Bending Fences to the Past

While living in Austin I built a fence for a client and friend. His only requirement was that it be similar to a vintage fence that was produced in the area in the 50's. I reproduced that fence to the best of my ability with a dash of artistic flare.

Drawing of a single bent wire picket.

Bending each picket on a bending form in my shop and spot welded each point of contact was tedious and physically draining.

Here you can see clearly how the pickets overlap to create a repeating pattern.

The fence required 300 separate overlapping pickets. Small metal connecting brackets hold the pickets firmly to the support wires that run the length of the fence.

We wanted the fence to rust and become weathered.

I was told that this style of fence was the precursor to the modern chain link fence found everywhere today. I prefer the old version.

The shadow is beautiful.

Wall Flower

Original sketch.

Computer drawing.

Danny helping with the build. Couldn't do it without him.

Mounting the face.

The finished piece without any finish.

Handmade stainless pulls.

Installed using a french cleat. The cleat keeps the piece snug against the wall.

Its also functional.

Apparently the appearance of the wood is caused by the ambrosia beetle.

The original design had the ambrosia maple on the front as well. It was too much. I left it off.

Midcentry Granny Makeover

We found a set of six chairs--four armless and two with arms--in Alphabet City at a sidewalk sale while meeting some friends for brunch. Somewhere under that thick gold brocade and grandma plastic was a nice set of dining chairs.

I began by unscrewing the seat cushions and sanding all the surfaces with 180-grit sandpaper until all the scratches and imperfections were smoothed out, including the bizarre dirty-white/green paint and the faux-finish of gold "highlights" here and there. I discovered that the chairs were originally made in Pennsylvania by the Ebert Furniture Company in 1957. I was able to reuse the the foam cushion and the wooden seat, only discarding the gold fabric and protective plastic covering. I removed the unsightly metal feet and replaced them with low-profile felt pads.

On a trip to the Manhattan Bargain District to shop at Shepard Fairey's pop-up store, we came across Belraf Fabrics, and after sifting through shoulder-high stacks of textiles we found several styles that matched our vision for the chairs, including a green-on-ivory ikat print and a multicolored stripe. A good staple gun and some patience is all you need to do basic upholstery. We wanted to keep the original poplar seats which meant removing two layers (one for the original gold fabric and another for the plastic added later) of old staples by hand.

After I cut away the excess fabric this seat was ready to install. These chairs are sanded and headed to the spray booth.

I used a satin-black catalyzed-conversion varnish because the chairs will see some abuse, and I wanted them to look new years from now. I used a spinning table in the spray booth. It's easier to rotate the piece instead of circling it. A light first coat, a heavier second coat, and a final even coat will reduce the possibility of any runs. Since there was no chance of replacing the plastic covers, I decided to use Scotch Guard instead. (Fire escapes make great spray booths.) The black paint evens out the carved elements on the seat back, and the fabric adds a little pop. The chairs complete a comfortable, eclectic dining room that doesn't take itself too seriously. I like that. Plus the color and shape of the chairs pick up on the steel-frame elements of the table. There are two arm chairs that I haven't refurbished yet. They'll look totally different and you'll see them soon.

Industrial Dining

I found this metal cabinet on eBay for $25. A guy in Ditmas Park discovered it, originally used for machinist tools, while renovating an apartment building there. As soon as I saw it, I could envision it as an unexpected base for a dining room table. The 10 thin drawers would give a small apartment needed storage, plus it's a great conversation piece for guests.

I fabricated the top from walnut plywood with a solid walnut edge. The top is roughly 48" x 48".

The cabinet was only 16" high, and a table top needs to be at least 30" off the ground, so chairs and legs fit comfortably underneath. The chest also needed more visual heft to be in proportion to the square table top.

Therefore, I welded together pieces of 14-gauge, 1.5" square metal tube, forming two rectangular "legs." Then I blackened them to match the tones of the cabinet, so that the entire structure looks as if it were all made at the same time. Finally, I added rubber feet to the legs as a scratch-preventative for the apartment's wooden floors.


The steel rectangles are just wide enough to except the cabinet.

Fabricating custom steels brackets expedited the assembly process. I could have purchased some but they wouldn't have matched the black of the legs and cabinet.




I used self-tapping sheet metal screws in conjunction with the custom brackets to attach the two legs to the cabinet.

Eight total brackets hold the legs to the cabinet, while another four brackets attach the legs to the walnut top.

I'm going to replace the metal pulls on the cabinet drawers with small leather straps to add additional interest and to bring the tones of the walnut top into the base.

NOTE: The Heavy Chair is currently being fabricated, so I'll be blogging later about its final preparations.

Problem-Solving

I've decided on a configuration for the back rest of the Heavy Chair. My original thought was to keep it simple and shape it out of one piece of wood. Simplicity occasionally has its complications.

The wood grain that runs top to bottom on my chair would create a weak spot at the point where the seat back leaves the seat support, and it will eventually fail and begin to crack. By using a sliding dove tail joint and turning the grain of the seat back perpendicular to the seat support the weak point is eliminated. It could then expand and contract without compromising the joint.

I'll use a wooden dowel to keep one end to the joint static and let the opposing side travel freely. No glue will be used in the joint except to secure the wooden dowel.

I'm still considering the species of wood for the seat back assembly. I'd like to use something other than walnut as it find its way into most of my projects. You'll know as soon as I decide.

Knock-Knock Joke

Find a vintage door you like. A skinny solid wood door is the best. Ours had slight smoke damage but still has the original copper latch hardware. We found our solid birch door at Build it Green in Queens (www.bignyc.org) for $45.

Compile the correct tools! Several clamps and a circular saw with a sharp blade are vital. In addition, it's easier to clean all of the surfaces with Murphy's Oil Soap prior to construction.

Mark a line where you will cut the door to form its legs. Wood glue and 3-inch screws will fasten it after the two cuts

Use an object with a straight edge to guide the saw cleanly through the door. Make sure the circular saw is set to a 45-degree angle.


You can use a utility knife to clean up any splinters.

Pre-drill holes to accept the 3-inch screws, two on each leg. Don't forget to use ample wood glue in the joints.


Use a good wipe-on wood preserver.

Add some bespoke magazine carts (two square pieces of Baltic birch, 8 casters and 2 cabinet pulls) and voila.

CNC, Bends and Flame Cuts

For the metal elements of the Heavy Chair, I created a CAD drawing. This rendering tells the CNC machine exactly where to cut the metal to produce my desired shape. The main body will receive two bends. The bend at the front will be 87 degrees, and the rear bend will be 93 degrees. The first drawing shown here incorporates the measurements and a layout to help the machinist understand how the piece will assemble. The second drawing is specifically created for the CNC router.


The machine will cut out four small pieces and two horseshoe-shaped pieces. These elements, together, will become the structure that hold the wooden uprights. First, I'll TIG-weld the pieces into place and grind flat the joints. Finally, I'll blacken the exposed steel.


After witnessing a process called flame-cutting, I've decided that it would add some subtle interest. I'll leave the sides of the chair slightly long from the CNC-machining and then flame-cut the piece to width by hand. The process leaves what look like perpendicular saw marks in the metal. Flame-cutting the entire surface area would be too much, but doing just the sides makes it quietly textural.


Finding a solution to the final shape of the chair back has been challenging. My intuition is to leave it flat and simple. I may go that direction, but I've sketched some alternative ideas that I'll show in my next entry.