February 4, 201313 yr Just sharing my recent work. This Sign bracket is heading to SC, Charleston. It will be mounted off the corner of a stucco building. I believe it is brick underneath and masonry supporting, the building being very old. I hope to hire a friend of mine who is a mason to help with the installation, I am not greatly knowledgeable about stucco brick buildings. The bracket is set on pivots but will be pinned in place to keep it from swinging in the wind, customers specifications. There will be three wooden signs hanging from the bottom. The design is a cleaned up version of the customers business logo. I have built this piece using the coal forge, gas forge, forge welding, MIG welding, hot and cold bending, grinders, files, hot punching, drilling, tenons and pins. I plan to have the piece sandblasted, then primer and paint. Having a hard time finding good paint actually. I will also be making decorative links between the wooden signs 35" tall 40" wide Mackenzie Martin Martin Forge Works
February 4, 201313 yr Great job! But I'd like to see a couple of collars connecting the two scrolls on the vertical member.
February 4, 201313 yr I'm with Martin. I think it would look better with collars or rivets instead of bolts. For paint, you might try automotive paint and clear coat. It's designed to be outdoors. Very nice scrolls.
February 4, 201313 yr A nice bracket. The idea for adding collars reminded me of a Francis Whitaker workshop story. When Francis opened the workshop to questions, one young man said that he made some scrollwork and when it was laid out, there wasn't enough room to place and close the collars. He further said that he didn't want to make the collars out of too thin material or it would detract from what he was making. Was this a confession or a question? I'm not quite sure, but Francis' response was, "Then, you're design's wrong! Next question." I'm not saying that Martin's design is wrong in telling this story. I just like to tell stories.
February 4, 201313 yr Author Collars would be nice but the design was pretty specific from the client. Also the bolts are temporary. I will be adding forged eyes for the sign to hang from. Mackenzie Martin Martin Forge Works
February 4, 201313 yr I don't get it, when a guy presents a piece that was produced for a client some folks go on about....Ya shoulda' coulda' BS. It wasn't put up for critque and I reckon the client was/is happy with the design,execution and budget and that's all that matters. I think you did a fine job ML..... B)
February 4, 201313 yr Geez, I wasn't criticizing I was figuring that since it was an old building the client might have wanted it "look" traditional in construction. But the client is always right and we don't have time to educate them all!
February 5, 201313 yr Gotta chuckle from your story Frank. I like your stories. you should write another book :))
February 5, 201313 yr Geez, I wasn't criticizing I was figuring that since it was an old building the client might have wanted it "look" traditional in construction. But the client is always right and we don't have time to educate them all! Sorry Doc, I did come on a little short.... :)
February 5, 201313 yr Wow! That is a great sign bracket, the scrolls are perfectly and consistently curved and shaped. -www.sawblade.com
February 6, 201313 yr Author I am glad yall enjoy it. Just like any build I would not call it perfect. There are always things I could change if done again. The scrolls were all bent by hand. If I had more of them to do I probably would have made a few jigs to bend on. The bracket is off being sandblasted now and I will start paint tomorrow. Hopefully install next week. I will be sure to photograph it on the building and leave a picture here. Rhett just let me know some good times for you to come over. I think I can set aside some good time to forge. Mackenzie Martin Martin Forge Works
March 16, 201313 yr Author Hello everyone Here are the pictures of the installed bracket. The building was built by Major Peter Bocquet in 1770. Not much of a surprise but install was harder than planed. I requested a mason on site and was told there would be a builder there, and there was no one. Also the client stated it was to be under 14 foot but when I arrived on site he wanted over 16 foot. Also I was told I would be working over a sidewalk but ended up working over a street with traffic. The guy tried to talk his way out of paying for install, also I arrived at 10 am, a four hour drive from my shop to get there and the client did not have the permits to start work. So I sat around till noon waiting to start work, and there were 20+mph winds while I was up the ladder. A little tip for masonry epoxies. LOOK AT THE EXPIRATION DATE I was at the top of the latter with drilled holes when I found out that the epoxy I bought from MCMaster one week earlier was 2 years expired All said and done I am happy its on the building and I have been paid. I just returned from a nice trip to Colonial Williamsburg and now its time to get back to work in the shop Mackenzie Martin Martin Forge Works
March 16, 201313 yr Very nice work. I but could hope to get such a nice commission. Maybe I need to make a sample.....
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