MRB Posted March 31, 2021 Share Posted March 31, 2021 Hi All, Looking to expand from making fireplace tools by now venturing into mantles and getting into screens/doors. Not sure now is the best time since winter is almost over, but then again, maybe people rather do the work while the weather is warm and they don’t have a fore going. Anyways, where do you all get your screen material from? Where I looked online, it seemed quieter expensive. Wasn’t sure if even regular door/window screen would work? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBones Posted April 1, 2021 Share Posted April 1, 2021 I would say no on the door/window screen. That stuff is pretty light weight and, at least in this area, almost near impossible to find in metal now a days. Wire cloth may work if you can find it small enough, but that is fairly stiff and would have to be done in bi-fold panels for ease of movement. If you look at fireplace screen it is actually more like chain link fence than screen. As a matter a fact i had a house that the fire place screen was a bunch of small chains. So you could make your own. Make some long spirals with wire then start one end of one into another and "screw" them together, then flatten when you have the desired size. Or you could make chain mail. Both would be incredibly tedious though. Just a quick look at that retail internet site named after the river in S. America show they have it for $50. So would it be more cost efficient to make it or buy it? Kind of like hammer handles. I can spend half a day making one, 4 hours at $20 an hour comes to $80 just in labor, or go buy one for $10. You can also start scrounging the scrap yard for old fireplace screens or give some folks doing remodeling a call and ask if they have any they are replacing. While on the phone with those folks you can also let them know you are making the screens and mantles and ask if they would be interested in seeing your work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted April 1, 2021 Share Posted April 1, 2021 Fireplace screen comes in both rigid and flexible types; BB has been describing the flexible type. There should be several sources listed if you use your browser to search on: fireplace screen site:iforgeiron.com. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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