in June). Metalforming companies also experienced little change in the number of workers on short time or layoff in July, with 10 percent of respondents reporting a portion of their workforce on short time or layoff compared to 9 percent in June. The July 2006 data shows a substantial improvement compared to July 2005 data, at which time metalformers reported 19 percent of their workforce Fabricator
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What’ s Hot
Biz Briefs
Can you guess who this is?
On the eve of NOMMA’s 50th anniversary, let’s take a quick flashback to 1978, when the association celebrated the big “20.” The convention that year was held in New Orleans, and winners in the Top Job contest had the honor of getting their picture made, along with their award, in the NOMMA 20th anniversary canopy. The mystery gentleman is holding a silver Top Job award. Can you guess who he is? The first person to contact Todd Daniel with the correct answer wins a prize! E-mail: todd@nomma.org, Ph: (888) 516-8585, 102.
September/October 2006
Fabricator
on short time or layoff. Full report results are available at www.pma.org. AWS achieves milestone The American Welding Society (AWS) reached a milestone of nearly 22,400 active Certified Welding Inspectors (CWI). This achievement reflects the growth of AWS program, which has certified over 52,000 welding inspectors since its launch in 1976. Welding inspectors play a critical role in the manufacturing process as they ensure that a weldment meets the criteria of applicable codes and standards. With virtually all construction and manufacturing companies requiring some form of welding, from the production of parts to their maintenance and repair, welding inspection is expected to remain in strong demand. This is evidenced by the strength of AWS’ Continued on page 84.
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What’ s Hot
People
In Memorium Remembering Noted Coppersmith Joseph Duchowski
The staff of Wiemann Ironworks mourns the passing of Joseph Duchowski, who recently died of cancer. A coppersmith at Wiemann for many years, Joseph played a hand in many of the company’s most memorable Top Job awards. He retired from Wiemann in 2002 and spent his final years in Gdansk, Poland. Shown is a picture of Joseph at the Wiemann shop, along with Doug Bracken (left) and Chris Huey (right). The photo was taken during Joseph’s retirement celebration.
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CWI program, which has experienced nearly 20 percent growth in the last five years alone. Additionally, high-tech manufacturing using advanced technology and newly developed materials is creating more uses for a highly educated welding workforce and expanding employment opportunities. According to the United States (U.S.) Department of Labor, employers report difficulty finding enough qualified welding professionals, creating even more value for people in this field. Bob Wiswesser, chair of the AWS Certification Committee and one of the first to be certified by AWS, said, “I am extremely proud of my CWI qualification, which has helped me to accomplish my career goals in the welding industry. Being a CWI has not only been a catalyst for my growth financially and professionally, but it has also taken me to exciting and exotic regions of the world, such as Egypt and Israel. Becoming a CWI takes hard work and determination, but it can continue to pay off throughout your career and be a stepping stone to several more stimulating professions in the welding field, such as radiographic interpretation and non-destructive testing methods.” The program has become so popular within the U.S., that several countries beyond our borders have also adopted it, generating its considerable growth since going global in 1988.Contact: American Welding Society, Ph: (800) 443-9353; Web: http://www.aws.org/certification OSHA requirements for first aid kits Most employers are required to maintain one or more adequately stocked first aid kits at the workplace and, depending on the size and type, the implementation of Federal OSHA regulations for first Continued on page 86.
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What s Hot aid kits can vary greatly. To assist employers in understanding their requirements with this federal regulation, National Safety Compliance has provided the links below: • For small office, workplace or vehicle: www.osha-safety-training.net/FA/sfak.html. • For medium sized workplaces: www.osha-safety-training.net/FA/firstaid.html. • For large workplaces: http://www.osha-safety-training.net/FA/lfak.html. If you already have a first aid kit, it is important to maintain the contents. Please check your kit to make sure all items have not expired. Contact: National Safety Compliance, Ph: (877) 922-7233; Web: www.freeoshainfo.com/pubpages/firstaid.htm.
Industry News
Kentucky adopts NFPA 101 codes The State of Kentucky has adopted the most recent editions of NFPA 1, Uniform Fire Code™ and NFPA 101®, Life Safety Code®. The adoptions became effective today. “The adoption of NFPA 1, NFPA 101, and other key NFPA codes and standards provides the most comprehensive set of safety tools that the enforcement community and building owners can have,” said Rodney Raby, Kentucky’s state fire marshal. “This adoption is just one more example of Kentucky’s ongoing commitment to providing the highest level of protection.” Recognized worldwide and adopted statewide in 19 states, NFPA 1, Uniform Fire Code provides requirements necessary to establish a reasonable level of fire safety and property protection from hazards created by fire and explosion. Its primary purposes are to address basic fire preven-
tion requirements and to reference or extract the fire prevention and protection aspects of many other NFPA codes and standards. NFPA’s Life Safety Code, which is used in every U.S. state and adopted statewide in 39 states, sets minimum building design, construction, operation, and maintenance requirements necessary to protect building occupants from dangers caused by fire, smoke, and toxic fumes. Kentucky will participate in a training program developed by NFPA and offered to states that have adopted NFPA 1, NFPA 101 and other key NFPA codes and standards. Taught by NFPA technical experts, the training covers all of the code’s requirements. Adopting the most up-to-date editions of these life-saving codes and standards ensures that inspectors will have the most comprehensive information available,” said Marshal Raby.
(888) 516-8585. 86
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What s Hot
NOMMA Chapter News
Gulf Coast group to hold plasma machine demonstration
Florida Chapter
President Pedro Vasquez Discount Ornamental Iron Ph: (813) 248-3348 Gulf Coast NOMMA Network
President James Minter Imagine Ironworks Ph: (601) 833-3000 Northeast Chapter
President Keith Majka Majka Railing Co. Inc. Ph: (973) 247-7603 Southern California Chapter
President Sami Dahdal Sam’s Iron Works Ph: (818) 982-5343
The Gulf Coast Network is holding their next meeting on Saturday, September 16, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Cresent City Iron Supply, 33 24th St., Kenner, LA. Program for the day is a plasma machine demo provided by Charles Peres of Northshore Steel Fab. A thanks to Lawler Foundry Corp. for serving as the generous sponsor. Lunch will be provided by Kenner Seafood Restaurant. To download a meeting form, please visit the “Chapters” area of the NOMMA website. Upper Midwest Chapter to look at New Technologies
All NOMMA members and guests are invited to the October 7 meeting of the Upper Midwest Chapter, which takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event takes place at O’Malley’s Welding and Fabricating, 1209 Badger St., Yorkville, IL 60560. Program for the day will be on new technology and
Upper Midwest Chapter
President Lynn Parquette Mueller Ornamental Iron Works Inc. Ph: (847) 758-9941
how to apply it from conception through the installation of a job. This will include a talk on 3D drawings systems. As always, there will be the regular favorite events, including a shop tour, tips and tricks discussion, and guest vendors. Northeast Chapter to feature special guest Uri Hofi
The Northeast Chapter of NOMMA is proud to announce that Uri Hofi will initiate the membership drive with both hand hammering and power hammer demonstrations, on October 14 at the Center for Metal Arts in Florida, NY. Hofi's world-class demonstration has been acknowledged throughout central Europe, China, Japan, and the USA. There will be limited seating and all guests are asked to RSVP by October 1. Ph: (973) 2477603. Food will be provided courtesy of the Northeast Chapter.
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What s Hot October 8–12, 2006 SMACA 63rd Annual Convention
The Sheet Metal and Air Conditioners’ National Association holds its 63rd annual convention and product show at the J.W. Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Phoenix, AZ. The event will feature a wide range of new product exhibits. Contact: SMACNA, Ph: (703) 803-2998; Web: www.smacna.org. October 10–11, 2006 No. 2 Process Handgun Course
This two-day training class offers a hands-on painting experience with the No. 2 Process Handgun by ITW Ransburg. The class is held at the ITW Automotive Finishing & ITW Ransburg Training and Conference Center in Toledo, OH. Contact: ITW Ransburg, Ph: (419) 470-2000; Web: www.itwransburg.com
Events
Appalachian Center for Craft announces fall class line-up The Appalachian Center for Craft is pleased to announce their fall classes. More details on each class can be found on the center’s website. • Introductory Blacksmithing, September 23–24, Saturday & Sunday 9am-4pm. Instructor: Armand Bussell. Cost: $200. Description: Learn about forges, fuels, fire building, tools, anvils, swages, power hammers, welders, lathes, mills, and more! Skill level: Beginning. • Hang It Up! (blacksmithing), October 21 & 22, Saturday & Sunday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Instructor: Joe Brown. Cost: $200. Description: Develop skills in blacksmithing while designing and creating a variety of hooks, hangers, and bars. Beginning-Intermediate; Materials Fee $20, payable to instructor during workshop.
• Make the Tool: Forge the Piece (blacksmithing), November 11 & 12, Saturday & Sunday 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Instructor: Jack Wheeler. Cost: $200. Description: Create a variety of decorative and functional hand-forged items using tools that you fabricate and forge. Work on personally designed items within the limits of studio time. Skill level: Beginning-Intermediate For more information, contact: Appalachian Center for Craft, 1560 Craft Center Drive Smithville, TN 37166. Ph: (931) 372-3051, (615) 5976801. Email: ggentry@tntech.edu. Web: www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/wkshops. html.
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What s Hot
Events
October 31–November 2, 2006 FABTECH International and AWS Welding Show
The Fabricators and Manufacturers Association (FMA) teams up with the American Welding Society (AWS) again. This year’s show is at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, GA. NOMMA will be exhibiting. Contact: FMA, Ph: (800) 4322832; Web: www.fmafabtech.com. March 22–24, 2007 American Subcontractors Association’s Business Forum
The American Subcontractors Association’s (ASA) Business Forum will take place at the Omni Tucson Golf Resort & Spa in Tucson, AZ. The forum aims to improve profitability. Contact: American Subcontractors Association, Ph: (703) 684-3450; Web: www.asaonline.com.
ISAAT 2007, SME International Grinding Conference join forces ISAAT 2007 (The International Symposium on Advanced Abrasive Technology) and the SME International Grinding Conference will join forces September 25-28, 2007 at the Hyatt Regency in Dearborn, MI to create a signature precision grinding and abrasives machining technology event. The Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), the International Committee for Abrasive Technology (ICAT) and the Japan Society for Abrasive Technology (JSAT) are partners in this endeavor. The event will be a three day conference of three tracks with more than 80 peer reviewed technical papers covering all aspects of abrasive technology, including: Abrasive machining using conventional, and superabrasives, grinding wheel and abrasive grain technologies, high-speed and
high efficiency machining, micro and nano machining and fabrication, machining with nano-precision, grinding fluids, filtration application and management, surface characterization and surface metrology, and machining the next generation of materials. The SME International Grinding Conference chairman is Dr. Stuart C. Salmon, a world authority on precision grinding and abrasive machining. Dr. Salmon is the chairman of SME’s Machining and Material Removal Community and president of Advanced Manufacturing Science and Technology of Rossford, Ohio. The cochairman representing JSAT is Dr. Tsunemoto Kuriyagawa, professor of Nano-Precision Mechanical Fabrication Laboratory and director of the Center for Micro/Nano Design and Processing Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
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What s Hot Sample image catalog
Frank Morrow Company
Frank Morrow Company’s new 32-page Red Décor Sampler Catalog contains 174 actual size images from its decorative metal trim line of 3,000+ patterns. Also available are over 3,000 ornamental metal stampings and motif castings. Contact: Frank Morrow Company, Ph: (800) 556-7688; Web: www.frankmorrow.com.
Literature
Product Spotlight Commercial gate
operator Apollo Gate Operators Inc. Apollo Gate Operators Inc. has launched its new 7500 ETL (approval pending) commercial gate operator, which operates slide gates up to 30 feet long and weighing up to 1,000 pounds. Its compact design encloses all components in a single box that can be post-mounted or, with additional fabrication, pad-mounted. It requires a
single battery that can be re-charged by solar or AC power. “The 7500ETL was engineered and constructed based on input from our customers,” says President of Apollo Gate Operators Inc. Dick Loos. “Our customers told us they were tired of external limits and magnets, so we gave them fully adjustable internal limits and a lockable externally activated quick release. It is the toughest commercial gate operator we have built.” Contact: Apollo Gate Operators Inc., Ph: (800) 226-0178; Web: www.apollogate.com. Lock fittings
Ultra-tec® Cable Railing Systems Ultra-tec Cable Railing Systems introduces the new field-installed Push-Lock™ Fittings. The cables feature a tensioner on one end and bare cable on the other. To install, cut the cable to length and push on the fit-
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What s Hot
New Products tings and tension the
cables. The stainless steel fittings can be used with wood or metal framed railings, indoors or outside. Styles are available for level runs and stairs. Contact: Ultra-tec Cable Railing Systems, Ph: (800) 851-2961; Web: www.ultra-tec.com. Finishing paste
The Wagner Companies The Wagner Companies announces the addition of Baroque Art Gilders Paste to their product line. Gilders Paste can be used to highlight or decorate iron, wood, pottery, polymer clay,
September/October 2006
Fabricator
and etched glass through a collection of waxes, resins, and high concentration pigments. According to Wagner, the product provides resistance to water and common chemical reagents. Apply with finger, soft brush, or cloth in a rubbing motion or use other creative mediums such as rubber stamps or spray painting to produce a unique finish. Colors can be layered or mixed together to create various colors and finishes. Lightly buffing or polishing the metallic Gilders Pastes produces a gilded finish. The product will accept an over coat of clear lacquer, varnish, urethane, or powder coating for a uniform appearance or to provide further durability. The paste
Band saw cutting guide
Diamond Saw Works Inc. Diamond Saw Works, Inc., the manufacturer of Sterling速 band saw, offers a 24page Comprehensive Guide to Band Saw Cutting designed to provide information on band saw blade types, their use, and band application selection. It also reviews cutting rate charts for metal and non-metal applications. The guide covers metal sawing, friction cutting, wood sawing, log milling and pallet dismantling. All band types are covered. Contact: Diamond Saw Works Inc., Ph: (800) 828-1180; Web: www.diamondsaw.com.
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What s Hot Fittings manual
Kee Industrial Products Inc. A new 40page, full-color, Fittings Manual published by Kee Industrial Products Inc. provides comprehensive information on the company’s complete line of Kee Klamp slip-on pipe fittings. Kee Klamp fittings are designed to offer a a cost-effective and labor-saving alternative to welded railings. The manual features photographs, model numbers, dimensional drawings, and complete specifications for more than 70 galvanized cast iron fittings that fit 1/2 inch to 2 inch Schedule 40 pipe. Contact: Kee Industrial Fittings Inc., Ph: (800) 851-5181; Web: www.keeklamp.com.
New Products comes in 28 colors and is available in 27ml (0.9 oz) and 92ml (2.1 oz) containers. Contact: The Wagner Companies, Ph: (888) 243-6914; Web: www.wagnercompanies.com. Fixed angle notchers
COMEQ Inc.
brass scales, squaring guides with reference holes every 15 degrees, 20 inch movable guide, two extra long engraved three-function scales, front or side mountable support arms, six spring-loaded hold-downs, blade inching, auto lube of slide, and a 35-inch by 14-inch table. Contact: COMEQ Inc., Ph: (410) 933-8500; Web: www.comeq.com. Cladding system
As a supplement to the current line of metal fabricating machinery, COMEQ Inc. offers the AMERICOR LE Series of Hydraulic Fixed Angle Notchers. In addition to the standard triangular notch, these machines offer a coper station on the opposite side, making it a double station machine. Standard features include engraved
N
EW
A. Zahner Company A. Zahner Company has created a new roof and wall cladding system that produces a smooth, unobstructed surface. The Inverted Seam™ System uses thin metal plates that interlock into a continuous concealed channel to provide strength and trap moisture. “The Inverted Seam™ System is a more efficient alternative to the standing seam or batten seam,” says President of A. Zahner Company William Zahner. “We have successfully created an inverted seam on a number
!
OXY-GON
STAINLESS STEEL
CLEANER AND POLISHER REMOVES: WELDING OXIDES , RUST, ADHESIVE RESIDUES
AFTER
BEFORE
AVAILABLE IN: 14 OZ. (400 G) STARTER KIT WHICH INCLUDES GLOVES, FELT APPLICATOR & WOODEN SPATULA 35 OZ. (1 KG) CONTAINER TEL: (800) 665-6655 1125 FIR AVE. FAX: (604) 946-5340 BLAINE, WA 98230 E-MAIL: SALES@INTERCONONLINE.COM WEBSITE: WWW.INTERCONONLINE.COM 92
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What s Hot
New Products of
intricate and noteable architectural metal projects.â&#x20AC;? According to Zahner, the system can be made from any sheet material, including aluminum, copper or copper alloy, stainless steel, titanium, and zinc. It does not require sealant or gasketing. Instead, it uses an all metal system with no exposed fasteners. Contact: A. Zahner Company, Ph: (816) 474-8882; Web: www.azahner.com.
Cyl-Tec Inc. now offers compressed gas cylinders suitable for oxygen, argon, helium, and other compressed gases. The cylinders are U.S. DOT and TC approved and manufactured to allow for PLUS and STAR rating. Cylinders are made from 4130X Chrome Moly Steel. Acetylene cylinders, aluminum cylinders, valves, caps, and neckrings are also available. Standard sizes are kept in stock. Assistance with financing is available. Contact: Cyl-Tec Inc., Ph: (888) 429-5832; Web: www.cyl-tec.com.
low profile 4-inch wide Camlock Vise that measures 3 inches tall. The unit is designed for small-to medium-size runs with quick and easy setup. The hand knob adjusts to the desired open position. A short horizontal movement of the locking lever clamps or releases the part, providing one-hand operation of the fixture. The maximum travel of the jaw is 5 /16 inch. The recessed parallel jaw inserts are designed to keep the work level and can be removed to accommodate the userâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s jig and fixture components. The hallow base allows for clear-through drilling. The guide bars
Low-profile vise High-pressure gas cylinders
Cyl-Tec Inc.
September/October 2006
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Heinrich Co. Heinrich Company announces a
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What s Hot and camlock parts are hardened and ground. The unit weighs 23 pounds. Contact: Heinrich Co., Ph: (262) 634-4299; Web: www. heinrichco.com. Production saw
DoALL Sawing Products
New Products tures numeric controls for programming up to ten jobs at a time, including the number of cuts and cut lengths. The control panel is ergonomically placed and has an eight-line alphanumeric display. Kerf compensation and multiple indexing are automatically controlled. Other features include a powered band brush, rapid travel vise index control, and separate motors for the hydraulic system and coolant pump. Contact: DoALL Sawing Products, Ph: (847) 258-8862; Web: www.doall.com.
inches by 24 inches and can be bolted to the floor. The product is designed as an efficient method for keeping track of inserts and tools as well as keeping work areas neat. Contact: Modular Tooling Systems Inc., Ph: (248) 577-9005; Web: www.modtool.com. Production saw
Tool-changing bench
The new Model DC-310NC dual column metal cutting band saw by DoALL Sawing Products features a wider 11/4-inch blade and 5-hp band drive motor. It can saw rectangles up to 12 inches by 12 inches and rounds up to 12-inch diameter. The saw fea-
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Modular Tooling Systems Inc. Modular Tooling Systems in has developed a compact tool-changing bench with molded compartments for six different sizes of inserts, Allen wrenches, torque keys, and a small bin for dull inserts. A vertical panel holds printed instruction sheets for matching the tooling inserts to the proper machining operation. Each table is 24
Pat Mooney Inc. Pat Mooney Inc. now exclusively carries Nishijimax Systems production saws. According to Pat Mooney, A single Nishijimax CNC Carbide Cutoff System can replace three to four production saws, and it cuts more parts per hour and more parts per blade than a standard production saw. Contact: Pat Mooney, Ph: (800) 323-7503; Web: www.patmooney-
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Metal Moment
An example of how NOT to install a wall rail Anyone seems like a good fit when you’re in a bind. That’s why sometimes the best way to test a potential employee’s qualifications is to give him or her a day on the job. By Tom McDonough Master Metal Services Inc. In this hectic busy industry we are in, there are times when the only sane option is to hang yourself with your overhead cranes. Sometimes you find yourself wondering if you’ll ever catch a break. Fortunately for me, recently there seems to be fewer of those days. But now that my business has grown I’m looking for qualified employees to take on. Now we always get calls from installers, welders, and fabricators looking for jobs, but in our area (South Florida) with an unemployment rate of about 21/2 percent the ones without a job probably don’t deserve to have one. Well, one Friday afternoon I got a call from—we’ll call him “Steve.” Steve just came down from New York, and was a union ironworker with a 6G welding certification. Over the phone he peaked my interest enough to have him interview on Saturday. Yes, I was working! Steve showed up and the interview went well. He said all the things I wanted to hear. He had his own company and installed stairs, railings, structural steel, and fences. Perfect! Also he took a TIG welding test and he did so so. As desperate as I was, and excited to see a partially qualified person in my shop, I hired him on the spot. Oh, did I mention he wanted a lot of money! Monday came and Steve showed up early for work. I didn't have anything I wanted him to install that day, so I had him TIG weld some stainless rail. I figured his so-so test would get better, but it didn't. The next day I sent him and a new helper to install two September/October 2006
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McDonough realized his new employee hadn’t been completely honest about his work experience when the new guy installed these wall rails the wrong way.
pieces of wall rails—piece of cake. They installed the wall rails and were even back early. I was already counting the money I made from that little job installed in half the time I had in for it when, about an hour later, I get a phone call from the contractor asking me to come down and look at the rails. He said, “I don’t really know how to explain it. It seems the railings are installed wrong.” “Impossible!” I said. “It can only go in one way!” As he explained how they looked, things started to look grim for me. Trying to visualize how the rails were going, I pulled prints and asked Steve if this is how the rails were installed. “Yes,” he said. Still thinking something was fishy I made a model out of 1/8 inch aluminum TIG wire. “Is this the way they look?” I asked him, showing the proper way a wall rail should be installed. “No,” he said. “They go like this.”
My heart stopped. It was only a stairway with walls on each side. One rail for the left side and one for the right side, but he reversed the railings. In all my 17 years in this business I have never seen something so easy screwed up. It was obvious the man had never installed wall rail before and would not admit to installing them wrong. Needless to say, I had to let him go. Hired on Saturday, start work on Monday, fired on Tuesday. So the break I thought I got ended up breaking my heart. I had to go and remove and reinstall the rail. I actually got to the job site so early so I wouldn’t have to face anyone. Later that night I was sitting in my office ready to wrap the noose around my neck when I looked at the pictures I took of the railings and started laughing. I had never seen anything so ridiculous in my life. I printed up the photos and also emailed them to a few friends in the business. So when things are going a bit rough at the office I look up at the pictures and thank “Steve” for giving me a good laugh! 95
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Leading New York City shop looking for lead layout man for stairs, railings, etc. Top pay and benefits, excellent working conditions with a lot of potential for growth. Barry Leistner c/o Koenig Iron Works, 8-14 37th Ave., Long Island City, NY 11101. Ph: (718) 433-0900, ext. 0; E-mail: bleistner @koenigironworks.com Blacksmith Wanted
Cardine Studios, leading Blacksmith shop in Northern VA requires lead fabricator for ornamental metal fabrication, five years experience; Good pay, benefits, and work environment. Contact Patrick Cardine at (540) 4396460 or Fax resume to (540) 439-6462. Railing Fabricator Layout/Quality Control
High-end nonferrous fabricator specializing in aluminum, stainless steel, brass, bronze, and glass railings in central New Jersey looking to expand and grow. Company is a 20-year-old, multi-million dollar operation of 50 employees in 30,000 square feet in
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Middlesex County, NJ. Applicant needs 10 years minimum experience in layouts, cut lists, and Q.C. in addition to supervising cutters, machinists, and welders. Field measuring and welding knowledge a plus. Eventually you would be the last word in Q.C. as well as helping maintain a safe environment and develop employees for advancement. We will reimburse relocation expenses and offer excellent pay, full benefits, including medical, dental, life, and disability insurance, as well as a 401K match, profit sharing, and bonuses. Ultimately, you set your own value on what you can earn. Fax resume and salary history to: (732) 332-1924.
Rercuiter
Railing Installers/Welders Needed
Paterson, NJ company seeks Metalworker/Supervisor
Handrail Design Inc., a growing manufacturer of custom handrail, has an immediate need for experienced metal fabricators who are familiar with tools/equipment use. The ability to read blueprints and/or experience TIG welding with stainless steel is a plus. Position requires travel 95 percent of the time; thus, the ability to work independently is essential. We offer competitive wages and benefits as well as bonus program. To apply: Fax: (717) 285-5083, Ph: (310) 475-3337;Email: lsavoie@hdirailings. com. Attn: LJ Savoie. DRUG FREE WORKPLACE.
Employment nationwide in structural/miscellaneous steel fabrication. ProCounsel is in communication with over 3,000 structural/ miscellaneous and ornamental steel fabricators. We can market your skills (estimator, project manager, detailer, shop manager) to the city or state of your choice without identifying you. Employer pays fee. The right location, the right job, at the right money. ProCounsel: Buzz Taylor. Call toll free (800) 545-5900, or (214) 741-3014. Fax: (214) 741-3019. Mailbox@procounsel.net.
Supervise metalworkers doing artistic metalworking projects, including architectural large-scale restoration projects, custom metalworking (wrought iron); executing original metal work designs; utilizing repousse techniques; restoration to original state, using traditional artisanal techniques. Required: 4 years training/experience. 45/hour work week. Send resume to LMC Corp. Attention: HR, 77 Second Avenue, Paterson, NJ 07514.
abana.org
Classifieds
9/2/06
Artist-Blacksmithâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Association of North America
ABANA PO Box 816 Farmington, GA 30638 (706) 310-1030 (706) 769-7147 FAX
ABANA
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Advertiser s index Access Control and Gate Operators/Hardware Pg 59 65 09 31 84 43 52 19 87 94
Company ......................................................................................Website Chamberlain ..........................................www.chamberlain.com Chamberlain ..........................................www.chamberlain.com D & D Technologies (USA) Inc. ..............www.ddtechusa.com DKS, DoorKing Systems..............................www.doorking.com International Gate Devices..................................www.intlgate.com Marks U.S.A. ................................................www.marksusa.com Master Halco ..........................................www.fenceonline.com Multi Sales Inc. ....................................www.multisalesinc.com Siren Operated Sensor ........................................www.sosgate.com Universal Entry Systems Inc. ............................(800) 837-4283
Components, Panels, Hardware, Extrusions 39 21 94 66 71 29 41 22 74 04 73 76 62 89 53 34 11 91 02 23 15 07 83 36 61 60 33 51 35
Architectural Iron Designs Inc.......www.archirondesign.com Architectural Products by Outwater ..............www.outwater.com Atlas Metal Sales ......................................www.atlasmetal.com Bavarian Iron WorksCo. ....................................www.ttbiw.com Julius Blum & Co. Inc. ..............................www.juliusblum.com Cable Rail by Feeney ..................................www.cablerail.com Cable Rail by Feeney ..................................www.cablerail.com Complex Industries Inc.......................................(901) 547-1198 Crescent City Iron Supply..................................(800) 535-9842 D.J.A Imports Ltd. ....................................www.djaimports.com Decorative Iron ..................................www.decorativeiron.com The G-S Co. ..........................................................www.g-sco.com Jansen Ornamental Supply Co. ........www.jansensupply.com Jesco Industries Inc. WIPCO div.................www.jescoonline.com KAS Direct Building & Decorating ..........www.kasdirect.com King Architectural Metals ......................www.kingmetals.com Lawler Foundry Corp. ........................www.lawlerfoundry.com Lawler Foundry Corp. ........................www.lawlerfoundry.com Lewis Brass & Copper Co. Inc. ..............www.lewisbrass.com Mac Metals Inc. ........................................www.macmetals.com New Metals Inc.........................................www.newmetals.com Regency Railings ..............................www.regencyrailings.com Rik-Fer USA ..........................................................(630) 350-0900 Tennessee Fabricating Co. ................................www.tnfab.com Tennessee Fabricating Co. ................................www.tnfab.com Texas Metal Industries ........www.texasmetalindustries.com The Wagner Companies ............www.wagnercompanies.com The Wagner Companies ............www.wagnercompanies.com Wrought Iron Concepts ......www.wroughtironconcepts.com
Fabrication Equipment & Tools 67 77 45 13 69 54 87 78 45 77 18 91 72 54 90 99 93 90 17 40
Big Blu Hammer Mfg. Co.................www.bigbluhammer.com Blacksmiths Depot.............................www.blacksmithsdepot.com Carell Corporation......................................www.carellcorp.com Cleveland Steel Tool Co. ..........www.clevelandsteeltool.com Classic Iron Supply ......................www.classicirononline.com CML USA Inc. ..........................................www.ercolina-usa.com Cole-Tuve Inc. ........................................................www.coletuve.com COMEQ Inc. ..............................................................www.comeq.com Eagle Bending ....................www.eaglebendingmachines.com Glaser USA ..................................................www.glaser-usa.com Hebo GmbH........................................................www.heboe.com Industry Saw ..............................................................(562) 803-6324 Mittler Bros. Machine & Tool ................www.mittlerbros.com NC Tool Co. ..........................................................(800) 446-6498 Pat Mooney Inc. ....................................www.patmooneysaws.com Production Machinery Inc. ........................www.promaco.com R & D Hydraulics Mfg. & Machine Co. ..................www.rdhs.com Rogers Mfg. Inc. ................................www.rogers-mfg-inc.com Silver Mine Distribution ....www.silverminedistribution.com Striker Tool Co. (USA) Inc. ....................www.strikertools.com
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Fabrication Equipment & Tools (continued) 93 88 90
Striker Tool Co. (USA) Inc. ....................www.strikertools.com TP Tools......................................................................www.tptools.com Vogel Tool & Die ..........................................www.vogeltool.com
Fabrication Services 84 76 92
Calhoun Design........................www.calhounmetalworks.com Colorado Waterjet Co. ................www.coloradowaterjet.com Tornado Supply ........................................................www.owi-inc.net
Finishing Products 73 92 38 44
Birchwood Casey ..................................www.birchwoodcasey.com Intercon ......................................................www.intercononline.com Sumter Coatings Inc. ......................www.sumtercoatings.com Sur-Fin Chemical Corp. ..........................www.surfinchemical.com
Professional Development 96 86 76 10 37 63 86 49 50 96
ABANA............................................................................www.abana.org ARTMETAL ..............................................................www.artmetal.com Blue Moon Press Ltd...............................www.bluemoonpress.org Campbell Folk School ......................................www.folkschool.org Fabtech Intl. & AWS Welding Show ..........www.fmafabtech.com Fabtech Intl. & AWS Welding Show ..........www.fmafabtech.com NEF / NOMMA ..................................................www.nomma.org NOMMA ..............................................................www.nomma.org NOMMA ..............................................................www.nomma.org Traditional Building ........................www.traditional-building.com
Software 27 88 68
FabCAD Inc. ......................................................www.fabcad.com MB Software Solutions ......www.mbsoftwaresolutions.com Red Pup Productions ............................www.ornamentalpro.com
Stairs & Treads 100 58 47 78 72
The Iron Shop ........................................www.theironshop.com Salter Industries ......................................www.salterspiralstair.com Stairways Inc. ........................................www.stairwaysinc.com Steptoe & Wife Antiques Ltd. ....................www.steptoewife.com Tri-State Shearing & Bending............................(718) 485-2200
Glass Services 74 10
K Dahl Glass Studios ......................................www.kdahlglass.com Lindblade Metal Works ..............www.lindblademetalworks.com
Some suppliers listed here may offer products in more than one category. Check ads and websites (or phone numbers) for details. Bold denotes NOMMA Supplier Members. Want your companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name listed here? Call NOMMA at (888) 516-8585.
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Fab Feedback
How can I attach new finials to an old fence? Recently on the NOMMA member e-mail forum, a fabricator asked for feedback on attaching new finials to an already installed and powdercoated fence. Here’s what some fellow NOMMA members had to say. Question: We have an existing fence that we built, powder coated, and installed a year ago. Now the customer wants to add finials. Any one have any ideas on how to go about this? Grinding the powder coat off and welding these on is not an option. We plan to drill and tap the finial and using a set screw on the back side, but we would also like to use some kind of epoxy to make it more permenent. ~Wade Ranck Eagle Machine & Welding
Survey says: “Use an epoxy!” If you powder coated over steel, I would strongly suggest not penetrating the finish and look into a Dupont or 3M 2-part epoxy were you just scuff the finish for grabbing power. If you powder coated over aluminum, we normally pre-drill the finials and hang them through the hole for powder coating and then use set screws, (stainless steel). ~Thomas B. Zuzik Jr. Artistic Railings Inc. I use 90 second epoxy. It locks it together, and is much better than welding it. Good Luck. ~Jim Peterson Artistic Railing Co.
Attaching with epoxy: A detailed example We use a construction epoxy manufactured by Sika called Sikafix-3 (they manufacture in at their plant in Germany for Hilti and others, all the same stuff.) We buy it by the case and use it a lot to anchor pins, studs, and threaded rods for anchoring our metalwork to concrete as well as bonding pickets to bars and other uses as well. It is so much faster than welding and grinding. It’s relatively cheap; we pay $28 (Canadian) for a twin tube cartridge. The dispenser is about $100. We highly recomend the stuff; it’s a total problem solver for us installer types. For example, on one job we had about 35 or 40 powder coated fencing panels about 6 feet long (about 1,200 points in all). We bundled and strapped the panels with wood strips and foam for shipping to the jobsite (I think about six together) and had them standing upright (on rolling shop carts) as they would be installed. At the shop, the bar points or finials were also pre-painted and arranged on a table. We then individually injected the right amount (through trial and error) of epoxy into the recess (hole) of each point then slipped them onto each picket. Depending on the temperature and the set rate of the epoxy (there is fast
and slow, and we always use the fast) there is some working time to play around with them to get them to stand up straight. We tried a few different things and found the best was to get them as straight as possible initially and then go through the bundle and keep adjusting them till the epoxy kicked over and set. If I recall it only took about 30 minutes to do each bundle, a fraction of the time as welding/grinding/cleaning. And it left a much nicer looking finished product. The most important thing, as we used a 3/4 inch square bar, was to get an even coating on all sides of the hole for even coverage on all sides (rotating the hole on the nozzle and a popsicle stick) and using the right amount. Too much made a mess and had to be cleaned off, not enough might make the bond weak. If we did have a bit of a mess with the epoxy it was not too hard to scrape it off with a sharp wood chiesel or putty knife without damaging the finish (this we did on the jobsite when the panels were installed and the pickets were at eye level). We had to knock a few off that were crooked and that took about 10 hits with a 4 pound hammer, so it’s very strong. There is no exposed epoxy so UV degradation isn’t an issue. Experiment and see what works for your aplication. ~Rob Webster
W RI TE !
Share your metal tidbits. On NOMMA’s Member’s Only e-mail discussion list, the ListServ, NOMMA members ask questions and get answers. You can join the list by joining NOMMA. Ph: (888) 516-8585; E-mail: nommainfo@nomma.org; Web: www.nomma.org 98
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