Jan/Feb 2014 O&MM Fabricator by NOMMA

METALfab2014, March 12–1, St. Louis: Complete details, page 13 Ornamental and Miscellaneous Metal

Fabricator ®

The official publication of the National Ornamental & Miscellaneous Metals Association

January / February 2014 $6.00 US

2013 Top Job Gold Award: Exterior Railing & Fence — Forged

Bighorn’s beautıful bronze forgıng ‘The Lynden Sculpture Garden conservator . . . was correct, and I am thrilled with the finish’ — Dan Nauman

page 48

Shop Talk New FabCAD 2014 enhances your productivity, page 24 January / February 2014 n Fabricator

Shop Talk Which virtual plan room should you use?, page 30

Member Talk Compass Ironworks stays true to ideals, page 38

Join NOMMA Today! New Dues Structure Makes NOMMA More Affordable For Small Shops! The NOMMA Board of Directors has unveiled a new dues system that makes membership more affordable for 1-2 person shops. Now, shops with annual gross sales of under $250,000 can tap into NOMMA’s resources and tools for $350 per year. This amount gives you full benefits, including access to our online video library, downloadable documents, subscription to our ListServ, our Mentor Program, and much more.

Members Receive Awesome Benefits Membership Benefits Online Video Library Member Resource Kit Subscriptions

(O&MM Fabricator & NOMMA Newswire)

Webinars Vendor Discounts Awards Contest Discounts on all Media & Events ListServ (member-to-member list) Insurance Program (free safety manual) Mentor Program & Buddy System Member Locator (let new clients find you) Technical Support (on codes & standards) Chapters*

(automatic membership in your local chapter)

Free Downloads (tech data & more) Knowledgebase Membership tiers

Online Tutorials

Shop types

Annual gross sales

Dues

Roundtable Conference Calls

Small shop

under $250,000

$350

Affiliations (NOMMA decal & certificate)

Fabricator shop

$251,000–2,499,999

$425

Large shop

$2.5 million & higher

$500

NAAMM-NOMMA Finishes Manual

Join Online: www.nomma.org nommainfo@nomma.org 888-516-8585, ext. 101

NOMMA Buyer’s Guide Recognition in O&MM Fabricator & NOMMA Buyer’s Guide † Exhibitor Discount Mail List Access

Fabricators

Suppliers

✓ ✓ ✓

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

✓

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

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*In areas with a chapter. † Only Nationwide Suppliers are listed in Fabricator. 2014-01-fab

Join Us In St. Louis, Missouri

4 1 0 2 b a ALf METOpening New Gateways: Learn, Grow, Excel

March 12-15, 2014 • St. Charles Convention Center

You are invited to view the METALfab Exhibits Come see our vendor exhibits during METALfab! • See the latest products and services. • Meet face-to-face with industry vendors. • Admission is FREE for exhibits only.

Visit the website to register for the convention. The exhibits only registration is FREE!

For more info, visit www.nomma.org or call us at 888-516-8585

EXHIBIT HOURS Thursday, Mar. 13 Friday, Mar. 14

9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. – Exhibits Open 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. – Exhibits Open

METALfab is the annual convention of the National Ornamental & Miscellaneous Metals Association, founded in 1958.

Inside

January / February 2014 Vol. 55, No. 1

A close-up view of a portion of a banquet hall railing. Compass Ironworks won a NOMMA 2013 Top Job Bronze award in the Interior Railing — Ferrous, Nonforged category. Interview with Amos Glick of Compass Ironworks, page 38.

NOMMA Network

Member Talk

NEF workshop attendees learn French method for joining brass handrail cap ................................. 10

Compass Ironworks stays true to ideals ......................38

Despite Amish issues with technology and communication, Compass Ironworks has a “can-do” attitude, disciplined approach that brings success.

In beloved memory of Marilyn Jean Mueller............. 11 NOMMA adopts tiered dues system ..................... 11

METALfab2014 Opening new gateways: Learn, grow, excel ........................ 13

Shop Talk How FabCAD 2014 enhances your productivity ................................. 24 n Expanded library of vendor parts; n New customizing, automation,

preview, and search functions;

n Updated AutoDesk compatibility; n Improved edit commands . . .

Complete program for the 56th Annual Convention & Exhibits at the St. Charles (St. Louis) Convention Center. Join hundreds of attendees for networking and 15 educational sessions.

increase efficiency and usefulness in this latest version. By Dave Filippi

With the help of NOMMA colleagues, Bighorn Forge’s Dan Nauman quickly learned bronze forging and won a Top Job Gold award for the fencing at the Lynden Sculpture Garden. Nauman takes us step-by-step through his bronze education and the forging process. By Dan Nauman

Events.................................................... 69

Which virtual plan room should you use? .................................... 30

Our technical writer Jeff Fogel examined 5 virtual plan rooms. Each have their advantages. Is one right for you? Or do you need to use more than one? By Jeﬀ Fogel A gift from NOMMA.

Bighorn brings out best in forged bronze job.......................... 48

What’s Hot!

Shop Talk

President’s Letter .......... 7

Top Job Profile

Metalsmithing workshops. Pre-Convention class .................. 14 Education sessions ...................... 14 Shop Tours................................... 17 Spouse program .......................... 17 Registration form ......................... 21

Exec. Director’s Letter ... 8

New NOMMA website, new useful features.

Products: Hand tools .................70 Suppler Members............................ 67 New Members ................................... 68 Ad Index............................................... 73

NEF .................................. 12

Marketing guru Sam Richter will keynote METALfab2014.

Metal Moment .............. 74

Polishing 3-inch-wide stainless steel in the field.

About the cover Bighorn Forge’s beautifully curved railing for the Lynden Sculpture Garden is made of silicon bronze and designed to have movement as if spinning in the breeze. See story on page 48. January / February 2014 n Fabricator

2013 NAHB “New American Home”

• • • • • • •

Fittings and cable for 1/8", 3/16", 1/4", 5/16", and 3/8" diameter cable Diverse array of fittings adapt to field conditions dictated by the job For either indoor or outdoor installation Cable runs custom cut and swaged to your specs Swageless technology fittings available for 1/8" and 3/16" diameter cable Weather-resistant type 316 stainless steel — virtually maintenance-free Less labor intensive — easy to install

Top three judged photos receive prizes and you will receive credit for every photo that we use for promotional purposes (ex: Photo courtesy of ABC Metalworks). For details, visit http://thecableconnection.com/photo-contest-submission.html The Cable Connection 800-851-2961 • 775-885-2734 fax www.ultra-tec.com E-mail: info@ultra-tec.com

ISO 9001 QMI-SAI Global

Made in the U.S.A.

Also available from our stocking distributors: American Structures & Design, Auburn, WA • 877-887-9828 Cable Art Inc., Valencia, CA • 877-664-4224 East Coast Cable Solutions, Thurmont, MD • 240-288-8050 G&F Southeast Distributors, Fayetteville, GA • 866-830-3021 The Wagner Companies, Butler, WI • 888-243-6914

President’s Letter

A gift from NOMMA During my speech at the last The Board agreed that to NOMMA convention, I spoke meet these goals we needed about NOMMA membership, first to expand staff by hiring a how the Board of Directors marketing manager. A Marcompleted a strategic plan keting Task Force including review, and how the board four NOMMA members outlined an aggressive goal to with marketing expertise, guide NOMMA’s strategic plan. along with Executive Director J.R. Molina, Big Todd Daniel, evaluated staff I am excited to report that D Metalworks, during the last 10 months since is president responsibilities and created our Albuquerque convention, a job description for the new of NOMMA. NOMMA’s staff and Board were full-time marketing manager. busy meeting A search team Membership tiers the plan’s goals, reviewed Annual gross sales Dues résumés, reaching several Shop types milestones while Small shop under $250,000 $350 inter viewed still working candidates, and Fabricator shop $251,000–2,499,999 $425 toward others. helped with $2.5 million & higher $500 countless other Last May, the Large shop Board elected to tasks. pass a tiered dues policy (see table). As After a lengthy search, Brian a topic of discussion since 2006 when Maddox of Aiken, SC, was named past president Doug Bracken first led NOMMA’s new Marketing Manager the charge, the tiered dues concept did beginning October 2013. not gain enough traction to propel it Brian is now overseeing all marketinto a policy. In 2008, Terry Barrett ing functions of the association, and Bob Foust introduced the topic a including communications, promotions, second time. Once again, the research research, and the development of new was put behind other pressing issues. member products and services. In Bruce Boyler ignited the idea a third addition, he will be involved in the time in 2010. After another three years day-to-day membership outreach and of research, background papers, and retention. meetings with consultants, the tiered With Brian’s extensive experience dues policy was passed to go into effect in both sales and marketing, I am January 1. But it will not affect current excited and hopeful that he will play an members until renewal time. integral part in boosting NOMMA to Our objectives in creating the its next level of success. tiered dues policy are to maintain our With Brian covering these areas, current membership, generate new NOMMA’s staff and Board are now membership, and make membership free to focus on the third goal of affordable to all past, current, and re-evaluating NOMMA’s current potential members. benefits. This goal aims to add new value-driven benefits and eliminate NOMMA’s next strategic goals benefits no longer used. All in all, it has been a busy year, but n Developing a new marketing plan to encourage both new and I believe the hard work will pay off for continuous membership. NOMMA in the near future. n Reevaluating NOMMA’s current benefits to add new value-driven benefits and eliminate benefits no longer vital.

January / February 2014 n Fabricator

Dedicated to the success of our members and industry. NOMMA O FFICERS

President J.R. Molina, Big D Metalworks, Dallas, TX President-Elect Mark Koenke, Germantown Iron & Steel Corp. Jackson, WI Vice President/Treasurer Allyn Moseley, Heirloom Stair & Iron, Campobello, SC Immediate Past President Will Keeler, Keeler Iron Works, Memphis, TN

F ABRICATOR D I RECTORS

Greg Bailey, Bailey Metal Fabricators, Mitchell, SD Keith Majka, Majka Railing Co. Inc., Paterson, NJ Tina Tennikait, Superior Fence & Orn. Iron, Cottage Hills, IL Greg Terrill, Division 5 Metalworks, Kalamazoo, MI Cathy Vequist, Pinpoint Solutions, Jupiter, FL Henry Wheeler, Wheeler Ornamental Metals, Dothan, AL

S U PPLI ER D I RECTORS

Rick Ralston, Feeney Inc., Eugene, OR Mark Sisson, Mac Metals Inc., Kearny, NJ Dave White Jr., Locinox USA, Countryside, IL

NOMMA E DUCATION F OU N DATION O FFICERS

Co-Chairs Roger Carlsen, Ephraim Forge Inc., Frankfort, IL Lynn Parquette, Mueller Ornamental Iron Works Inc., Elite Architectural Metal Supply LLC, Elk Grove Village, IL Treasurer Mike Boyler, Boyler’s Ornamental Iron Inc., Bettendorf, IA

NEF T RUSTEES

Heidi Bischmann, Milwaukee, WI Carl Grainger, Grainger Metal Works, Nichols, SC Mark Koenke, Germantown Iron & Steel Corp., Jackson, WI Christopher Maitner, Christopher Metal Fabricating, Grand Rapids, MI Rob Rolves, Foreman Fabricators, St. Louis, MO

NOMMA C HAPTERS

Chesapeake Bay Patty Koppers, President, Koppers Fabricators Inc. Forestville, MD 301-420-6080 Florida Marco Vasquez, President, Vasquez Custom Metals Inc., Tampa, FL, 813-248-3348 Gulf Coast Charles Perez, President, B & O Machine Welding, Brookhaven, MS, 985-630-6943 Northeast Keith Majka, President, Majka Railing Co. Inc., Paterson, NJ, 973-247-7603 Pacific Northwest Gale Schmidt, President, A2 Fabrication Inc., Milwaukie, OR, 503-771-2000 Upper Midwest Mark O’Malley, President, O’Malley Welding & Fabricating Inc., Yorkville, IL, 630-553-1604

NOMMA S TAFF

Executive Director, J. Todd Daniel, CAE Meetings & Exposition Manager; NEF Executive Director, Martha Pennington Member Care & Operations Manager, Liz Johnson Editor, Robin Sherman Sales Director, Sherry Theien Marketing Manager, Brian Maddox

F ABRICATOR E DITORIAL A DVISORY B OARD

Terry Barrett, Pinpoint Solutions, Jupiter, FL Doug Bracken, Wiemann Metalcraft, Tulsa, OK Bill Coleman, Arc Angels, Dunedin, FL Nancy Hayden, Tesko Enterprises, Norridge, IL Chris Holt, Steel Welding, Freedom, PA Rob Rolves, Foreman Fabricators, St. Louis, MO

Ornamental & Miscellaneous Metal Fabricator (ISSN 0191-5940), is the official publication of the National Ornamental & Miscellaneous Metals Association (NOMMA). O&MM Fabricator / NOMMA 805 South Glynn St., Ste. 127, #311 Fayetteville, GA 30214 Editorial We love articles! Send story ideas, letters, press releases, and product news to: Fabricator at address above. Ph/Fax: 888-516-8585. E-mail: fabricator@nomma.org. Advertise Reach 8,000 fabricators For information, call Sherry Theien, Ph: 815-282-6000. Email stheien@att. net. Ads are due on the first Friday of the month preceding the cover date. Send ads to: Fabricator at address above. Email 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 Join NOMMA! Beyond the magazine, enjoy more benefits as a NOMMA member. To join, call 888-5168585, ext. 101. For a list of benefits, see membership ad in this issue. Exhibit in METALfab Exhibit at METALfab, NOMMA’s annual convention and trade show. For more information, contact Martha Pennington at 888-5168585, ext. 104, or martha@nomma.org. Subscriptions Subscription questions? Call 888-516-8585. Send subscription address changes to: Fabricator Subscriptions, 805 South Glynn St., Ste. 127, #311, Fayetteville, GA 30214. Fax: 888-516-8585, or fabricator@nomma.org. 1-year: U.S., Canada, Mexico — $30 2-year: U.S., Canada, Mexico — $50 1-year: all other countries — $44 2-year: 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. NOMMA Buyer’s Guide Published each December as a separate issue. Deadline for all advertising materials is October 31. Contact Sherry Theien at 815-282-6000 or stheien@att.net. 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.

How to reach us

Executive Director’s Letter

New website, new useful features After months of work, I am proud to introduce our new website with improvements throughout. I’m particularly excited about the new memberonly features.

Recently rolled out features will remain: n Online videos. In the member’s area, you’ll find nearly 40 videos, including training videos, tutorials, Todd Daniel Goodies galore and webinars. This section Immediately on login, you’ll is executive is a goldmine worth a year’s director of see the “Manage Profile” page membership alone. Use the NOMMA. that allows you to: videos to train new employees or to brush up on various skills. n Create a profile so that others can get to know you. n Fabricator magazine. You can find three types of resources: n Upload files and website links. 1 The “Best of Fabricator” series, n Create a photo gallery. which is a collection of our most n Join groups and forums, and subscribe to blogs (or create your own). popular articles. From this console, you can also 2 The online index to research see your membership status and send articles dating back to 1991. messages to fellow members. 3 The archive where you can view Special groups are already set up online back issues to 2002. for our chapters and AutoCAD users. n Housekeeping. NOMMA believes Unlike our popular ListServ, the Special in transparency; you can get a wealth of Interest Groups are more focused and information from our “Housekeeping” allow members with a specific focus section. You can get lists of past award to discuss items in detail. New “wiki” winners, bylaws, old minutes, our pages allow members of a group to governance manual, strategic plan, and work collaboratively on a document financial reports. or project. n Support. It’s a hard job maintaining current technical information Improved Features for our industry, but here you’ll get In nearly every section, you’ll answers to common questions, such as see we’ve improved all the little basic building code requirements and things, such as a better online store, driveway gate standards. easier event registration, and a n NOMMA Education Foundation. smoother process for renewing your The Foundation maintains a complete membership. site-within-a-site that provides inforThe new Member Locator, which mation on scholarships, grants, continuallows customers to quickly find a ing education events, and donations. NOMMA member in their area, will Give the new site a spin at www. again have a commonly requested nomma.org. If you need your login feature — the ZIP code radius finder. information, contact Liz Harris at Now, architects and contractors can NOMMA (888-516-8585, ext. 101, find you just by entering a ZIP code. liz@nomma.org).

F I LE S, U R JO B P RO CA LL FO R YO

Old favorites

TI PS

Are you a NOMMA Top Job winner? Do you have how-to, step-by-step tips to share? Have you solved an interesting fabrication problem? Write for Fabricator. Contact Editor Robin Sherman at nomma.editor@att.net.

Fabricator

n January / February 2014

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The NOMMA Network

NEF workshop attendees learn French method for joining brass handrail cap If you don’t know what the French method for joining is you could ask NOMMA member Philippe Fiers or you could have attended the NOMMA Education Foundation (NEF) workshop on “Joinery of Brass Handrail Cap” at the American College of Building Arts (ACBA) in Charleston, SC, December 7. Fiers, vice president of Armadillo Metalworks Inc., Passaic, NJ, led the workshop. The French method, he says, is joinery that is done without a welding process. NOMMA members attended from as far away as Pennsylvania and Indiana. Fiers first explained his training in the French apprentice system, which has been in place for more than 1,000 years. His was an eight-year apprenticeship included working a “full day, every day” in the shop and attending class for two hours each night and all day Saturday. The apprentice learns all aspects of metalwork from the masters, and as the apprentice matures in the pro gram, he becomes the teacher for the newer students. Fiers’ overview of handrail forming and templating included examples of how to determine the pre-forming shape by templating and calculation (photo 1), in the case of spiral staircases. He then showed how to make the bronze cap tightly fit over the railing top runner and how to fasten the cap. Finally, he showed how to join the cap ends and sand and finish the rail. Afterward, the students themselves joined lengths of brass handrail cap with Fiers’ assistance. Attendee Scott Hess, Hess Ornamen tal Iron LLC, Felton, PA, said this educa tion class shows of how the NEF builds the skills of its members. Scott plans to do more brass handrail cap work. Hess, a Top Job Award winner, encourages NOMMA members to attend education classes, use the NOMMA ListServ (an email information exchange), submit articles to O&MM 10

Fabricator magazine, and use NOMMA’s resources to build business. Attendees Charlie Bias and David Fredricks, Upright Ironworks Inc., Griffin, IN, also joined bronze pieces. 1 “This education and information sharing is what the NOMMA Education Foundation is focused on,” said Martha Pennington, NEF’s executive director, who coor dinated and attended the workshop. 2 O&MM Fabricator Editor Robin Sherman also attended. Pennington told Bias that the NOMMA ListServ is an extension of information sharing, an everyday education tool for soliciting and sharing tips and advice among members. Everybody should be tuned in to this resource and use it, she said. The NEF thanks Fiers for sharing 3 his knowledge and Mark Sisson, Mac Metals Inc., Kearny, NJ, for providing the brass handrail cap for the class. Special thanks goes to the ACBA for providing the location and to Frank Verga 4 and Rick Guthrie, ACBA metalwork instructors, for hosting and giving support at the session. Photos 1–4, from top to bottom: Thank you to NEF Co-Chair 1 Philippe Fiers discusses the mathematics Roger Carlson, Ephraim Forge for laying out spiral staircase railings. Inc., Frankfort, IL, for filming and 2 For joining, Fiers first upset (by hammering) the end of each bronze cap to build up bronze assistance, and to Carl Grainger, excess. Then holes were drilled, shown, in Grainger Metal Works, Nichols, the side of two cap rails for the insertion of SC, NEF board member, for his joining pins. assistance. 3 Next, the two pieces of cap rail are pushed — Brian Maddox, together after pins are inserted into the sides of the metal. The caps are then tightly secured NOMMA Marketing Manager to the top runner with machine screws and the joint is then hammered down to close any visible gap. 4 Cap ends joined and ready for buffing.

Photos by Martha Pennington and Roger Carlson.

Fabricator

n January / February 2014

In beloved memory of

Marilyn Jean Mueller Marilyn Jean Mueller, 81, a long-time member of the NOMMA family, passed away Dec. 3, 1013 in Henderson, NV. For many years Marilyn worked the registration desk at NOMMA conventions and assisted with the spouse program. She is survived by her husband, Robert A. Mueller, who is a past NOMMA president and honorary lifetime member. She is the mother of three children, including Lynn Parquette, Cindy Beard and Robert Mueller. Two of her children, Lynn and Rob, are continuing the family’s tradition of volunteer service for the trade. Lynn is the current co-chair of the NOMMA Education Foundation, a co-founder of the Upper Midwest Chapter, and the 2012 recipient of the Frank A. Kozik Award. Rob is a past board member and has chaired the Top Job and Auction committees. A memorial service was held on Dec. 21 in Arlington Heights, IL. The family asks that memorial donations be made in her name to the Juvenile Diabetes Assn., Anna & Robert Lurie Children’s Memorial Hospital, or the NOMMA Education Foundation.

January / February 2014 n Fabricator

NOMMA adopts tiered dues plan To better serve the membership, NOMMA is launching a tiered dues system effective January 1. The new system is based on annual gross sales and will divide a fabricator membership into three levels: n Small Shops: Under $250,000: $350/yr. n Fabricator Shop: $251,000–$2,499,999: $425/yr. n Large Shop: $2.5 million and greater: $500/yr. The change, which was approved by the NOMMA Board of Directors, is designed to provide a fairer system for the membership. For years, concerns were raised about the old, same-price system that charged a one-person shop the same dues as a 100-person shop. The new system provides more equity. Most importantly, the system provides a more attractive entry point for small shops just starting out, and for one-person operations. For the majority of NOMMA members the dues will remain the

same at $425 per year. Board discussions of a tiered dues system began in 2005; a task force was assigned to research the issue. In 2010, a Governance Task Force began its review. For the next three years, several models were evaluated. An April 2013 survey gave the Governance team more demographic information. “We reviewed models based on benefits and systems with numerous tiers,” said J.R. Molina of Big D Metalworks, NOMMA’s president and Governance Task Force chair. “Ultimately, we decided on a simple system that would be attractive to small shops while providing more equity for everyone.” The new structure will allow NOMMA to attract smaller and new firms, while maintaining capital for programs that primarily benefit larger members. These benefits include marketing to architects, producing technical materials, and code and standards advocacy.

NOMMA Education Foundation

In partnership with the National Ornamental & Miscellaneous Metals Association

NEF is proud to present. . .

Sam Richter, keynote & Know More! Selling, Reputations, & Business Planning

Join Richter on Wednesday, March 12, Sam Richter is an internationally recognized at METALfab2014 in St. Louis/St. Charles, expert on sales, marketing, and reputation MO. management. His award-winning experience includes building innovative technology, sales, and Know More! Selling  marketing programs for start-up companies Know more than you ever thought you and some of the world's most famous brands. Lynn Parquette, left, Mueller could (or should) about your prospects, Richter has been featured in thousands of Ornamental Iron Works Inc. & Elite clients, and competition. television and radio programs and national Architectural Metal Supply LLC and Roger Carlsen, owner, Ephraim Know More! Reputations and online publications. He presents his Forge Inc., are NEF co-chairs. This thought provoking and entertaining customized “Know More!” keynote and program will provide you very practical ideas you can training programs to audiences around the globe. immediately implement to improve your brand and your He is the author of the best-selling book, Take the Cold personal and business reputation. Out of Cold Calling, considered the preeminent publication on finding information online and using it for sales success. Know More! Business Planning For METALfab2014, Richter will examine a concept he Learn to effectively find information including calls "relevance acceleration" — how to tell your company's competitive data for better business and strategic planning. story in a manner that your buyer cares about and wants to hear. METALfab2014 provides attendees the opportunity to His completely customized programs will shock you, Learn, Grow, and Excel. sometimes scare you, and always provide you new and Make your plans today to attend. innovative ways to find new prospects, connect with people, See the description of Richter’s full program for and build powerful and meaningful business relationships. METALfab on page 14. This is a “must-see” program.

Auction donation form Donation from (company or individual)______________________________________________________________

Description of item donated________________________________________________________________________

Item donated_____________________________________________________________________________________

Declared value of item____________________________ Minimum bid accepted for item___________________ Contact________________________________ Phone_____________ Email_________________________________ I will ❏ bring item ❏ ship item to METALfab. Contact Liz Johnson, liz@nomma.org for shipping instructions. Email form to liz@nomma.org or fax to 888-279-7994. DO N AT E!

For more information on donating to the NOMMA Education Foundation Contact NEF Executive Director Martha Pennington, 888-516-8585 x 104, martha@nomma.org. 12

Fabricator

n January / February 2014

Opening new gateways

Learn, grow, excel 56th Annual Convention & Exhibits

March 12â&#x20AC;&#x201C;15 St. Charles Convention Center One Convention Center Plaza St. Charles, MO January / February 2014 n Fabricator

METALfab2014 Opening new gateways

Make your plans to join a dynamic

group of fabricators and suppliers in St. Louis/St. Charles, MO, on March 12–15, for METALfab2014. This is the perfect opportunity for you to Learn, Grow, and Excel by exploring new ideas, learning new skills, and sharing experiences with the best in the business.

Pre-convention NEF Continuing Education Class*

Sam Richter, keynote speaker, will show you how to tell your story in a way that your customers want to hear it. 14

Tuesday, March 11 — :00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Start METALfab2014 off with a unique experience, a one-day continuing education program hosted at nearby Eureka Forge. As many of you know, Todd Kinnikin from Eureka Forge passed away this year. Todd’s son Michael worked with Todd for many years and has taken over the running of the company. The NEF trustees, and Michael, want to take the excellent opportunity while we are in St. Louis to have a continuing education class that will be a tribute to Todd and the outstanding work of Eureka Forge. Todd was well known for his love of making Damascus blades. He also used Damascus steel in his ornamental products, such leaves, vines, and balusters. Fortunately for us, much of his knowledge and skills were passed on to Michael, who has graciously offered his shop and skills to host what will prove to be a thrilling

education opportunity. This class will cover the creation of a Damascus billet and the production of an ornamental object using many innovative techniques and tooling. Your registration includes: instruction, materials, continental breakfast, and lunch. An additional fee is required for this class. See METALfab registration form for special pricing on this class and METALfab registration. You will need to provide your own transportation to Eureka Forge.

Convention program The NOMMA Education Foundation (NEF) METALfab Education Committee lead by Lynn Parquette, Mueller Ornamental Iron/ Elite Architectural Metal Supply LLC, has an outstanding education program for you. The program offers three days of educational sessions for attendees to participate and learn from others. Check the METALfab section of the NOMMA website for updates. Keynote and class presenter Sam Richter SBR Worldwide/Know More!

Wednesday, March 12 Sam teaches relevance acceleration — how to tell your company’s story in a manner that your buyer cares about and wants to hear. Sam’s customized programs will shock Fabricator

n January / February 2014

METALfab2014 Opening new gateways you, sometimes scare you, and always provide you new and innovative ways to find prospects, connect with people, and build powerful, meaningful business relationships. Know More! Selling

Know more than you ever thought you could (or should) about your prospects, clients, and competition. Business and sales is all about personal relationships. When you know more about your prospects and clients you can better relate on a personal level, build more meaningful connections, identify triggering events, tailor offerings, and ensure relevancy. Most important, studies show that when you practice “sales intelligence,” you’ll win two times more business! In this dynamic presentation, you will discover: n Web search secrets that you never thought possible for finding qualified leads, creating lists, uncovering opportunities, and understanding decision makers. n Tips and tricks for using social networks and “hidden” websites as sales and competitive “intelligence agents.” n Learn what is important to your prospects and clients on a personal level to help you close more business more quickly. n How to use information for a big-time impression with any prospect, build deeper relationships with any client, and completely differentiate yourself from your competition. This interactive presentation has a huge “wow” factor. You will be shocked at what you don’t know (but soon will). Know More! Reputations

In today’s instant communication and social networking, it’s easy to share opinions and others can share the same about you. Unfortunately, what you and others post online, text, and even email is not limited to private networks and friend groups. Rather, there’s a good chance that what you say online and what is said about you and your company is searchable, and archived, forever! This session will examine: n What is a personal brand, how January / February 2014 n Fabricator

Special invitations to learn, grow, and excel NOMMA and the NOMMA Education Foundation (NEF) work together to make METALfab 2014 an exciting event for you. The leaders of the foundation, Lynn Parquette and Roger Carlsen (NEF Co-Chairs), and the association, J.R. Molina (NOMMA President), want to briefly share with you why they believe that you should join us at METALfab2014. J.R. Molina, NOMMA President

As NOMMA President, my goal this year is to offer attendees the best education programs possible and to provide new and exciting products for attendees to learn about. Attending METALfab every year is important for members to grow their business, important for the industry to grow, and important for NOMMA to stay relevant in the metal community. Therefore, I challenge everyone to attend METALfab, and let’s give back to an association that has given so much to so many. I look forward to seeing everyone at METALfab2014. Lynn Parquette and Roger Carlsen, NEF Co-Chairs

We would like to invite you to attend METALfab2014 so that you can Learn, Grow, and Excel through networking, education sessions, shop tours, and visiting with METALfab exhibitors. This is your opportunity to learn more about your business and the businesses of other attendees and suppliers as you grow new skills that will help your business excel in the future. Be sure to attend the NEF special events: n NEF Auctions on Thursday, March 13, and n Partners in Education Reception, Friday, March 14. to enhance it, and how personal brands dramatically impact your company brand and reputation. n The dangers of sharing too much information, and what can happen if you’re not careful. How to respond if you don’t like what someone shares about you or your company. n Inside secrets on how to manage your online presence and Google rankings (for nontechnical people) so when people search for information on you, you control what they find. This thought provoking and entertaining program will provide you practical ideas you can immediately implement to improve your brand and your personal and business reputation. Know More! Business Planning

Learn to effectively find information, including competitive data, for better business and strategic planning.

Cover and inside arch photo credit: Gateway Arch Experience. 15

METALfab2014 Opening new gateways METALfab 2014 Schedule Wednesday 3/12/14 8:00 AM 8:30 AM 9:00 AM 9:30 AM 10:00 AM 10:30 AM 11:00 AM 11:30 AM 12:00 PM 12:30 PM 1:00 PM 1:30 PM 2:00 PM 2:30 PM 3:00 PM 3:30 PM 4:00 PM 4:30 PM 5:00 PM 5:30 PM 6:00 PM 6:30 PM 7:00 PM 8:00 PM 9:00 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM

First Time Attendee 8:00–9:00 AM Opening Session 9:15–11:15 AM

Thursday 3/13/43 Education 8:00–9:30 AM Exhibits Open 9:30 AM–3:30 PM Top Job Voting 9:30 AM–3:30 PM

Friday 3/14/14 Education 8:30–10:00 AM

Spouse Classes 10:00 AM–3:00 PM

Education 12:30–2:00 PM 2:15–3:45 PM 4:00–5:30 PM

Spouse Tour 9:00 AM–4:00 PM

Education 1:00–2:30 PM 2:45–4:15 PM Education 3:45–5:15 PM

Dinner & Auction 6:30–10:30 PM

Top Job Jamboree 4:30–6:00 PM

NEF Partners in Education Reception 6:00–7:00 PM

March 12, 1, 14

Waterjet vs. Laser vs. Plasma

This class will answer many of the questions from the NOMMA ListsServ on the differences in the three cutting types. Join in on a discussion with three NOMMA members who specialize in each. n Carl Grainger, Grainger Metal Works n L.E. Sauer, L.E. Sauer Machine Co. n Dan Nibbelink, Colorado Waterjet Hot Dip Galvanized Steel and Fighting Corrosion

Shop Tours 9:00 AM–4:00 PM

Exhibits Open 10:00 AM–1:00 PM

Education sessions

The Mitch Heitler Award.

Saturday 3/15/14

Clinton Shaw, AZZ Galvanizing, will examine hot-dip galvanized steel and how it can address the growing corrosion problem throughout North America. Upon completion of this seminar, you will be able to: n Recognize the corrosion issues confronting North America. n Describe how zinc coatings, specifically hot-dip galvanizing, can protect against steel corrosion. n Incorporate sound corrosion protection into the design of steel products, which can significantly reduce maintenance costs over the life of a project.

Awards Banquet 7:00–10:30 PM

Wealth Planning for the Business Owner

Small businesses, and especially familyowned businesses, are unique from a financial planning perspective. In this session, topics will include: n estate planning for your business and family, n how to address family dynamics inside your business, n tax reduction strategies, business valuations, and n how to avoid the big mistakes. The focus will be how all these decisions that are made in these various areas are connected to each other and should be thought through on a cross-disciplinary basis. You’ll hear from Chad Hemphill, Panoptic Wealth Advocates, who has been through the transition many times, and can warn you of likely pitfalls. New Code Updates and Why Rails Fail

Tony Leto, The Wagner Companies, presents the latest updates from the code hearings and discuss their effects on your company. He will also discuss the facts behind recent railing failures featured in media coverage. Fabricator

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METALfab2014 Opening new gateways LED Lighting

An overview of LED illuminated handrail specification, design, and fabrication considerations. Topics covered by James Woggon, The Wagner Companies, will include lighting definitions and terminology, lighting performance metrics, how to get specified, design considerations, coordination of installation, and players in the marketplace. Best Practices for Metalworking

Tired of going into disputes with architects and inspectors over reasonable procedures? Imagine if you could show a client that you followed a best practices manual. In this session, Ed Powell, Marric LLC, and panelists will lead a discussion on industry best practices. Trade practices published by related associations and NOMMA’s draft standard practices manual, “Code of Standard Practice for the Ornamental & Miscellaneous Metals Industry,” will be reviewed. The audience will be asked to share common friction points with clients and inspectors, which we may include in our upcoming manual. Uses and Applications of Power Hammers

Anderson Phillips, Oak Hill Iron Works, will discuss power hammer uses in the custom ornamental iron field, helping to bring clarity to possible applications and overcoming the challenges this versatile tool can create. In this class, we will discuss: n The types of power hammers and the advantages of each. n The functions a hammer can fulfill and its effects on your finished work. n The most important part of the tool, the operator. n How to train staff and develop the skill needed to grow the quality of your work. n Estimating art and valuing forged work. Innovation — The Way to Wealth and Growth

Every manufacturer must either embrace innovation or accept permanent levels of January / February 2014 n Fabricator

second- or third-tier profitability. Attendees will learn a system to accelerate the creation of meaningful ideas for more profitable products, services, and processes; effectively communicate ideas; and commercialize innovations faster and more profitably. This class will be presented by Innovation Engineering Black Belt and Missouri Enterprise Project Manager Laura Lee Rose. A study of manufacturers has shown that companies pursuing innovation as their core strategy realize 50–100% higher profit margins than those who pursue low cost, high quality, fast delivery, or voice of the customer strategies. Find Out the Secrets to Their Success

Come have a candid discussion with leaders in your industry. Find out what they know and learned over the years that could be the difference for you in having a more successful business. This class was a hit last year — you will get to meet a new group of leaders in St. Louis.

Shop tours

Saturday, March 1 One of the highlights of METALfab are the shop tours. Rob Rolves, shop tour chair, has planned an outstanding tour for 2014. Shops on the tour: n Mittler Bros. Machine & Tool (also providing a wonderful lunch for shop tour attendees), n L. E. Sauer Machine Company, n Classic Metal Craft, n AZZ Galvanizing, and n Missouri Ornamental Iron.

To Bond or Not to Bond. There is Absolutely No Question

If you have not established a performance bond line for your company, you are depriving yourself of profitable business opportunities. It’s not as scary a process as you may think. Attend this session presented by Joe Romeo, president, Industrial Coverage, to discover the secrets of qualifying your company for performance bonds without the stress, time, and costs you’ve been afraid of. Also find out about the other types of bonds available. Then learn how you can use your bond line to market and grow your business. A must-attend for shops that want to stand out from the rest of the pack.

Spouse program

Spouse classes, March 1 Spouse tour, March 1

Attendees will have the terrific opportunity to learn and practice what they have learned with three wonderful classes taught by an outstanding local and national artist. This is 17

METALfab2014 Opening new gateways all part of the Spouse Registration offered for METALfab2014. Classes will be taught on Thursday, March 13, and the tour will be Saturday, March 15. Other events included in the spouse registration are exhibits, Thursday Dinner & NEF Auction, NEF Partners in Education Reception, and the Awards Banquet. Missouri History Experience Missouri History Museum, St. Louis

Take a step back to 1904 in St. Louis. A time of parasols, iced tea, and the World’s Fair. Forest Park was becoming a bustling metropolis with buildings known as “palaces” being erected daily to house the various countries and merchants for the thousands of fairgoers and their families from across the globe. Sharon Smith, historian and exhibition creator at the Missouri History Museum, will present a PowerPoint presentation showcasing the 1904 World’s Fair and what it was like to be part of one of the most electric times in St. Louis’ great history. Jewelry Creation Experience Ferris Wheel at 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis (Image cropped and reduced 87%).

Enjoy a one-of-a-kind experience where guests are led by a local jewelry professional in the creation of a custom piece of jewelry. Each guest will receive an individual jewelry kit to assemble their custom beaded creations. Use your creative side to create a wearable piece of art that you can take home. Acrylics Adventure

For those of you who participated in the spouse program in Albuquerque, you were fortunate to have the experience of working in acrylics with renowned artist Maxine Minter. This year you will tackle a new subject and have fun tapping your hidden talents. Gateway to St. Louis Tour

Trace the history of St. Louis beginning with the city’s original settlement, Laclede’s Landing, through a nine-block historic district filled with renovated turn-of-the-century buildings housing shops, eateries, and offices. Visit the famous Gateway Arch created to commerate the gateway to the west for 18

thousands of 19th century pioneers. At the arch, take a tram ride to the top for a view of the city or watch a documentary on how this magnificent steel structure was created. Just east of the Arch, pass the excursion riverboats. Enjoy a view of the Old Cathedral, the historic Old Courthouse, the setting for cases involving slavery, the fur trade, and equal rights. Of these cases, the Dred Scott Freedom Trial is the most notable. You will pass Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals, and St. Louis Union Station (currently a luxury hotel), which was once the busiest rail terminal in the world. At the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, also known as the New Cathedral, you will see a large collections of mosaics. Then explore the historic Central West End neighborhood, the Barnes-Jewish Hospital Complex, and the mansions bordering Forest Park (site of the 1904 World’s Fair), fine examples of the “Golden Age” of St. Louis at the turn of the century. Today, the Park houses the world-famous Saint Louis Zoo, the Saint Louis Art Museum, the Missouri History Museum at the Jefferson Memorial, the Science Center and the Muny, among other attractions. A seated lunch is included at one of St. Louis’ fine restaurants.

Networking opportunities METALfab offers many ways to talk to fellow attendees in casual surroundings, but that does not mean that the learning has stopped. One conversation can lead to the solution to a challenge you face. Be sure and attend these special events to Learn, Grow, and Excel. Wednesday, March 12

First Time Attendee Orientation

The best way for first-time attendees to meet the NOMMA leadership and learn more about the association, the NOMMA Education Foundation, and METALfab. Annual Membership Business Meeting & Keynote

This is the membership’s opportunity to participate in the annual membership business meeting where officers and Fabricator

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METALfab2014 Opening new gateways directors are elected, reports are submitted, and recognitions are given. A special treat: Sam Richter, CEO, SBR Worldwide/Know More! will get the education started with his keynote address. ursday, March 1

Top Job Display & Voting

This is your chance to see the 2014 entries in the Ernest Wiemann Top Job Contest. Member companies cast their ballots on Thursday during show hours. At the Top Job Jamboree Friday afternoon, you’ll have another chance to learn more about the entries from their creators. The climax to the outstanding program is the presentation of the awards on Saturday evening. NOMMA Family Reunion

This year, we’ll celebrate these connections with a good old-fashioned “Family Reunion,” complete with good food, good fun, and time to catch up with “family” members you have not seen in a year. You’ll also bid on the wonderful live and silent auctions items that you have seen displayed in the exhibit area. To donate an item to the NEF Auctions, contact Martha Pennington (martha@ nomma.org or 888-516-858 x 104) or go to www.nomma.org for an donation form. Friday, March 14

NEF Partners in Education Reception

The NOMMA Education Foundation thanks its supporters for all that they do for the foundation and its programs. Be sure and join NEF trustees on Friday night for this special reception. Saturday, March 1

Awards Banquet and Officer Installation

A wonderful event to close an exciting week of activity. Saturday night’s banquet is a special event where we recognize members for their service, present Top Job Awards, and install the newly elected officers and directors.

January / February 2014 n Fabricator

METALfab2014 sponsors

Thank you for your support of METALfab2014! Platinum Industrial Coverage Corp .....www.industrialcoveragecorp.com Mittler Bros. Machine & Tool ..............www.mittlerbros.com The Wagner Companies .......................www.wagnercompanies.com Gold Colorado Waterjet Co. ...................www.coloradowaterjet.com Lawler Foundry Corp. ..........................www.lawlerfoundry.com Silver King Architectural Metals ............www.kingmetals.com Bronze Impact .........................................www.impact-net.org

Exhibit information

Join the exhibitors to experience their products, learn about their services and educate yourself on the possibilities for the future. Schedule for exhibits

n Thursday, March 13, 9:30 am–3:30 pm: Exhibits Open — Top Job Voting n Friday, March 14, 10:00 am–1:00 pm Exhibits Open

Go to www.nomma.org for an up to date list of exhibitors.

Exhibitors as of 9/20/2013

Company Name Web address Architectural Iron Designs Inc. ..............www.archirondesign.com AZZ Galvanizing......................................www.azz.com Big Blu Hammer Mfg. Inc. ......................www.bigbluhammer.com The Cable Connection .............................www.thecableconnection.com C & C Industrial Sales .............................www.ccisinc.com CM Iron Supply LLC ...............................www.cmironsupply.com CML USA Inc. Ercolina ..........................www.ercolina-usa.com Colorado Waterjet Co..............................www.coloradowaterjet.com Custom Ornamental Iron Works ...........www.customironworks.com D.J.A. Imports Ltd....................................www.djaimports.com DoorKing Inc. ..........................................www.doorking.com Eastern Metal Supply ...............................www.easternmetal.com Elite Architectural Metal Supply LLC....www.elitearchitecturalmetal.com ETemplate Systems...................................www.etemplatesystem.com FabCAD Inc. .............................................www.fabcad.com Feeney Inc. ................................................www.feeneyinc.com Guardian Gate Hardware ........................www.guardiangatehardware.com Hebo/Stratford Gate Systems Inc. ..........www.usahebo.com Industrial Coverage Corp .......................www.industrialcoverage.com King Architectural Metals .......................www.kingmetals.com Lavi Industries ..........................................www.lavi.com Lawler Foundry Corp. .............................www.lawlerfoundry.com Locinox USA ............................................www.locinox.com Marks USA ...............................................www.marksusa.com Mittler Bros. Machine & Tool .................www.mittlerbros.com NOMMA/NEF/NOMMA Chapters ......www.nomma.org Powder-X Coating Systems.....................www.powderx.com Ramset Automatic Gate Systems Inc. ....www.ramsetinc.com Regency Railings Inc. ..............................www.regencyrailings.com Sumter Coatings.......................................www.sumtercoatings.com The Wagner Companies ..........................www.wagnercompanies.com 19

METALfab2014 Opening new gateways Meeting & exhibit space

All events for METALfab2014 will be held in the St. Charles Convention Center conveniently connected to the Embassy Suites.

Registration instructions Two ways to register

The host hotel

Embassy Suites St. Louis-St. Charles/ Hotel & Spa, Two Convention Center Plaza, St. Charles, MO. Attendees can make their individual reservations by calling 1-800-EMBASSY or the hotel directly at 636-946-5544. Hotel reservations

Make Your Reservation Early! The St. Louis/St. Charles Embassy Suites hotel has reserved a block of rooms for METALfab attendees. Book early so you can easily network after hours. Attendees are always able to find great conversations going on in the lobby or bar during METALfab, a great chance to get and give advice. Reservation deadline

Friday, February 7, 2014, or when the block of rooms sells out. Make reservations early. Relax in a two-room suite with separate living and sleeping areas. Amenities make you feel at home: two TVs, microwave and fridge, as well as high-speed Internet access. n Located in historic St. Charles, 20 miles from downtown St. Louis, 10 minutes from Lambert/St. Louis airport. n Connected to the St. Charles Convention Center. n Complimentary cooked-to-order breakfast, complimentary beverage & refreshments at Evening Reception. Room rates Embassy Suites St. Louis — St. Charles/Hotel & Spa hotel atrium.

Single/Double $134, Triple $144, and Quad $154 per night plus applicable taxes at the time of check out. Hotel requires credit card or cash deposit with reservation.

1) Go to the NOMMA website www. nomma.org and register online using your credit card. 2) Fill out the registration form enclosed in the convention guide and submit with check or credit card. Mailing address for registrations: NOMMA, 805 South Glynn St., Ste. 127, #311, Fayetteville, GA 30214. Fax number for registrations: 888-279-7994. Online registration ends on 3/5/2014, after that time you can register onsite at the METALfab registration desk (Registration desk will open, Wednesday, March 12, 2014 at 7:30 a.m.) in the St. Charles Convention Center. Register early for lower registration fees

e earlier you register the better the rate. An example of the savings on a Full Conference Package for NOMMA Members n Early Bird $450 (Deadline 2/13/2014). n Regular $480 (Deadline 2/27/2014). n Late $550 (After 2/27/2014). We still have the multiple attendees from the same company discount for NOMMA member companies. Non-members save money on your registration by becoming a member and saving on each registration, plus you are eligible for the multiple attendee discount. When your company joins NOMMA, all of your employees qualify for the member registration rate. For membership information go to www. nomma.org or contact Liz Johnson, Member Care & Operations Manager at 888-516-8585 x 101, liz@nomma.org.

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✂

METALfab2014 Attendee Registration Form St. Charles Convention Center, March 12–15, 2014, St. Charles, MO See the Convention Guide or go to www.nomma.org for course and event descriptions. Note deadlines for special pricing: Early Bird rate applies through 2/13/14. Regular registration must be received by 2/28/14. Late registration Late fee applies after 2/28/2014. Registration must be received or processed online by the cut-off date to receive special rate.

Step 1a NOMMA MEMBER Registration Options Choose your registration type and enter the names for badges. ❑ Full Conference Package

Early Bird (2/13/14)

Regular (2/27/14) Late (after 2/27/14)

Opening Session (Keynote, 3/12)

1 full registration .........................$450 ..................................... $480 ...................................$580

Education Program (3/12–3/14)

2+ full same company ..............$410 ...................................... $440 ...................................$540

Exhibits (3/13 & 3/14)

5+ full same company ..............$375 ...................................... $415 ...................................$515

Dinner & Auctions (3/13)

Name_________________________________________________________________________

Awards Banquet (3/15)

Name_________________________________________________________________________

Shop Tours (3/15)

Name_________________________________________________________________________ ❑ NEF Continuing Education Program & Member Full Fabricator Package (3/11/14) Early $550 Regular $580 Late $680* Space is limited to 15 participants in the 3/11/14 program

Name_______________________________________________________

❑ NEF Continuing Education Program ONLY $250*

Name_______________________________________________________

❑ Education & Exhibits Package

❑ Spouse/Guest Package $360

$350 Early Bird (2/13/14)

Exhibits (3/13 & 3/14)

$380 Regular (2/27/14)

Dinner/Auctions (3/13)

$480 Late (after 2/27/14)

Special Classes for Spouses (3/13)

Opening Session (Keynote, 3/12)

Awards Banquet (3/15)

Shop Tours (3/15)

Spouse Tour (3/15) not included in other registration packages. This registration is not available after 3/3/14. Spouse classes are available only with this registration — not sold separately.

Education Program (3/12–3/14) Exhibits (3/13 & 3/14)

Name_____________________________________________________ Name_______________________________________________________ Name_____________________________________________________ Name_______________________________________________________

Step 1b NON-MEMBER Registration Reduced pricing for multiple attendees is not available with non-member registration. ❑ $425 Make our company a NOMMA member so that we can take advantage of the great member pricing above.

Early Bird, 2/13/14

Regular, 2/27/14

Late, after 2/27/14

Full Package ..............$620 ...........................$650 .......................... $750 Name_______________________________________________________ Educ. & Exhibits ........ $520 ...........................$550 .......................... $650 Name_______________________________________________________ Spouse Package ....... $525 ...........................$555 ............................ NA Name_______________________________________________________ NEF Continuing Educaton Program Only $450

Name_______________________________________________________

Individual Tickets Tickets will not be available on site or online. ❑ Dinner & Auctions (3/14/14) $90

Name_______________________________________________________

❑ Spouse Tour (3/15/14) $100*

Name_______________________________________________________

* Limited number of tickets available. Will not be available onsite. This event is ONLY included in the Spouse Registration, not Full Registration

❑ Awards Banquet (3/15/14) $60

Name_______________________________________________________

Step 2 Payment Method Select payment type Check (payable to NOMMA in U.S. dollars on U.S. bank) Check #_______________ ❑ American Express

❑ MasterCard

❑ VISA

❑ Discover

✂

Card #__________________________________________________________________ Exp. Date_________________________________________ Name on Card____________________________________________________________ Card CVV_________________________________________ Signature_________________________________________________________________ Continued on page 22 January / February 2014 n Fabricator

METALfab2014 Attendee Registration Form ❏

Continued from page 21

Step 3 Tell Us About Yourself Please check the appropriate ribbons below for inclusion in your registration packet:

Be sure and enter name(s) beside appropriate registrations that you select on other side of this form. Company _______________________________________________________________________ Address_________________________________________________________________________ City_____________________________________________________________________________

❏ New Member

❏ Committee Member

❏ First-Time Attendee

❏ Chapter President

❏ Fabricator Member

❏ Chapter Member

❏ NW Supplier Member ❏ NEF Contributor

State ___________ Zip_____________________ Country_________________________________ ❏ Regional Supplier Email___________________________________________________________________________ Phone___________________________________ Fax____________________________________ On-site Emergency Contact Number_________________________________________________

Member ❏ Local Supplier Member ❏ Affiliate Member

Person to contact in case of emergency______________________________________________ ❏ Committee Chair

❏ Gold Member — 20+ Years ❏ Past President ❏ BOD

❏ Officer

❏ NEF Trustee ❏ Officer

Step 4 Attendee Profile Tell us about your business. This portion of the registration must be completed for processing. ❏ Check here if you are not involved in the business. If you are not involved in the business, this is all of the information needed. Thank you. List three (3) products you hope to purchase from contacts at METALfab2014: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1) Primary type of business ❏ Fabricator ❏ General Supplier ❏ Contractor ❏ Other____________________

2) Annual gross sales ❏ Below $1 million ❏ $1–$2.5 million ❏ $2.5–$5 million ❏ Over $5 million

3) Your role in purchasing ❏ Final Say ❏ Recommend ❏ Specify

4) Job description ❏ Owner ❏ Manager/Foreman ❏ Other____________ ___________________

Important Information Registration Registrants can pick up their packets at the METALfab/NOMMA registration desk in the St. Charles Convention Center. Restrictions Attendees for the exhibits must be 14 years of age or older for insurance purposes. Cancellations If received in writing prior to March 5, 2014, we will be happy to refund your registration fee, less a 10% administrative fee. Understandably fees cannot be refunded for registrations cancelled after that date. Registrations are nontransferable without the written permission of NOMMA. Refunds will be processed within 30 days after the completion of the conference. Cameras Photography and videotaping are not permitted in the exhibit area, education sessions, or Top Job Gallery. Emergency Contact We would like to have a contact name and phone number in case of an emergency. This person would be contacted only in the event that you were unable to contact them yourself. Confirmation & Updates Your confirmation and any updates will be sent by email, so please provide your email address. Email Address Your email address will be provided to the exhibitors on their attendee list. If you do not wish to have your email address provided to the exhibitors, please opt out by sending an email to liz@nomma.org with the subject line “Email Opt Out for Exhibitors.” This will also opt you out for updates about METALfab. Online Registrations Online registration is available for credit card payments only. Recorded Sessions By registering for METALfab you are authorizing the use of any photographs and/or likeness in any recorded session. *NEF Continuing Education Program Tuesday, March 11, 2014, at Eureka Forge, Pacific, MO. You must provide your own transportation to this event. See convention guide or www.nomma.org for class description. Questions?

METALfab2014 / NOMMA

Call 888-516-8585, extension 101, or email liz@nomma.org.

805 South Glynn St., Ste. 127, # 311

For updated information go to www.nomma.org.

Fayetteville, GA 30214

Online Registration is available on the NOMMA website www.nomma.org.

Fax: 888-279-7994 22

Email: liz@nomma.org

❏

Return to

Be sure to include your registration form when mailing or faxing your payment. Fabricator

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See more at www.cmrp.com/circular-staircases

ROLLED PRODUCTS COMPANY 1-800-644-0674 Chicago, IL • Kansas City, MO • www.cmrp.com • sales@cmrp.com

January / February 2014 n Fabricator

Shop Talk

How FabCAD 2014 enhances productivity n

Expanded library of vendor parts; new customizing, automation, preview, and search functions; updated AutoDesk compatibility; and improved edit commands increase efficiency and usefulness in this latest version.

By Dave Filippi FabCAD’s software could always

automatically draw gates, rails, and fences. Using the most current advancements from AutoDesk’s CAD technology, FabCAD software can help you enhance your company’s sales, manufacturing, and customer satisfaction even more. To improve sales, FabCAD’s enhanced graphics makes it easy to superimpose ironwork onto the picture of a job site to show the customer how the finished job will look. By improving shop drawing data, combined with the “bill-of-materials” (cut list) feature, fabricators can speed up fabrication time. An AutoCAD feature new to many users is “action recorder,” which auto matically creates macros that allow you to take fewer steps for repetitive tasks. Optimizing the drawing efficiency, FabCAD Release 2014 provides these new features, among others: n Tools to reduce manual adjust ments needed in the past, e.g. trim ming or extending pickets to create borders. New automation templates can insert rings, railing panels, and gate kick plates plus control the distance pickets travel, either up or down. n An AutoCAD preview feature allows you to see the effect of your choice of color, line type, and line weight in real time before changes are final to ensure the proper look for your drawing. n Enhanced library search folders to select material type by steel, aluminum, brass, and plastic designs. 24

Figure 1. This railing was drawn with no manual editing. The program also creates a tabular “bill of materials.”

Design courtesy of Carfaro Inc., Hamilton, NJ.

Figure 2. This glass rail system, with a custom top, an inverted snap channel, and a custom bottom channel, was created with no additional edit. The glass insert has preset depths. Fabricator

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n 2,000 new designs for casting and forging. n File compatibility with the latest AutoCAD 2013 + drawing format.

Eliminating manual adjustments.

With many ways to build a job, FabCAD 2014 will have customization templates that save the user the task of filling in the dialog boxes. The software now has glass, cable, and panel rail templates that can be modified and reset for automation. If the job calls for a railing to have a top or bottom border with an opening to insert a scroll or casting pattern, the program can now be set to provide this feature without additional manual editing (figure 1). An imported template can be changed by picking a different pulldown option. Or you can use the “material customization” feature to create a custom shape or size. The “export template” feature records all of the changes so when a particular style of railing or gate is needed later, you simply import the style, change the

Figure 3. Punch bottom of gate. You can eliminate manual touchup editing by controlling the distances of the vertical members.

length, and click “draw.” The work is drawn with an accompanying “bill of materials” (cut list). Besides creating custom fabrica tions, FabCAD has added custom shapes, such as extruded top bars and channels, and glass shoes to give you more options. Figure 2 is an example of a glass rail system with a custom top, an inverted snap channel, and a custom bottom channel. Once these components are added to the database of shapes and sizes, they are available for future detailing. By using the “customize material selection” feature to format the layout and components of the fabrication, you can set up a rail design without having to do any programming. A dialog box provides input for the new size and the distance the post and pickets are set from the top of the shape. The dialog box also provides input to have the picket punch through the bottom bar, if that is the style. By controlling the distances of vertical members, you can eliminate manual touchup editing (figure 3).

ORDER ONLINE AT OUR NEWLY DESIGNED WEBSITE!

There were two, now there are three. Big Blu Hammer is proud to introduce the all new Blu Max 65. The Max 65 comes with the same control and power that larger Blu’s are known for while operating at 90 psi. BIG BLU HAMMER MFG. CO. 3308 Frank Whisnant Rd., Morganton, NC 28655 PHONE: 828-437-5348 • FAX: 828-437-9217

January / February 2014 n Fabricator

There is much discussion about the future of CAD ‘on the cloud.’ Since

Figure 4. Customization allows you to modify the finial and spindle insertion features to make a “hoop top” fence that can be drawn automatically without extra manual drawing.

Figure 5. Gate with rosettes.

FabCAD’s platform is based on AutoDesk technology, the cloud is definitely in FabCAD’s future. Additional infrastructure improvements are necessary, however, mostly in speed and available broadband. The remote server capacity to provide rendering and other high-end CAD functions currently exists. Another example of customization is modifying the finial and spindle insertion features to make a “hoop top” fence that can be drawn automatically without additional manual drawing (figure 4). The hoop top is created to be a finial and the base point is set so that the geometric center of the hoop sits on the center of the picket. FabCAD provides online movies to demonstrate how the program can be

As you mouse over a line weight in the palette, for example, the particular line weight is “highlighted” and simultaneously, in real time, changes the weight, in this example, of the ”polyline” at left.

Fabricator

Figure 6. FabCAD now can preview colors, line types, and line weights of entities in real time as you continuously mouse over the items that you see in the palette on the right side of the screen. In the example, the line weight of the ”polyline” in red changes as you mouse over the various line weights before accepting the change. Shown here is a 0.30 mm line weight.

n January / February 2014

Figure 7. Library window at left (see red arrow) with folders indicating the various suppliers that FabCAD 2014 has in its parts library.

manipulated in this way. Additional movies demonstrate other procedures, such as automatically inserting rings. By providing dozens of customized templates, you can pick features needed for a particular job. You can make changes to existing templates and save the new style for future use. These customization features can also be incorporated into the gate program to provide space for upper scroll designs or for a solid base plate adorned with rosettes (figure ).

brass, and plastic make searching for your part more efficient. n An additional 2,000 parts have been added to the libraries for King Architectural Metal and Lawler Foundry Corp. n More King Architectural Metal and Lawler Foundry Corp. sub folders. Sub-folders specify material

types added to the King Architectural Metals library and Lawler’s “Q” line of designs. n More than 1,000 designs from these suppliers: Alloy Castings, Architectural Iron Designs, DJA Imports, House of Forgings, Indital, Rik-Fer, Texas Metal Industries, and Triebenbacher (figure ).

New AutoCAD preview

FabCAD is an authorized AutoDesk developer and thus has access the latest AutoCAD enhancements. The latest are incorporated into this version of the software, including: n Ability to preview colors, line types, and line weights upon mousing over the names of the items in a palette on the screen. This ensures the proper look for a drawing before final acceptance of it (figure ). n Setting a print scale more easily because the drawing can now be previewed in different sizes as you scroll down the various scale sizes. n Items that are to be chosen by window or crossing can now be previewed before final selection.

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Design library updates

n Enhanced library search folders by material type: steel, aluminum,

January / February 2014 n Fabricator

Design library features Eliminate manual casting drawing File names match catalog number Library search folders by category Fully searchable by catalog number Compatible with most CAD systems Extensive drive/walk gate library JobViewer features Works on iPhone and iPad Use camera or insert picture Contains 24 library designs Custom designs can be added Can be installed on 5 devices Available on Apple’s App Store Automation features Draws gates, rails and fences Draws glass, cable, pipe rails Draws iron, wood and chainlink Saves your custom designs Automatically inserts spears Automatically inserts spindles

New file format

Every three years, Autodesk changes the AutoCAD .dwg format. The latest FabCAD release has adopted the most current AutoCAD .dwg format so that all drawings that are received can be read. The program is compatible with all older AutoCAD drawing formats. It can also read Micro Station files. FabCAD also can export drawing data to plasma and water jet machines and produce drawings in multiple image formats: .tif, .bmp, .jpeg, .pdf. Future developments JobViewer app

With the growing use of FabCAD’s iPhone/iPad app, JobViewer, an expanded library is planned. Existing users of FabCAD’s JobViewer app will soon get a set of free expanded designs to demo to customers. These images are formatted in two-tone to work with any photo background. 28

Fabricator

n January / February 2014

Costs and benefits FabCAD Release 2014 is sold at same price as Release

2013: $3,495. New buyers get three free hours of live online training. Upgrade prices are based on the age of the existing version. Users who have FabCAD 2012 or 2013 can upgrade for $295. Prices for older systems are listed on the website, www.fabcad.com. Upgrade customers receive a free online orientation to the new features of FabCAD Release 2014. Additional information about FabCAD 2014 is available online at www.fabcad.com or 1-800-255-9032.

For new customers, the app is available at Apple’s App Store or on iTunes for $89 (http://store.apple.com/us). Jobviewer can be loaded on five mobile devices.

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There is much discussion about the future of CAD “on the cloud.” Since FabCAD’s platform is based on AutoDesk technology, the cloud is definitely in FabCAD’s future. Additional infrastructure improvements are necessary, however, mostly in speed and available broadband. The remote server capacity to provide rendering and other high-end CAD functions currently exists. Tying mobile devices to the cloud is a near-term possibility. The main issues to be faced are security and flexibility. When looking at the current trends, we seem to be reverting to the days of main frames and “dumb” terminals. The difference is that the terminals today are “smart” and portable. This evolution will democratize the access to highpowered, easy-to-use software and apps. The question will be, who will be first to leverage this new technology to gain a competitive edge. FabCAD plans to be there to help our customers take advantage of new technologies.

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Shop Talk

Which virtual plan room to pick n

Our technical writer Jeﬀ Fogel examined  virtual plan rooms. Each have their advantages. Is one right for you? Or do you need to use more than one?

By Jeﬀ Fogel For those of a certain age, plan rooms are a blast from the past, a mere blip on the radar screen of nostalgia. In 1860 Nova Scotia, someone thought to have a room where owners and contractors could leave plans and specs — either to satisfy a legal obligation, or to simply shop the best price — for prospective bidders to eyeball. The room was the first of the Builders Exchange plan rooms that were soon to become ubiquitous in North America. As plan rooms developed, most of the jobs were publicly funded, although mostly private companies, such as Builders Exchange,1 operated the rooms themselves. The concept survives, but the room itself has changed venues. It's now located in cyberspace, where it provides the same opportunity for contractors and subcontractors to view plans and specs on various jobs. Ironically, in 1997, the oldest plan room in America, Builder's Exchange (http://v4.virtualbx.com), was the first to go online. While maintaining brick and mortar plan rooms, they quickly established cyber plan rooms corresponding regionally to their numerous membership associations around the country. The model worked, and fellow travelers quickly followed them on the information superhighway, such as McGraw30

Hill Construction/Dodge (http://construction.com/dodge/ dodge-lead-center.asp), in 2001. Today, a fabricator has a smorgasbord of Internet plan rooms to choose from. These virtual plan rooms may differ in both their geographical coverage and the method of listing the jobs on their websites, but they all work in much the same fashion. How they work to get you work

While many Internet plan rooms allow free access to their website’s offerings, a paid subscription2 comes with some distinct benefits. For Blue Book, Jefferson Valley, NY (www.thebluebook. com), a subscription is optional if you simply want to peruse the job listings. But a subscriber is entitled to some goodies not available to the non-paying browser. Your name goes to the top of the list of sub-contractors seeking jobs. This is essentially the list that owners and general contractors will be sifting through, drawing up their guest lists, from which they will send out invitations to bid on a job. Of course it is a truism that anyone faced with an Internet search that has yielded reams of virtual pages of results, that that person will almost never get beyond the third page. Hence the advantage of being at the top of the list. And it matters not whether the job requires mandatory bids, such as those projects paid for by John Q. Public, or an Fabricator

n January / February 2014

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owner or general contractor simply looking for a lower bid to keep costs down. Of course, some jobs don’t involve a bid at all. But it still pays to keep your name close to the top. Blue Book also provides an advertising medium for subscribers. They are automatically listed in the Blue Book printed directory. This is particularly useful for a fabricator seeking non-bid, “private” jobs. It allows a general contractor to browse subcontractors who specialize in the type of job he needs done. Likewise, you can scan the offerings on Cincinnati, Ohio-based Isqft.com (www.isqft.com/new) for free. But the $1,500 subscription fee gives a fabricator access to jobs located in a certain geographical area. The size of the area is determined by the level of subscription plan. Suffice to say, the larger the area, the more costly the subscription. This is not unique to Isqft.com. Geographical area of job search being linked to subscription price is the general rule with all virtual plan rooms. Isqft.com’s basic $1,500 plan also gets you, as a fabricator, listed on the general contractors’ database. That means the search goes both ways. You can contact the general conractor to bid on something, and they can contact you with an invitation to bid. For an additional fee (just under $500.00) Isqft. com offers the subscriber software called Take Off. It automatically calculates measurements of materials in order to put together an estimate. This can make putting a bid together a lot less time consuming.

A subscription to ePlan’s (www.eplanbidding.com) most basic plan is $1,695 and covers just Missouri. Add Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, and it will set you back $3,602. But you’re covering a lot more territory. Similarly, a membership to Virtual Builder’s Exchange, which divides Texas into five regions, begins at $850 and covers one region; for $2,150, you get all five regions. Blue Book offers national coverage that is divided into 50 regions. Each region is based on metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs). A “standard” virtual plan room gives you a listing of all the projects out for bid in the area you’ve signed up for. Some plan rooms let you know, by email, as new projects are added to the list. You scan the list, and see if any are of interest. Then you download the specs and plans. If after perusing the plans and specs it’s a job you want to bid on, you either download a bid form or contact the owner directly, depending on the plan room you subscribe to. One practical advantage of downloading plans over the Internet is time- and cost-efficiency. Plans can cover a panoply of parts of a single job. Rather than obtaining the complete plan for an entire job and then plow through it to find the part that pertains to your service, you can simply use the website’s software to find your part of the job and download only the specs that are germane to you. Some plan rooms have software that allow you to add filters to your search. For instance, when you subscribe to ePlan, its software automatically narrows your search based

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Technology partner to great designers, fabricators and business owners www.fabcad.com / 1-800-255-9032 App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Autodesk is a registered trademark of Autodesk Inc and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA or other countries iPad and iPhone are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. FabCAD is a registered trademark of FabCAD Inc.

January / February 2014 n Fabricator

Examples of the kind of information updates you can get from ePlan taken from screenshots at their website.

on the criteria you enter when you join. The jobs that pertain to your type of business are at the top of the list. Isqft.com, a Cincinnati, Ohio-based Internet plan room that bills itself as a network, uses selective menus. For instance, if you are a fabricator, you would select the subcontractor menu for available jobs. Plans, pros and cons

The general mechanics of using an Internet plan room are universal. Pay em. Log on. Check for jobs. Download plans. Make an offer. Far 34

more thought justifiably may go into the basic question of whether or not to subscribe to a plan room — any plan room — in the first place. Fabricator Stacey Johnson, who runs Construction Services Inc, Decatur, AL, mainly uses McGraw Hill Dodge. “It’s been a good source for us, but it can be expensive. So you have to work out the costs and benefits of using it.” Exactly. And while doing so, timing should be factored in, as well. Like most fabricators we spoke with, Johnson feels that Internet plan rooms also have value during economic downturns.

“When the economy went south,” recalls Johnson, “it was really good for us (as a resource).” John McLellan, proprietor of McClellan Blacksmithing, Loomis, CA, concurs. He says he primarily uses Internet plan rooms when things are slow. “I haven’t been to a plan room in over seven years,” notes McLellan, whose market is primarily architectural and ornamental. “All the plans (from jobs) are emailed to me or I get them from Dropbox.com or ftp sites. Which brings us to another point: You don’t need an entire plan room if all you Fabricator

n January / February 2014

6 easy steps to sign up and do a basic search Navigating most Internet plan rooms is well within the

computer abilities of the modern fabricator. After all, half the equipment fabricators work with these days is computerized. Be that as it may, we have taken the liberty of a stepby-step test drive, so to speak, of a fairly typical Internet plan room. The following example is for the basic plan of the Virtual Builder’s Exchange (VBX) for Texas. VBX has other geographical area across the country.

Step Set up your search paramaters 5 Click on the “Search Projects” link in the far left

“Quick Links” column. Now you are at project search page. You’ll see eight steps to choose your search parameters. For starters, go straight to step 7 and enter up to four keywords that you will use later to narrow your searches. I chose rails, gates, fences, and stairs, and in step 8 gave these four parameters a name — “Apps.” Choose your own name. Then I clicked “Save as Filter.” When you choose your Step Go to the 1 website and keywords I could have register chosen “steel fabrication,” The URL is www. for example. But since I virtualbx.com. Click used “division 05, metals” on the tab that says at registration, I figure all the projects will already “Register” in the upper have a metal aspect to right-hand corner of them such that I don’t the page. While there’s need to use the name of a no charge for browsing metal as a keyword, but I Builder’s Exchange’s could be wrong. listings, you do have In any case, you can to register. It’s free. start your search. Use Besides, it lets the general the check-off list in contractors and owners steps 1–6 as appropiate know you’re out there. for you, to set up your Which can result in “filtered” search. Skip step invitations to bid. 7 basic search parameters you can use at Virtual Builder’s Exchange. 7 since you’ve already Step Fill out the done this. Now in step 8 2 registration enter the name for your four keywords. I entered form Once you click on “Apps.” Then clicked on register, a form will “Review Search.” appear. You don’t have to The resulting page download or print it; just should list all the pro fill it out on line. It asks jects that include the for a bunch of pertinent paramters I chose in information, including steps 1-6, and step 8. your sub-specialty; click Other plans rooms on “division 05, metals,” if also aid your search you’re a fabricator. via a search filtering mechanism. Basic project information available at Virtual Builder’s Exchange. Step Check your mail 3 Once you fill out the registration form it

immediately sends a confirmation to your email.

Step Log on 4 Now you get to use your user name and a

password. Go back to the site and log on. This will take you to a page called “Construction Opportunties,” which is also called “My Deskpad.”

January / February 2014 n Fabricator

Step Click on a project 6 Look for the name of a project that might be

useful to you and you’ll see some basic information about th ejob. The information might or might not include your keywords, but the associated docuents might. To get access to plans, specs, and addenda notification and bidders on this one project you’ll have to pay $25. VBX does offer several upgraded subscription plans.

Plan rooms: Who’s who and what’s what want is a plan. vary. Beyond simply While the sine logging in and Plan room Area of Subscription Allows Daily email Public/private qua non of the scanning the jobs, coverage rate/year listing/ads notifications job ratio plan room is still some Internet plan Blue Book National Yes Yes 70% the plan, they’ve rooms will notify 50 regions evolved, as a mat you by email. Plan ePlan AK, KS, IA, $1,695– No No 95% ter of practical rooms allow you MO, OK $3,602 application, into to search for jobs isqft National $1,500 Yes Yes 66% virtual classified using parameters average average ads. If an existing suitable to you and customer has will notify you of McGraw-Hill National $3,000 Depends on Yes 80% Construction/ single subscription already awarded the jobs that meet you a job, you can Dodge market plan your criteria. That simply have the gives your search an Virtual State, $850– Yes Yes 70% Builder’s regions, $2,150 plans and specs efficiency that you Exchange counties sent to you through don’t have when of Texas Dropbox or an you’re scanning This data is for public plan rooms. McGraw-Hill Dodge has private plan rooms sites, as well, long lists of jobs that ftp site. which skew much more heavily toward private jobs. Why not email? wouldn’t apply to Because plans are you. Culling the large and take up gargantuan amounts Builder’s Exchange3 and ePlan are list manually takes time. of bandwidth. Dropbox and other ftp primarily localized listings. McGrawSo just how many jobs might a sites have software that compresses Hill Dodge and Isqft are national. fabricator hope to find, using a virtual the file and makes it more suitable for Another factor in the Internet plan plan room? mailing. Once you receive the file, you concept is the flow of information. The simple answer is an unsatisfy can download it and print it. While a current listing of jobs up for ing, hard to say. Although Jeff Fandl, bids is a valuable resource, it’s still a editor at Blue Book, cobbled together A plan room geography lesson good idea to simply let people know some enlightening numbers, using When selecting an Internet plan you’re out there. Particularly people Construction Specifications Institute room a major decision is whether you who are putting those jobs out for codes germane to fabricators. want a local plan room or one with bid. With most Internet plan rooms, Of the 257, 945 jobs — both public broader, or national coverage. a fabricator can log on and scan the and private — published by Blue Book For instance, ePlan covers only listings posted by owners and general over the last year, 40,700 were for steel Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and contractors. But he has no way of fabricators; 1,402, ornamental iron; Oklahoma. Builder’s Exchange, a loose letting them know that he’s available 182, metal railings; and 301, specifically confederation of trade associations, has and looking for work. “ornamental metal.” The one Internet plan room that its own local or regional plan rooms. Is a virtual plan room right for you? seems to have addressed this problem This is sensible for those subcontractors Stacey Johnson puts it succinctly: “It’s is the Builder’s Exchange network. In whose market is local. Typically, been a good resource for us. But it can owners in Kansas don’t list their jobs in addition to an online newsletter, it be expensive, so you have to work out California. It’s a matter of practicality. offers display advertising. the costs and benefits of using it.” Will Keeler, of Keeler Iron Works Another advantage to local plan Memphis, TN, takes advantage of rooms is what sailors refer to as “local this by advertising in the newsletter. knowledge” and regard it as more Builder’s Exchange doesn’t charge valuable than any navigational chart for the classified ads, but charges drawn from afar. Listing jobs that are in for display ads on the website. The your own hometown means you have a circulation of the newsletter covers familiarity with the owners and general About the author Jeff Fogel began writing contractors that might be absent from a roughly the same area as the plan room. as a journalist with the less personal, national listing. Something else a fabricator may New York Daily News. Not that fabricators don’t ever do consider when selecting aplan room He has been a copywriter long distance jobs. A Kansas-based is the ratio of public to private jobs. and associate creative fabricator may be entirely capable of While the majority of plan room jobs director for advertising building a railing for a customer in are public jobs, the percentage to agency Ogilvy & Mather. California. It’s just a matter of shipping private jobs runs anywhere from 70% Jeff now lives in New Hampshire where the weather’s bad, the skiing’s better, or partnering with another fabricator. in Virtual Builder’s Exchange in Texas and blacksmithing’s a respectable way For that fabricator, the Internet plan to around 90% at ePlan. to keep warm. rooms may cover too small an area. How you view the jobs offered can

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Member Talk

Compass Ironworks stays true n

Despite Amish issues with technology and communication, Compass Ironworks has a “can-do” attitude, disciplined approach that brings success.

Editor’s note: In my interview with Amos Glick, owner of Compass Ironworks, Gap, PA, (www. ironworkclassics.com), I found his answers to be unpretentious, composed, and honest — a refreshing simplicity that is one trait of Amish culture derived from Biblical scripture. When I asked for an explanation of what Amish principles inform the way he conducts his fabricating business and the use of technology, Amos says: “Home life centers around the family, without the distraction of telephone, cell phone, computer, radio, or TV. As detached as possible, the same carries over into business.” Simplicity. Amos did not participate in the interview directly. After all, technology is not always considered simple or non-self-indulgent. While an obvious balance is required between business and home life, I emailed his nonAmish assistant, Leo Leofsky, who delivered the questions to Amos. He then gave his answers to Leo, who 38

The client and designer wanted this specific design for a forged, interior stair railing. It took almost 100 hours of drafting in FabCAD before Compass Ironworks got approval. The railing begins in the basement, up the first flight, across the landing, tied into the volute, then up the second flight and across the serpentine overlook. There was also a family room overlook and a third story stair encompassing 80 feet of railing with complex radii.

forwarded them to me via email. A special thank you to Amos Glick, Leo Leofsky, and the rest of the staff at Compass Ironworks. Fabricator Why did you decide to

work with metals? Amos Glick As a boy, when we went to the blacksmith shop to get our horses shod, I was mesmerized by the hammer, anvil, and forge. You heat it, beat it, and create a completely different form.

Fabricator How did and do you

further your metal fabrication education and training? Glick Learned by trial and error, by doing, by reading, by following the works of past masters, and by attending NOMMA Chapter meetings and workshops. The O&MM Fabricator magazine is absolutely essential in our shop as we seek innovative ways to add to our own arsenal of ideas.

Fabricator How and when did you start your work life as a fabricator and business person? Glick The company started in 1998 (my previous work was in manufactur ing agricultural equipment), in the buggy shed of the home farm in a 20 x 20-foot area. The work was mostly creating lawn and garden ideas, such as shepherd poles, flagpoles, and other lawn and garden items for wholesale markets. Then we were continually asked to fabricate railings, gates, and fences, and we started educating ourselves on the different methodologies. When China killed the wholesale market with import goods, we further delved into high-end, custom-forged ornamental work. By 1999, we had a 3,000-squarefoot shop, and in 2003, we added 12,000 square feet. We also created our own pretreatment and and powder-coat line. In 2010, we added a 2,000-square-foot blast building. Fabricator

n January / February 2014

Closeup views of the interior stair railing (see photo, page 41). The biggest challenge was building the jigs to the specific combination of radii. With numerous radii throughout, individual pieces could have three or four radii. Due to the design’s intricacy, Compass Ironworks paid special attention to each panel for balance and aesthetics. The entire project had steel caprail, coated with statuary bronze powdercoat, and then highlighted with antique gold gilders paste. After 602 labor hours, the client was happy to award the company three more contracts. The company won a NOMMA 2013 Top Job Silver award in the Interior Railing — Ferrous, Forged category.

Fabricator Did working with

agricultural equipment help you in any way with your metalworking? Glick I started working at a local equipment repair shop at 17. A year later, I switched to agricultural equip ment manufacturing and worked my way up to management — shop foreman. This let me get hands-on experience of different equipment setups, which definitely impacted the mechanical aspect of our equip ment set up in the shop now, for example, the idiosyncracies of a brake press setup.  Fabricator What sets your company apart from others in the fabrication industry (other than being Amish)? Glick Not as a slap to other fabricators, there are definitely others that think outside the box, but when we have a serious client that shares his needs and wants, to tell him we cannot do something is not our modus operandi. January / February 2014 n Fabricator

We will have numerous brain storming sessions to knock heads and see what creative solution we can provide. We view each challenge as another design opportunity to really get creative. Fabricator Who were or are your

mentors? What did you learn from them? Glick Samuel Yellin. We read everything we can lay our hands on about him. He is America’s most celebrated artist blacksmith. He operated out of Philadelphia, and is responsible for some truly incredible work. At the high point of his career, he had more than 250 people working for him, working in 41 states. He is an important mentor for me and all metalworkers because of his attention to detail and his management systems. The work he did in the 1920s is still an inspiration to look at. It commands astronomical values if and when it is for sale.

We can all learn from his success and I highly recommend reading about him as much as you can. A second mentor would be NOMMA — all the educational resources available through NOMMA are awesome. If everything else falls off the face of the earth, we still need NOMMA to further share, instill, and pass on the information to the next generation of fabricators. Fabricator How does the Amish

culture inform/affect the way you run your business internally and work with customers? Glick I had a client that got upset when he realized that I was not available on my own cell phone. I just informed him that is not how we do business. Leave me a voice mail, and I will call you back and take care of your needs. We will take care of your needs, just not the immediate minute, and if you have a problem with that we are not for you. 39

Fabricator What are

We have an agreement with all our hired drivers that their cell phone is available whenever we are on the road.

your company’s core strengths? Glick Doing it right, over engineering, overkill the project so that it will never come back to bite you. Then you won’t ever have it on your conscience that you did a crappy job, and you sleep better.

Fabricator How does the

Amish culture inform/ affect the way you do the actual fabricating work? Glick We work completely off the grid, utilizing plant-based bio-fuel to run our diesel generator to generate power through hydraulic. There’s compressed air and, of course, electric for the welders. Being innovative is somewhat entrenched in us. As soon as we look for a new piece of equipment, the first thing we think is “how will we power it for maximum efficiency?” The Hebo piece on the right in the equipment photo (top of page 4) is an example. We bought the attachment from Hebo, put a gearbox on it driven by a hydraulic motor, which in turn is directed by a 12-volt system. Note the 12-volt battery on the bottom shelf. The numbers on the 12-volt readout correspond with degrees of turning, and we can set it up for automatic if we are doing mulitples, to the hundredth of a degree, or we can run it maually using the forward and reverse buttons

Fabricator What new

Compass Ironworks’ powder-coat and pretreatment facility. Having this function available in-house allows the company to control a job’s quality and time-to-completion.

Fabricator What hurdles, if any, have

you faced as an Amish business? Glick Our biggest hurdle has been technology and communication. Email is a hurdle, and the way we have handled it is by hiring a non-Amish assistant, Leo Leofsky (leo@compassironworks.com), to manage all that for the company. We work closely with Verve Marketing and Design, Mills, PA. This 40

technologies (manual or automated) are you looking at using, both as a fabricator and as a business person? Why? Glick We might get a Hebo Embosser, or perhaps build our own, to provide a distinctive custom texture, if we get the client we are negotiating with. Our team has put forth some innovative ideas to create a more intuitive and user-friendly setup. Also, a twisting machine to twist our own balusters and baskets to provide our clients with an Americanmade product.

Using custom power hammer dies, assistant Fabricator Do you turn Leo Leofsky, above, down certain jobs? holds picket forged Glick We do get for a local train station contacted for fast-paced fence project.

production projects, such as standard commercial railing. They are usually price-point driven and with our focus on custom, our overhead is too high to compete with production-oriented shops.

Left, a workstation, using a lift table, overhead welder, and toolbox with tools, all at your fingertips.

seems to be what allows us to work with architects and clients, yet remain within the guidelines of the church. Fabricator What types of products

and services do you provide? Glick High-end, custom-forged railings, gates and fences. We have found that our passion for the exceptional, the artistic, fits well with our integrity as well.

Fabricator Describe your shop and a

typical workﬂow. What type of equipment and metals do you use? Glick The shop is 17,000 square feet. We use about 5,000 square feet for fabricating and another 5,000 square feet for the powder-coat facilities. Plus, we have a 2,000-square-foot Fabricator

n January / February 2014

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blasting facility. The from Alloy Casting rest is storage and Co., Mesquite, TX, warehousing. (www.alloynet.com) Most of our and a few custom equipment is shop-built components from a or shop-modified to local NOMMA shop, meet our needs. Each Shrock Fabrication, fabricator will go onsite, Bird-in-Hand, PA measure the project, and (www.shrockfab.com), interact directly with the and Kelly Iron Works, client after I have signed Chester, PA (www. the project. He will then kellyiron.com). perform the work or Our finish is too supervise the project critical for us to through final fabrication. outsource that. We do Then we blast, pretreat, our own sandblast, and powder coat. He’s pretreatment, and then in charge of the powder coat because installation crew. a lot of our work is Our projects are on the shore since we mostly aluminum, with A hydraulic-converted Hebo Scroll Bender, right, and a mechanical Hebo end are geographically a little bit of steel, brass, forger, left. The scroll bender panel is wired to a 12-volt car battery and calculates close. It’s critical that the degree of the turn on the piece. None of the equipment in the Compass or bronze. The antiwe provide the finish Ironworks shop is computerized; all are converted to hydraulics or gearboxes. corrosive properties in integrity to withstand The converted technology has yielded up to a 300% increase in efficiency over alumminum give us the harsh shore what manufacturers claim for their computerized systems, says Amos Glick. that piece of mind. We elements. know 100% that the aluminum will van to transport me to client meetings   never rust. and wherever I need to go to conduct Fabricator Are you in both the   business. Plus two are part-time. residential and commercial market? Fabricator How many people work How have each of these markets been in your shop? What do they do? How Fabricator Do you do everything for you the past couple years? many full-time? Part-time? Are all in house or do you outsource some For example, has it been rough your employees Amish? steps of the fabrication and finishing with the downturn in new residential Glick Eight full-time including process? Which ones and why? construction or no change because myself. Two are non-Amish drivers. Glick We do buy some components, you are focusing on high end? One has the installation truck to a little from King Architectural Metals, Or, for example, have you such a transport the different fabricators to Baltimore, MD, (www.kingmetals. great marketing plan that the measure and install projects, one has a economy has not affected you? com). We get a lot of custom castings Glick Mostly residential with a little high-end commercial that appreciates custom and quality. Yes, the downturn had everyone rethinking their spending habits. We feel the best marketing plan is education, particularly for clients who are in a position to specify multiple projects. Homeowners can only use as many railings as they have stairs, and only one fence per yard.   Fabricator Though you might not use them, what technological trends do you see? What business or market trends do you see? Glick From a design or architect and landscape perspective, sustain ability knowledge is becoming relevant. The landscape architect 42

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community, in particular, is very eco-conscious. Fabricator I under

We try not only to incorporate green practices, but also

advocate and educate stand that you are heavily into what you specifiers. Of course, call “green ironwork.” architects and landscape Can you explain what you mean by this, architects have a desire what you’ve done to for green products. incorporate green principles in your — Amos Glick business, and what Compass Ironworks, Gap, PA your return on that investment has been (financial or otherwise)? Are there Amish principles at play here? Glick We use the term green to communicate that the raw material is 97%–100% recycled, and the finish is VOCfree and 99.99% reclaimable. Most people do not understand this, but when compared with a vinyl fence that is 100% virgin material, we are very sustainable and eco-friendly. We work exclusively with 97%–100% recycled materials and work with recyclers to reuse our scrap. The diesel generator we use to power our equipment is also fueled using a locally made and refined bio-fuel. We try not only to incorporate green practices, but also advocate and educate specifiers. Of course, architects and landscape architects have a desire for green products. We believe that it is the right thing to do because we have been charged to be responsible stewards of the Earth. Fabricator Do you see any new markets for fabricators?

Are you planning to go into any new markets? Glick From an industry perspective, our new markets [sustainable, green markets] are not being tapped. Ironworks are a sign of refined taste and character, elegant yet can endure for centuries, be an undying piece of beauty, and inspire for generations to come. Yet it can have as high as 97%–100% recycled content and finish with a VOC-free finish. We have been turning our focus more toward architects, landscape architects, and designers. In our experience, many architects and landscape architects we’ve met at trade shows were not aware of these eco-friendly attributes, but they loved having that knowledge. Therefore, we created an accredited course for the American Institute of Architects, American Society of Interior Designers, and an American Society of Landscape Architects to promote sustainability, to help get the architects comfortable and passionate to specify iron in a green way.

Fabricator Who are your typical clients? How do you

find them? Glick Homeowners, through direct mail, trade shows, and design and industry partners. 44

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HOUSTON > CHICAGO 45

A banquet hall wanted to appeal to a more sophisticated client base and add elegance to its staircase for each special event. To maintain budget, the client supplied a design and selected laser cut frieze. Scroll material was ¾-inch steel. Compass Ironworks won a NOMMA 2013 Top Job Bronze award in the Interior Railing, Ferrous, Nonforged category.

Fabricator Do you use social media

marketing? Many of your potential clients — architects, landscape architects, designers, as you mention above — participate in group dis cussions on LinkedIn. Glick We do not use social media marketing. It is “deeper” into tech nology then we want to be involved with. That would involve full-time commitment. We would rather build personal relationships than go out further into technology.

Fabricator Do you use email market

ing? Newsletters (print or email)? Glick Some print newsletters, once or twice a year. We also send invitations to trade shows we exhibit at and other special events.   Fabricator Have you developed any useful content as a marketing tool to help inform or get clients, e.g. how-to articles, project gallery, video of your shop, testimonials, white papers, problem-solution case studies, a blog? Glick We have created a design guide, more as a way of inspiring them and to have them point out their likes and dislikes so we can unearth their individual design sensibilities. We also have a lot of samples because photos cannot do justice to the real thing. A lot of people really “see” their project when they can hold a sample piece in their hands. Fabricator Advice for other

fabricators trying to find clients? What must fabricators do? Glick My advice: Educate your contacts on the green attributes. This will not only benefit each individual shop but the industry as a whole. For Compass to recuperate the investment in the CEU course we have 46

Hou-714-nomma.indd 1

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with the associations, we need to generate more business. Our angle is that by educating specifiers about sustainability there will be more business for the industry, and Compass can recoup the investment without cutting into other shops’ business volume.   Fabricator How do you define “customer service”? Glick If it is at all possible, make the client happy without going out of business. While we were outsourcing powder coating, we had some projects fail, which we took out, refinished, and reinstalled at no cost to the client. They need to be raving fans.   Fabricator Beyond the economy, what business challenges have you faced and how have you resolved them? What business strategies enable you to succeed? Glick Managing and meeting clients’ expectations. There is no better way than face-to-face, or schedule a conference call, set aside time, hear them out. They need to know that we care.   Fabricator What fabrication job challenges have you faced? Glick We needed to make about 5,000 points on 1-inch, solid-square pickets. We paid a local shop to build samples, then when we got the actual project, we ordered an end-forging attachment from Hebo. Using the computerized unit was not an option for us. After we put a gearbox on it and powered that with a hydraulic motor, we then found a sequence that works: heat, forge to a 11/16-inch taper, reset the forging unit, reheat and forge to a 3/8inch taper, reset and reheat to a ¼-inch point, which is what the client wanted. We then messed up the gearbox and put a new one on. Constantly stalled out the hydraulic motor, so we upsized that, then we played with the forge, cranked the heat up a little, and January / February 2014 n Fabricator

Doing much of the banquet hall work in advance was a challenge because the client couldn’t tolerate construction mess. The custom stairs were pre-built with the stair manufacturer supplying dimensions. Final Install was also a challenge in tight quarters; each section weighed about 700 pounds. The railings were suspended from manlifts to maneuver into place. The job took 392 hours.

we could do it in two heats. Next, we fine-tuned the hydraulic motor and that twisted the gearbox shaft. We replaced the gearbox and added a 16-inch, 5 groove pulley on the power side as a flywheel, messed around with the forge to have the squares held in the forge on the diamond for a more consistent heat, and Viola! We could do the whole taper in one heat. We were thrilled. With a little

planning, we could consistently forge one picket point every 30 seconds (see top photo, page 42, end forger at left).   Fabricator Have you ever had an “a-ha,” a compelling dis covery in business or during fabrication? Talk about it. Glick More like a discovery that crept up on me: the huge void of information for specifiers to help our industry survive and thrive. We have to educate, share the knowledge, create that wow moment: “Wow, I had no idea this is sustainable, it is elegant, durable, and I can practice good stewardship and have the visual impact on my project.” To our knowledge, the CEU course with the associations is the only one that covers custom Ironwork. It has been a 20-month project for us. But I feel each individual shop and salesman or craftsman needs to share the green attri butes so that we will all be in a better position. Now a word of caution, some will care less, but to the next person, it means everything.   Fabricator What NOMMA resources and/or volunteer work have benefited you most? Glick Chapter meetings are always such an inspiring day when you can mingle with experts, feel the passion, learn new techniques, and just simply be a sponge to them. Then you come back to your own shop and wring yourself out into your own enterprise. We do promote NOMMA to other shops that aren’t members and through our CEU course.   Fabricator Anything else you’d like to share that you think is important or would be helpful for other NOMMA members to know? Glick EDUCATE, EDUCATE, EDUCATE! Clients, architects, and designers. 47

2013 Top Job Gold Award: Exterior Railing & Fence — Forged

Bighorn brings out best in forged bronze job n

By Dan Nauman Bighorn Forge Inc. With more than 50 monumental sculptures sitting on 40 acres of park, lake, and woodland, Milwaukee’s Lynden Sculpture Garden offers visitors a natural way to enjoy art and sculpture. Now visitors also can enjoy the intricate design and forging of the gardens new bronze fence. In 2009, The Bradley Family Foundation, responsible for the care and maintenance of the property, began a major makeover of the garden, transforming it from a private to a public space open to the public throughout the year.

How project was commissioned

That same year, Foundation board member David Uihlein (grandson of the Bradleys) commissioned Bighorn Forge, Kewaskum, WI, to build both the entry and exit gates for the facility. These gates were to be sculptural in design, giving the patrons a glimpse of what to expect once inside the garden. The entrance gate won NOMMA’s 2013 Top Job Bronze award in the Driveway Gates — Forged division (see story, page ). Fabricator

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When we were making the exit gate in March 2010, Uihlein asked me to design and build a sculptural patio railing for the premises, which ultimately won NOMMA’s 2013 Top Job Gold award in the Exterior Railing & Fence, Forged category. Building a railing was not in my schedule, but it had an imminent deadline — the grand opening for the garden was to be Spring 2010. The railing was to be a barrier to a severe drop on a retaining wall adjacent to a patio. The building code :tri-state-quarter page.qxd 12/19/07 required this to be installed before9:44 the AM gardens could open to the public. We would have to cease production on the gate to meet the deadline for the opening. Uihlein said the railing was more important than the gate, thus we placed the gate on the back burner, and started design of the railing. Realistically, even a simple design would be hard to complete in the allotted time, I explained. However, we determined that if I could install the first two of the five 5-foot-long sections of the railing, we would meet code. I AD

Left, Dan Nauman, Bighorn Forge, contacted NOMMA and ABANA members who taught him some of the critical elements of forging bronze.

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could install the other three 5-foot-long sections after the grand opening. Why? Because the drop was sloping from roughly six feet down to only a few inches over 25 feet. Where the first two sections ended, the remaining drop would be minimal — less than 20 inches — and would allow the installation of the last three sections at a later date. The code only requires a barrier where there is a drop of 24 inches or more. Design phase

Design concept: The drawing shows a section of the railing, as well as a front and side view of the baluster, left.

Design concept for anchoring the railing to the side of the retaining wall. We used Red-Head anchors rather than lead anchors, as indicated on the drawing.

Uihlein had specific ideas about the railing. He wanted it to be of bronze and to appear as though rings were floating away from the adjacent building. With little time to spare, I sketched ideas. Within a week, I presented several design concepts and a sample baluster made of steel. I had no clue how to forge bronze at that point, nor did I have any bronze in stock. After David decided on a design, I refined it into final drawings. The design called for slitting through ¾-inch-square bronze bars, 5 inches linearly, to make the 50+, 4-inch diameter rings in the balusters (see photo, page ). Beyond that, the rings needed much refining beyond slitting, essentially a lot of forging per ring. Because I would be working on this project largely on my own, some of the ABANA and NOMMA folks I contacted for advice said that I should simply TIG weld bronze rings, cut from bronze pipe, to ¾-inch bar. That would be far faster than forging. But the reason I am a blacksmith is that I enjoy forging and the visual results that forging produces, i.e. texture, increased (or decreased) visual bar volume by cross-peening, and changes in bar thickness. I knew that forging the rings would be a monumental task, but when finished, the forged rings would be visually exciting, and thus worth the effort. Additionally, I needed to measure the jobsite for slope and learn more about bronze. I had homework to do, and little time to do it. Field measuring

I used two forms of measurement to read the slope of the retaining wall: 1) a laser surveyor and 2) the more 50

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manual version of using a square, level, and storyboard to scribe the slope along 25 feet of the retaining wall. I used both methods to check one against the other. The laser told the better story as the wall rose and fell minimally foot-by-foot, making it a bit difficult to accurately measure the slope by the manual method. Layout drawing

Once the design was established, and the slope determined, I used wallboard to create the full-scale layout for the railing. Typically, I use sheet metal for my layouts so I can use a steel scribe to draw, which produces a more narrow line than does a marking pen or soapstone. A more narrow line provides a more accurate measurement. The late Francis Whitaker, Carbondale, CO, who taught me sheet metal layout, was a stickler for accuracy. In cases like this railing, while accuracy was important, extreme accuracy was not as important — I was not filling a hole (for example, I was not placing a railing between two piers), and thus drawing on wallboard with a pencil sufficed and was less expensive. The only drawback to using wallboard is that I cannot lay a hot bar on it to compare the bar to the drawing, as you can when using sheet metal for the layout drawing. Often when I am actually drawing out the project full-scale, some details change or new ideas develop. Most of this project remained the same as initially drawn, until I started to forge the last panel. Based on having forged the first four sections of railing, it was apparent that the final and more dramatic

design of the last panel needed more positive visual space. I redrew the panel and submitted it for approval. Learning bronze, phase 1 Safety

For advice, I contacted NOMMA and ABANA members who I knew worked in bronze. This proved crucial for several reasons, the most important being health. Although the vast majority of the work was to be forged, I learned that the frame joints would be best joined by TIG welding, grinding, and polishing. Inhaling the particulates caused by grinding and polishing can make one ill in short order. Good ventilation and proper facemasks are required. I also shaved off my beard to ensure a proper fit of the facemask — a scary proposition since I’d had a beard most of my adult life. Other protection included covering as much skin as possible because the bronze dust, combined with sweat, not only gives the skin a fine verdigris (greenish-blue) patina, but also causes an irritation similar to fiberglass insulation. Learning bronze, phase 2 Heating to forging temperature

Forging bronze is easier than forging steel. However, heating it would cause me, as one mentor put it, to be a candidate for the local loony bin. Bronze becomes very “hot-short” (cracks and crumbles) when heated beyond a dull to almost medium red. This requires extreme vigilance during heating because bronze is an excellent conductor

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of heat especially compared to steel. Bronze achieves forging temperature rapidly, and keeping it in the fire too long can result in disaster; simply removing an overheated bar from the forge can result in failure. A gas forge: Yes or no? One mentor strongly recommended I build a gas forge that regulated the heat, maintaining a temperature that wouldn’t overheat the bronze and alleviate the nervousness of that potential failure. I thought this was a fine idea, but I hadn’t time to build it. Beyond that, I don’t care for using gas forges because they do not pinpoint the heat as well as my coal forge does as it heats a larger, longer portion of the bar. I also do not enjoy the noise or the heat blast given off by most gas forges. Where a coal forge’s heat essentially rises and consequently is sucked directly into a chimney, a gas forge’s heat blasts outwards heating more of the bar than needed and dramatically increases the temperature in the shop. I decided to use a more controllable, quieter, and cooler (to stand next to) coal forge. However, I was taking a huge risk by using a coal forge to heat the bronze since the only way to prevent overheating is to visually watch the

Railing bottom after assembly and polishing. Note wall-board drawing beneath. Four-inch risers (cut square tubes) were used to keep hot bronze off of the wall-board.

color of the bronze and remove it from the fire when it achieves a dull red. Like a hawk, I watched each bar while it was heating. Overheating failures. Over the course of this job, and likely thousands of heats in the coal fire, I only had three failures due to overheating largely because of my lack of attention during those heats. 1) After splitting the center of a ¾-inch-square bar to make a ring, I was going to open up the split using a small cone. I took one hit, and one side snapped clean through. 2) When I was lifting the bar from the fire. I had one-half in hand; the other was still in the fire. I never even felt it separate.

3) When I was to cross-peen a finial. The first blow resulted in a crumbled mess, as if I had hit a stale soda cracker. All the failures resulted from over heating the bronze, which was just above a dull red, more cherry red in color. In hindsight, I did need to be more vigilant heating the bronze, but do not regret using a coal forge for the job. Learning bronze, phase 3 Forging

Many refer to forging bronze as “forging butter,” especially when compared to forging steel. Initially, the bronze does forge easier, but as it cools, it rapidly becomes stiffer and can crack if forged too long. The timing of such is a learning curve — bronze does not go through as many color changes as does steel when it cools. The color changes in steel usually indicate when to stop forging. However, bronze turns simply from a dull red and then to gray. How long to forge

Knowing when to stop forging becomes a matter of recognizing when it becomes less malleable by its resistance to a hammer blow. I learned to stop forging when my hammer blows proved to move less material, which was about the same time the bar began to transfer the energy of the hammer blow into my hand holding the bar, i.e. more vibration. Another issue: Because of the low amount of heat necessary to forge bronze, the forging window is lessened compared to steel. All this makes 54

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The forging processes used

The main forging process began with light forging of the corners off the 他-inch-square bars, which were to be the balusters. I then split each baluster using a hot-cut under the power hammer (as a striker) to form the ring. The split bar was opened gradually using three progressively larger cone mandrels. Once opened, I forged the sidewalls of the ring, refining the width and thickness. The ring was finally shaped Midsection of railing panel after polishing. Note how some of the balusters have been to a 4-inch diameter using a large conetwisted to orient the split ring in another plane. mandrel. Some balusters were twisted to forging bronze a bit more difficult than forging steel. orient the ring away from the main plane, giving the effect However, I did find forging bronze pleasurable. It does that the rings were twirling in the breeze. not scale like steel, and the imprint of the various tools The ends of the balusters were cross-peened leaving is more clay-like than steel; the first series of blows are the imprints of the peen to add texture. These resulting flares were cut to shape using a hot-cut under a 75-pound, definitely more forgiving. However, the final series is much in-line treadle hammer, and then hand-filed to take off like forging steel. the resulting burrs. The flares were then swaged to add I used #655 silicon bronze from Atlas Metal & Iron Corp., dimension and volume Denver CO. This grade of bronze is recommended for hot I used a ball peen to create the cupped impressions for forging because it is more maleable. Of the processes I the rivets, again using the power hammer as my striker. used to forge the bronze, I saw little or no difference from Because bronze rivets were impossible to find in small forging steel, with the exception that it is more elastic in quantities, I purchased a 3/8-inch-diameter round bronze bar some operations. I had no problems drawing down, bending, and made my own. I placed the 3/8-inch bar at a set height in splitting, or cross-peening.

January / February 2014 n Fabricator

Overcoming the design challenge of a 26-foot gate The biggest challenge of the

Lynden Sculpture Garden (LSG) project was designing the entrance gate to reflect the nature of the sculpture gardens. Originally, the LSG board wished the design to reflect a countryside farm, classic in nature, because the gardens were originally in a rural farm setting. During the discussions, I noted that the gates might reflect what the patrons were going to see once inside . . . sculpture. Although the board still wanted a classic style, they were open to a sculptural interpretation. I drew two gate designs with classic lines and one having a sculptural feel. The board and staff opted for the sculptural design. I had also designed and built their exit gate, which was similar to the entrance gate. Both spanned a significant berth, the exit gate 17 feet and the entrance gate 26 feet. Since both designs were daunting in size, it seemed better to build the smaller exit gate first to learn about potential challenges. That decision proved to be sound because I learned that with my design the cantilevered weight was fine for the smaller exit gate, but would be too much for the larger entrance gate to bear without significant sagging. I explained my findings to the staff and asked to redesign the entrance gate to make it sound. They allowed me to not only do so, but also to redesign the gate in its entirety. Twenty-six feet is a huge span for any gate design, and this was the largest gate of my career. Using triangulation, a design principle typically used for gates, would be a challenge for a largely forged gate, which uses collars, mortise and tenon, and rivets for construction. While thinking how I might achieve sound gate leaves without sag, I decided on a different direction from the original design, which incorporated largely 1-inch bar stock

a post-vise with a bolster of the same diameter on top of the vise jaws. Then I heated the end of the bar with an oxy-acetylene torch and upset the end with a hammer. Taking another heat, I used a top rivet-set to form the button-head. The bolster formed the shoulder of the head. The larger rings in the railing’s terminus were bent to shape while hot. Once formed, the ends of the ring were TIG welded to form a solid ring. As the rings overlap each other to lie in the same plane, I hand cut half-laps to fit the different sized rings together. I then 56

to make the leaves. I chose to make the main leaves out of 5/16-inch plate, and then reinforce and ornament the plate with forged elements. The plate, applied on edge, proved to have the rigidity I needed to keep the leaves from sagging. With that decision made, I needed a theme, which became the nautical history of Wisconsin and Lake Michigan. I wanted the gate to reflect the motion of wind and water, as well as the masts and riggings of a ship. The piers were made by using a core of 4-inch-diameter pipe, secured to a 1 x 16 x 16-inch base. Another 6-inchdiameter pipe, and an 8-inch-diameter pipe were torch-cut and forged to produce a seemingly wrapped husk around the core. Other forged elements would then “grow” out of the top of the pier base, again giving the feeling of movement. How to build in a small shop

Another challenge was deciding how to build this large gate in a rather small shop. The shop floor was mainly dirt, so I poured a concrete layout floor for larger projects. It spans 10 x 16 feet and has I-beams embedded in the concrete so I can literally weld things to the floor. I also built an overhead crane with a jib-crane so I could manipulate the large projects in my one-man shop.

TIG welded these joints, and filed the welds down to achieve a clean joint. The supporting legs were designed to cantilever the railing over the retaining wall, initially because the client thought this would prevent staining the concrete. While staining is inevitable, the thought did prove to be a fine design element. These legs were attached by drilling and tapping the railing sections using brass bolts as fasteners. Anchoring the side-plates was achieved by using stainless steel RedHead anchors and lag screws.

Learning bronze, phase 4 Machining and welding

Drilling was a different story because bronze is softer than steel. The drill-bit can bite off more than it can chew. I used a series of bits to achieve the desired hole diameter and to reduce the speed of the drill press to its lowest speed. I have no idea what the RPM was at this low speed, but it was lower than I typically use to drill out steel. I was told that bronze can be MIG welded, but TIG is the “Cadillac” for welding bronze. Fabricator

n January / February 2014

However, I could only manage to erect half of this gate in this space; each half spanned 13 feet. Plus, with no straight lines on the gate leaves I could not check for plumb in relationship to one another where they would meet in the middle. My solution was to build both leaves and piers side by side. This way I made comparisons and measurements to ensure things lined up correctly, but I still wasn’t comfortable that the gate leaves would line up on installation day. To ensure that things would go well at installation, I enlisted three men for a “dry” fitting at the job-site. Before I added the forged elements to the plate, we took everything down to the site, piers and all, and erected the gates to see that they matched correctly. They did with no shimming whatsoever. We then disassembled the gate, and took it back to the shop to finish the job. Fabrication and forging

The majority of the forged elements were made from 1-inch-diameter round bar and forged to octagon in many cases. Because some of these bars were as long as 16 feet, I made some of these elements in 4-foot sections and then MIG-welded them back together, blending the joints to appear as one solid bar. Many of the elements incorporated into the 1-inch bar were torch-cut from 1 x 4-inch plate, and roughed out using a 110-pound power hammer. I refined them with a hand hammer and then finished these preliminary forms by filing. Next, I heated these forms in the coal forge and proceeded to shape the contours by bending them over the anvil horn. Some of the elements were bent using the oxy-acetylene torch, using the heat to soften, and my hands to guide the bars in the bending direction. Occasionally, I used large bending forks for more leverage. Aspects of joinery were collars, mortise and tenon, rivets, bolts, and screws. I had masons pour the gate footings with ¾-inch stainless steel threaded rod embedded into the concrete for the piers. The template I gave them for this was also used for my layout. I gave them a center distance measurement to adhere to and ensured that they made these footings on an equal plane. Gate installation and finishing Opposite page, the driveway entrance gate for the Lynden Sculpture Garden is 26 x 14 feet incorporating the area’s nautical history — a mast, sail, and rigging. It also simulates rhythmic waters and a bit of the turmoil of wind and waves. Above, a decorative nautical mast sculpture on the right side of the gate. Entrance gate photos by George Lottermoser of Lotter Moser & Associates

I had never TIG welded, but I’m proficient in oxy-acetylene torch welding. That made learning how to TIG weld easier. Being largely a blacksmith, I purchased a TIG welder large enough to weld 1-inch-square bar. This was needed only to weld the frame corners of the railing. It was wonderful to use — no spatter as with a MIG welder. Finishing

I ground the TIG-welded frame corners initially with a flap disc and finished with a fine sanding disc. I January / February 2014 n Fabricator

Installation was fairly easy. Everything on the gate is modular in design, so major attachments were bolted and screwed together. This made installation easier as well as for future maintenance. Two other men who work at the gardens helped with their tractor, which held the gate leaves in position with the front-end loader while we attached the leaves to the piers. Installation time was about 21/2 hours. The finish of the gate is an e-coating, with a monochrome powder topcoat. The modular gate made this form of finishing possible, as most e-coating/powder coating facilities cannot handle large and bulky elements. — Dan Nauman then hand filed the edges to blend with the forged edges of the bar-stock. In contrast to grinding, sanding, and filing steel, doing such to bronze is quick and easy because it is so soft compared to steel. The bronze turned a dull gray after forging and needed to be polished, perhaps the least enjoyable portion of the project. I employed two individuals to help. I did all the forging, TIG welding, and grinding. Donning protective masks, and again covering as much skin as possible, we began polishing with

a stainless steel cup brush on an angle grinder (using ferrous brushes impregnates bronze with steel, causing uneven patination). Next we used a 3M disc mounted in a die grinder. Then we hand polished with a 3M pad, and finally wiped it down with mineral spirits to remove oils. Once the polishing was completed, the resulting finish looked like a new copper penny. But it only took a few days for the bronze to begin to oxidize, initially turning to a duller copper color. 57

Top finial of a baluster showing rivet joint and texture. Railing terminus, showing the natural patina blending well with the sculpture garden landscape.

A few people told me that leaving the bronze unfinished in an outdoor environment would result in a dull-brown patina with perhaps a few green specks here and there. The Lynden Sculpture Garden conservator thought differently. He noted that bronze is 98% copper and would eventually turn to the desired verdigris patina, left to nature. He was correct, and I am thrilled with the finish. Final Thoughts

Vertical rail post with rings as it begins to turn into a verdigris patina. 58

Looking back, the project was a huge learning experience. New doors opened because of the project, i.e. learning to forge bronze and TIG weld, and about drilling, filing, polishing, and finishing bronze. I had always wanted to work in bronze, as I enjoy not only the richness of the various patinas that can be achieved, but also the softness that the material portrays when forged. I also learned the idiosyncrasies of bronze: how to forge it, drill it, weld it, grind it, and polish it, as well as the potential health dangers involved. I also learned how to use a TIG welder and now own one. Thanks go to all that gave me advice and wisdom along this road. Fabricator

n January / February 2014

Biz Side

Professional development n

Thinking outside the box to inside our business

Vistage

For your information

What you'll learn n How a NOMMA member began a successful career, without mentors. n How using instinct and talent can pay off with a patentpending invention to sell to other fabricators. n A sure way to ensure customer satisfaction. n How a small metal workshop used basic techniques to ﬁnd work. About the author Peter Hildebrandt is a long-time senior writer for Fabricator. He specializes in writing company proﬁles.

January / February 2014 n Fabricator

Editor’s note: Our writer Peter Hildebrandt examines a variety of organizations that provide small business coaching at a variety of levels. While the costs vary, our mission is to show you the range of service that is available in the marketplace so that you can make a more informed choice. By Peter Hildebrandt NOMMA members are in an excellent network for professional development with numerous platforms for continuing education: O&MM Fabricator magazine, METALfab conventions, webinars, and video tutorials. Peer advisory groups, however, complement the work NOMMA does by allowing you, as a fabricator, to join a non-fabricator group that can help you with your business.

One NOMMA supplier member finds Vistage, San Diego, CA. (www. vistage.com) to be especially useful. “It’s like having a board of directors,” says Tony Leto, The Wagner Companies, Milwaukee. “They will critique and confront you more than you might be challenged by people who work for you. They will call you out if they think you are not doing what you should be in your business. It’s a way to get tested not found with your family or the people who may work with you.” Vistage is in 16 different countries adding an international perspective as well. This isn’t about networking per se because within the group the purpose is not to do business with each other, says Dennis Kleper, one of Vistage’s group chairs. Kleper is an attorney and a former CEO who started up and sold three companies. “We challenge each other to grow our businesses,” explains Kleper. “Courageous people both act in a caring way and dare each other to move beyond playing safe by talking about things they might not have been able to talk about anywhere else. Putting people together with different CEOs helps them see unusual ways to grow beyond what people just like them may suggest.” Need referral to join

Someone must recommend you to get you in this international group, Leto says. “NOMMA does a lot of things to help businesses in their organization,” he says. “This is much more individual. 59

Peer advisory groups

Someone is helping you with your shop or business in your area. Owners of other businesses challenge you to grow your own business and fix your own problems. “My Vistage group,” Leto says, “is composed of computer, construction, electrical contractor, and software people. The businesses are all different and at the core they can help you with marketing, human resources, business growth, finance and all the stuff that you need to know about growing your business that no one else may feel comfortable telling you.”

Within its organization plan, Vistage has four types of advisory groups, according to its website. 1 Chief executive group. In this group, CEOs benefit from being asked tough questions and receiving counsel from fellow CEOs who have no vested interest in the outcome. 2 Small business owners. This peer groups comprises small business owners — less than $5 million dollars in revenue — may serve entirely different types of customers in widely varying industries. However, they share common challenges when building their companies, for example, profitability, technology, or recruiting and retaining employees. 3 Key executives. This group serves their CEO and lead employees. Representing myriad industries, they engage in conversations about their respective business and personal challenges. An atmosphere of trust and accountability is created in these

groups so that members can truly learn and grow. 4 Trusted advisors. Those in this group offer advice to CEOs, small business owners, and key executives depending on the expertise of trusted advisors. Trusted advisors must not only have command of their area of expertise, but also a deep understanding of leadership and the complex challenges facing organizational leaders. Peer advisory groups engage in candid give-and-take dialogue on pressing business issues with a group of trusted peer executives who have “been there, done that.” Tackling your toughest challenges (from payroll to personnel) with empathetic, objective peers allows you to ask — and answer — the hard questions in an environment of absolute trust. Mentoring service

One-to-one mentoring is another service that allows you to refine your vision with the help of a top CEO advisor who is part executive coach, part mentor, and part advisor — and one of an elite group of only 650 trained Vistage facilitators in the world. During intensive 1-to-1 sessions, your advisor will help you stay focused and committed to the results you’re driving toward, both personally and professionally. Meetings

Expert speaker workshops let you be the first to get new ideas and more effective strategies from top experts across the business landscape. Specialists share forward-thinking business perspectives and actionable approaches that should make you as a Vistage member feel you are on the cutting edge — and with your peers’ hands-on guidance, you can begin implementing new strategic processes at once. Vistage also has an online portal for exclusive regional and national conferences, as well as webinars and podcasts with pioneering experts in a variety of fields. Finally, whether you’re looking for guidance with strategic planning 60

Fabricator

n January / February 2014

or want to connect with fellow members, Vistage can help maximize your ROI with powerful content and global connectivity with the Vistage Village online portal. Leto has been active in Vistage since 1999. “Vistage has helped me grow professionally through all these features. Perhaps the main advantage is receiving impartial, beneficial advice; they will give you honest opinions about what you are doing and about what you should be doing with your company. It’s basically people who are willing to tell you you’re doing great when you’re doing great. But when you’re making a bad decision, they’ll let you know as well.” NOMMA remains a great organization for professional development for the money, says Leto. “It is probably one of the least expensive programs for professional advance ment out there. Vistage complements NOMMA quite nicely though.” Kleper adds: “Though this is about personal and professional development, we also do work within companies to help the companies develop. Oftentimes the head of a company knows what needs to be done but doesn’t know how to do it, and there’re ways we can help them to find ways to get it done.” Regarding hiring, for example, once you know how to hire, set up a hiring engine. If two or three metalworking shops are in an area, you can work together to find good people. “But they don’t even know how, half the time,” says Kleper. “We know people who can help them, and we share all these resources with them.” For a service charge, members have access to all city networking meetings where contact with hundreds of members is possible. If a business owner wants to grow both themselves and their business, this is a chance to converse with their peers — owners of other businesses who are at the same place in that business. Any business that wants the support of other businesses can do the mentoring and leadership support program at Vistage, which in turn always looks at best business practices. What do businesses do to make themselves successful and what are you doing; what would happen if you did something else? “Most people that do things are doing what they love, not something they’ve been trained to do as a business,” says Kleper. “In the case of NOMMA members, their training is in metalworking. We help them get what they need to run a business; we support them in doing it. This is all for a fixed fee. It’s all pretty inexpensive actually.” Kleper considers this one way for a business owner to see the larger world. It is a strategic execution of strategy. “The group also holds member accountable to do that. I invite all who are interested to call me; if I’m not the correct connection, I will get the individual in touch with the right person.” Vistage might be the top of the line offering what is apparently a higher quality or higher quantitative service than other similar coaching organizations. But you pay for it with annual fees of at least $10,000.

January / February 2014 n Fabricator

Entrepreneurs’ Organization

The Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO; www.eonetwork. org) supports 9,000 members around the world in different

industries. They are a non-profit and don’t promote one industry over another. Unlike similar organizations, they are a tight-knit community offering once-in-a-lifetime learning, connec tions to experts and memorable experiences to help an individual become a better entrepreneur and better person overall, says Nicholas Thomas, EO’s director of publications. “Everything is hands-on in what we call our forum, which is an opportunity for members in specific chapters to meet once a month to talk about things in a very therapeutic and non-threatening fashion,” explains Thomas. “All that we do comes down to peer-networking. In contrast to some of the other organizations that have billion dollar budgets and a wide variety of economic backgrounds, you have to have annual revenues of a million dollars to become a member, making us an elite entrepreneurs group from the inside out,” he says. “It’s not so much offering business advice but more along the lines of affording members an opportunity to connect with some similar, like-minded members in their chapter or region around the world. We have once-in-a-lifetime events presents

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to engage leading business minds and many other resources.” Simply put, EO is about helping its members achieve success in their business and personal lives. Since 1987, EO has been involved

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associations and business network groups, EO is supports the whole entrepreneur by helping them become better business, family, and community leaders. Guides members to ‘greatness’

“Our goal is to help entrepreneurs learn and grow on a personal and professional level, at the same time guiding them to greatness in business and beyond,” adds Thomas. “Not your typical businesspeople, ours thrive on breaking barriers, pushing past conventions, and making a mark on a local, regional, and global scale,” he says. “Our leading entrepre neurs create futures, stimulate economies, and set precedents for progress. They are uniquely EO, expressing their individuality during regional business network events, global events, small business networking events, business owner networking forums, chapter activities, and education programs for executives and business owners.” Average member dues are around $4,000. This does depend on where you live because local chapters have some control over the dues amount. For example, a member might pay $500 more in San Diego than they do in Birmingham. The difference stays with the local chapter to invest with their members. The renewal cycle begins on the first of July of each year. The association has no 12-month rolling memberships. If a member signs up in January, for example, they will pay a pro-rated six-month rate, and then be asked to renew their membership on July 1.

Women Presidents’ Organization

The Women Presidents’ Organ ization (www.womenpresidentsorg. com) is an organization for women presidents and CEOs (and managing directors) of privately held companies with revenues of at least $1 million. Through global, confidential, peer-learning groups, the WPO helps 62

Fabricator

n January / February 2014

businesses grow, enhances competitiveness, and promotes economic security. It also seeks to improves business conditions for women entrepreneurs and promotes the acceptance and advancement of women entrepreneurs in all industries. Pays peer guides

Peers guide peers and learn from each other. WPO hires paid professional chapter chairs and continually trains them. “Their job is to bring the genius, which already exists out of the group,” explains president and founder Marsha Firestone. “Our goal is to accelerated growth, enhance competitiveness, and promote economic security for the owners, their families, and their employees. Speakers may be brought in; it’s a whole learning process based on adult learning. WPO’s adult learning theory

“We believe that adult learning theory is the best way to go,” Firestone says, “and that is, adults learn best when they decide what they are going to learn, when they’re going to learn it, and how they are going to learn it.” WPO has 101 chapters in the U.S. and around the world. The chapter chair’s job, Firestone says, “is to get the information from the members and to help deliver the agenda that they want to help them grow their company.” Chapters have up to 20 people who aren’t giving advice as much as sharing their own experiences, expertise, and business education. Their tagline is “reaching farther together.” “These women really do support one another in their efforts to expand and grow their businesses,” adds Firestone. Though this is a women’s group, the focus is on operational issues, not women’s issues. Focuses on operational issues

“This is about helping them with business issues,” adds Firestone. “That said, entrepreneurship is the great equalizer for women; it’s a place where they can earn as much as their idea January / February 2014 n Fabricator

will let them earn. They can control their own time, have more power and influence. “We are global, all women, educational — not certification, advocacy, or networking. But we are very substantive with paid facilitators,” she says. “The things we are educating people about are operational and strategic issues in running their business, anything from human resources to global growth, competitors to financial

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control, and all the possible issues that can impact a business have a place at the table.” The WPO is a nonprofit that charges $1,800 for the entire year and that includes the registration fee for its conference. “Our great sponsors are instrumental in allowing us to be so inexpensive compared to other entrepreneurial groups. We also run a list every year of the 50 fastestgrowing women-lead businesses with the American Express Open. The American Express Open is a list that company compiles of the fastest growing companies in the United States.”

The Alternative Board

As with the other groups mentioned in this article, The Alternative Board (TAB), Denver, CO, according to its website (www.thealternativeboard.com), helps business owners achieve more profitability, productivity, and even personal fulfillment. Moreover, TAB asks you on its website to imagine that you had your own board of directors “that provided you direct access to outside experience, objective advice, and on-going peer support to assist you in making better dayto-day and long-term decisions to continually move your company forward.” The TAB mission

Thus, the TAB mission as a membership-based organization that help you: n recruit great employees, n achieve your personal vision, n increase sales and grow profits, n create a strategic plan and manage to it, and n adapt your business to be less dependent on you “We really focus on bringing in local business owners; successful people who can impart their knowledge onto other local businesses in a non-competitive way,” explains Rachel Moore, social media and PR specialist for The Alternative Board. “This could be in places like Knoxville, TN, or Allen town, PA, influencing franchises where they create some thing of a circle of business owners in their community,” Moore says. “They essentially provide a board of directors for the small business owners and entrepreneurs. They could be a one-man shop or a place with a smaller staff.” These businesses don’t have their own board of directors and are not able to glean those benefits. TAB provides that board once the company joins TAB. They can then attend a board of directors meeting with other people who, even if not in the same industry, can still share solutions. 64

Fabricator

n January / February 2014

TAB franchise owners and facilitators do one-on-one business coaching so members can get specific direction for any issues that they’re experiencing. “We keep it very localized to that particular community of business owners, so it’s very relevant for the economy they’re trying to succeed in,” adds Moore. “Our franchises are a central base of operations within a certain community. The franchise owner then brings on members and TAB provides them with that board resource. “They come in to groups of 10 people meeting monthly and are able to partake of the vast knowledge present,” he says. “The benefit comes from coaching by the franchise owner and anyone who’d be beneficial in helping them. We get to the guts of what their issues and questions are and provide local expertise.” Help can come from corporate headquarters in Denver and from the local franchises. Franchise boards keep activities centralized to the locale in which they are located. NOMMA members tied to their geographical areas may find this a benefit. With roughly 3,000 members, TAB began in 1990. Moore says: “This is simply a great approach: trying to get people to supplement their own businesses through the franchises and advisory boards we provide. Founder Allen Fishman, who has appeared twice on the Wall Street Journal’s bestselling author list, and his daughter Michele Fishman, our vice president for international development, are excellent resources as well.” Costs depend on the region of a local business and the franchise office operating in their locale. Contact TAB at 303-839-1200, and you will be directed to the closest regional TAB franchise office for membership costs in your local area. The Alternative Board also offers membership on a local TAB board for the benefit of local business owners, or individuals can pre-qualify to become a TAB franchise owner their region, if they’re seeking that opportunity, according to Moore.

January / February 2014 n Fabricator

Young Entrepreneur Council

The YEC is an invitation-only organization where members refer and vote on every new member, says Scott Gerber, founder and president of The Young Entrepreneur (http://theyec. org) Council. some members wanted public rela “It’s not open for general public tions assistance, the YEC formed solicitation and memberships start at a partnerships with nearly 100 main few hundred dollars; no one is able to stream media outlets. just sign up,” Gerber says. The organization also has created “We’ve had over 13,000 people financing and health care resources for apply, however the membership has its members in this fashion. only accepted 800 out of these. After “This is a comprehensive member a rigorous acceptance process, the ship for the most elite entrepreneurs person is either accepted or not; the under 40 in America,” adds Gerber. acceptance rate is around 9%,” he says. “Our organization pretty much Benefits are numerous including represents every industry and market. access to a 24/7 peer-to-peer support We have entrepreneurs from all ends via private community forums, mar of the business spectrums; certainly keting and editorial services, several anything in services, retail, or creative personal advice programs, events, arts — anything along those lines — is discounts on business products and certainly a fit for us. services, such as bookkeeping, and “We also have over 50,000 people other how-to information. who are part of our virtual mentorship Once on board, the council works program and who get free access with members continuously by asking to us every month; they can still them what they want, and then benefit from the life lessons of our going out on their behalf to seek out members,” Gerber says. That program resources and additional Ad value. Proof 77035-CB-4829-08 is the StartupCollective (http:// As an example of this crowdsourced approach, last year when startupcollective.com).

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(718) 485-2200

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(630) 562-1400 (888) 243-6914

(901) 346-0662

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January / February 2014 n Fabricator

New Members Meet our members

NOMMA is proud of its 550+ members. As members, fabricators and suppliers show support for both the association and entire industry. To get contact information on a member, please see our Member Locator at www.nomma.org. New members since October 18, 2013.

NOMMA Gold Members NOMMA is pleased to welcome our newest Gold Members — companies who have been a member for 20 years or more. These companies show a strong loyalty to both their industry and trade association. We thank them for their support. n

Armin Iron Works Inc...................................................................Pittsburgh, PA

American Fence Company Adam Flogstad Omaha, Nebraska Fabricator

Boes Iron Works Inc.....................................................................New Orleans, LA

Bracci Iron Works..........................................................................Brooklyn, NY

Broome Welding & Machine Co. Inc.........................................Galveston, TX

Apex Welding & Fabrication Miles Weaver Vernal, Utah Fabricator

DoorKing of Texas Ltd..................................................................Dallas, TX

Hebo/Stratford Gate Systems Inc.............................................Clackamas, OR

Johnston Products of Dallas Inc................................................Cedar Hill, TX

Atchley Steel Co. Inc. Kimberly Prater Salem, Alabama Fabricator Ciccone Custom Railing & Mfg. Robyn Ciccone Toms River, New Jersey Fabricator Decorative Iron Works Joseph Monga Hibernia, New Jersey Fabricator DoorKing of Texas Ltd. Paula R. Reese Dallas, Texas Fabricator Gonzales Iron Works Andrew Ewig Austin, Texas Fabricator Kammetal Inc. Sam Kusack Brooklyn, New York Nationwide Supplier Pace Metal Fab Tom Pace Pinnacle, North Carolina Fabricator Powder-X Coating Systems Joey Golliver LaVergne, Tennessee Nationwide Supplier Rosebud Metalworks Jessie Cargas St. Louis, Missouri Fabricator

n King Architectural Metals...........................................................Dallas, TX n Mainer Iron Works Inc.................................................................Fort Smith, AR n Picasso Gate Inc............................................................................Cheyenne, WY n Republic Fence Co. Inc................................................................Granada Hills, CA n Superior Fence & Orn. Iron.........................................................Cottage Hills, IL n Western Architectural Iron Co...................................................Chicago, IL

We greatly thank these companies for their two decades of loyalty and support.

Iron Club Thank you to the following individuals who have sponsored members for the new membership year. They are now an official member of the NOMMA Iron Club. Parenthetical numbers equals members sponsored. n Amos Glick, Compass Ironworks, Gap, PA n Keith Majka (2), Majka Railing Co. Inc., Paterson, NJ n Tony Martinez, Big D Metalworks, Dallas, TX n JR Molina (2), Big D Metalworks, Dallas, TX n Mark O’Malley (2), O’Malley Welding & Fabricating Inc., Yorkville, IL n Rod Lambirth, Rod Iron Rod Inc., Odessa, TX NOMMA Membership Campaign We have kicked off the 2013–14 membership campaign. And yes, there are prizes! n Sponsor a member for a $75 discount off METALfab 2014 registration. n Sponsor 4 members and your registration is free! To sponsor a member, simply encourage your suppliers, partners, contractors, and nearby fabricators to join. If inviting them by email, you can send them this link: http://tinyurl.com/ca769do

Fabricator

n January / February 2014

What’s Hot? n Feb.-April, 2014 Metalsmithing workshops The New England School of Metalwork in Auburn, ME, is holding a variety of workshops in its winter session that runs through April 2014. Upcoming blacksmithing classes include: n Beginner Blacksmithing: Feb. 4–7 and March 18–21 n Forged Botanical Forms: Feb. 18–21 n Here There be Dragons: March 24–26 n Intermediate Blacksmithing: April 1–4 n Joinery of Architectural Ironwork: Garden Gate: April 8-12 The basic blacksmithing workshop

Events

includes an in-depth orientation to a blacksmith shop, covering machines, tools and their uses. Forge use and management in both coal and gas are also taught. The basic forging processes of tapering, upsetting, and forming are taught which lead students into several exercises. After the basics, more advanced techniques are shown, including hot cutting and punching. The intermediate blacksmithing workshop is designed for those who seek serious hammer time in the blacksmith's craft. Bending, forge welding, stock size, and shaping are the primary goals, followed by exercises to promote hammer control,

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hammer swing technique, and forging efficiencies. The course will also delve into the world of joinery and tool making, with some simple explorations of forging tongs and simple joinery tools. The “Here There Be Dragons” class teaches the processes and sequences in forging dragon heads, while the “Forged Botanical Forms” workshop presents methods and processes for designing and producing unique forms of a botanical nature. The New England School of Metalwork also offers programs in blacksmithing, bladesmithing, welding and casting. Contact 888-753-7502, www. newenglandschoolofmetalwork.com

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What’s Hot? n

Products Hand Tools

Surface finisher CS Unitec

The new PTX Eco Smart Professional Surface Finisher from CS Unitec is designed with a more powerful motor for producing matte, satin, and other fine surfaces up to a mirror finish on steel, stainless steel, and nonferrous metals. The tool’s high torque, 1710 watt, 15.5 amp motor makes the PTX Eco Smart useful for coarse grinding jobs, such as removing welds, deep scratches, oxidation, rust, and paint, according to the company. It can also polish inside corners. Variable speed control from 1,000 to 3,800 rpm with tachogenerator provides constant speed, even under load. A patented abrasive mounting system allows grinding and polishing wheels to be changed in seconds, without tools or hardware. A wide selection of hollow-core abrasives is available. Contact 800-700-5919 www.csunitec.com Hand-held deburring/ beveling machine CS Unitec CS Unitec’s ROLEI EF 115 handheld deburring and beveling machine is designed for use on large, awkward and heavy parts, such as machine tables, frame constructions, and large sheets of metal. Precise edge control ensures clean bevels at a fixed angle of 45° and the land width is infinitely adjustable from 0 inches to 3/8 inches. This machine weighs 9 pounds and is 70

also ideal for chamfering welds, says the company. The ROLEI EF 115 is available with a 110V, 12 amp motor. It has an infinitely adjustable speed control from 2,000 to 7,600 rpm. Abrasive flap discs are available in grits of 50, 60, 80 and 120. Contact 800-700-5919 www.csunitec.com Hand shears Woodward-Fab

inserts in a milling cutter to remove weld beads from both flat “butt” welds and inside 90° “fillet” welds. The new Model WS90 features both adjustable depth of cut and an adjustable fence, making it easy to remove only a weld bead and not the surrounding primary materials, says the company. The shaver weighs 12 pounds and has 2.3 hp. Contact 810-632-5400 www.heckind.net Flexible abrasive wheels Rex-Cut Abrasives

Woodward-Fab has added four new throatless shears to their line of metal fabricating tools. These new shears will cut up to 3/16-inch-thick steel. The throatless design operates much like scissors, according to the company, and has the ability to cut any length. There are four models to choose from. Contact 800-391-5419 www.Woodward-Fab.com Weld shaver Heck Industries Heck Industries has introduced a new hand-operated “fillet weld shaver.” The new tool uses indexable carbide

The new Type 27 Max Flex abrasive wheels from Rex-Cut Abrasives are designed for blending and finishing stainless steel, carbon steel, and Fabricator

n January / February 2014

What’s Hot? n

Products Hand Tools

aluminum surfaces in one-step. The Max Flex wheel flexes and provides a wide surface contact area, leaving a uniform finish and giving optimum blending control, says the company. Max Flex can be used at a 45° angle for increased cutting and at a 30° angle for smoother finishing. Due to the cotton fiber construction, Max Flex constantly reveals fresh abrasive grain and produces a consistent finish throughout the life of the wheel. They are available in 41/2-inch, 5-inch, and 7-inch sizes, in A36 and A54 grits. A video of the wheel in action is available at www.rexcut.com/maxflex. Contact 800-225-8182 www.rexcut.com Grinding wheels Rex-Cut Abrasives

Rex-Cut Sigma Green Premium Grinding Wheels are designed to provide rapid stock removal and a nice finish, especially on 304 stainless steel, where the 36-grit wheels produce a 100 RA finish. Another feature of this premium wheel is that it runs cool, reducing discoloration and warping of stainless steel, according to the company. The wheel also runs smoothly, with chatter-free performance, cutting down on operator fatigue. The 36-grit Sigma Green is available in 4-inch, 41/2-inch, 5-inch, January / February 2014 n Fabricator

and 7-inch sizes. The 41/2 wheel is also offered in 46- and 60-grit versions. Contact 800-225-8182 www.rexcutabrasives.com Battery with 5.2 amp hours Metabo Corp.

With its long running time of 5.2 amp hours, Metabo’s new Ultra-M 5.2 battery system is designed for the demands of today’s growing industrial cordless market. The 5.2 Ah battery will run in extreme temperatures ranging from 5–122°F and is fully compatible with all of Metabo’s past, present, and future 18 V systems, says the company. A microchip in the battery communicates with the tool and battery charger. This ensures that each battery cell is evenly charged and discharged, extending its life and protecting the tools being used. Productivity is also increased as a hot “spent” battery can be placed in the charger immediately after disconnecting from the tool. The charger’s built-in fan system quickly cools the battery pack, reducing overall charging time. The result is a battery that will effectively survive more charge/discharge cycles, according to the company. Contact 800-638-2264 www.metabousa.com Welding table and tool kits Strong Hand Tools The new Framebuilder Kits from Strong Hand Tools is a line of six Modular Welding Table and Tool kits designed for the efficient fixturing (set-up) of frames before tack welding. The FrameBuilder Tabletop is 32

x 48 inches with 5/8-inch holes in a 2-inch grid pattern. The FrameBuilder Clamps and Modular Fixturing components can be inserted into the 5/8-inch holes at any point on the tabletop for flexibility in the set-up of fixtures for dedicated, short-run, or one-time-use fixtures. The FrameBuilder Table provides two height options. Used with the tabletop frame only, and set on top of an existing work surface, the maximum height is 7–8 inches. Heights of 34–36 inches are available when used with the (included) leg frame, and set up with the FrameBuilder Table as a stand-alone work surface. A set of four leveling feet are included. Six units for specific types of stock for frame building are available. Contact 800-989-5244 www.stronghandtools.com Pneumatic grinders Suhner

Suhner Abrasive Expert has introduced four new pneumatic grinders that combine ergonomics and performance. They are designed primarily for machine building, 71

What’s Hot? n tool and mould making, aircraft construction, astronautics, automotive manufacture, and foundries. The tools feature an exhaust air duct directed backwards, an integrated silencer, and a safety lever valve. Only 30 mm in diameter, the tools are designed for fine work. A flexible bearing reduces vibrations and air consumption is between 0.2 and 0.8 m3/min. The 250 W straight grinder LSB 25 H weighs 380 g and is 198 mm in length. Operating at 25,000 rpm, it is designed for carbide cutters and formed abrasives. Operating at 4,500 rpm, the angle grinder LWB 4 is designed for powerful, low-speed cutting on materials like aluminum and fiber composites, according to the company. Low-speed work is also the domain of the heavy duty angle grinder LPB 4, with a low-angled head for high

Products Hand Tools

maneuverability. The 350 W long-neck straight grinder LLC 35 specializes in work on sites that are hard to access. Its power and 35,000 rpm speed are designed for applications with carbide cutters. Contact 706-235-8046 www.suhner.com Power file and polishing system Suhner Suhner Abrasive Expert has launched the new UMC 6-RL Electric Power File/Polishing system, designed for the finishing of difficult-access polishing, graining, and brushing applications. The UMC 6-R offers low vibration and powerful action for close edge work. The tool offers a file-type action so that the brush effect can be made in the same direction right up to the weld/internal joint, says the company. By using hook-and-loop

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attachment of abrasive pads and surface conditioning pieces, the UMC 6-R L is designed to quickly solve finishing applications. Suhner’s range of loop backed abrasives can be rapidly applied. UMC 6-R L is a 500W lightweight electric power file with an 8 mm stroke and variable rate of oscillation from 2,500 to 5,250 strokes per minute. Contact 706-235-8046 www.suhner.com

www.restoremedia.com www.period-homes.com www.traditional-building.com www.traditionalbuildingshow.com www.traditionalbuildingportfolio.com www.tradwebdirectory.com www.traditionalproductgalleries.com www.buildingport.com Questions? Call Peter H. Miller, President: 202.339.0744 x 104. Or email pmiller@restoremedia.com

Fabricator

72 Fabricator RM house ad.indd 1

n January / February 2014 10/14/2011 12:45:08 PM

Advertiser’s Index A thanks to the following advertisers for their support of O&MM Fabricator magazine. Pg Company

Website

Pg Company

Website

32 Alloy Casting Co. Inc........................................... www.alloynet.com

42 International Gate Devices.................................www.intlgate.com

72 Artist-Blacksmith’s Assoc. of North America Inc.................................................www.abana.org

76 The Iron Shop...............................................www.theironshop.com

52 Atlas Metal Sales............................................. www.atlasmetal.com 25 Big Blu Hammer Mfg. Co. / Oak Hill Iron Works................................www.bigbluhammer.com 65 Blacksmiths Depot / Kayne & Son Custom Hardware Inc...................... www.blacksmithsdepot.com 64 Julius Blum & Co. Inc.....................................www.juliusblum.com 6 The Cable Connection................. www.thecableconnection.com 69 John C. Campbell Folk School.......................www.folkschool.org 29 Carell Corporation........................................... www.carellcorp.com 23 Chicago Metal Rolled Products Co...................... www.cmrp.com 63 CM Iron Supply LLC.................................. www.cmironsupply.com 62 Colorado Waterjet Co........................www.coloradowaterjet.com 51 D & D Technologies (USA) Inc............... www.ddtechglobal.com 9 D.J.A. Imports Ltd........................................... www.djaimports.com 61 DAC Industries Inc.....................................www.dacindustries.com

75 King Architectural Metal............................... www.kingmetals.com 11 Larsen Innovations LLC.............................. larseninnovations.com 31 Lawler Foundry Corp................................www.lawlerfoundry.com 2 Lewis Brass & Copper Co. Inc..................... www.lewisbrass.com 55 Marks U.S.A.........................................................www.marksusa.com 41 Mittler Bros. Machine & Tool...................... www.mittlerbros.com 27 Pat Mooney Inc.....................................www.patmooneysaws.com 69 NC Tool Company Inc........................................www.nctoolco.com 52 Ramset Automatic Gate Systems................ www.ramsetinc.com

62 Regency Railings...............................www.regencyrailings.com 54 Rogers Mfg. Inc................................. www.rogers-mfg-inc.com 44 Sharpe Products............................. www.sharpeproducts.com 37 Stairways Inc...........................................www.stairwaysinc.com 28 Sumter Coatings Inc.......................www.sumtercoatings.com 72 Traditional Building................. www.traditional-building.com 49 Tri-State Shearing & Bending............................. 718-485-2200

29 Eagle Bending Machines Inc........................... www.eaglebendingmachines.com

45 TS Distributors...................................... www.tsdistributors.com

60 Eberl Iron Works Inc..........................................www.eberliron.com

32 Vogel Tool & Die LLC.................................. www.vogeltool.com

33 FabCAD Inc.............................................................. www.fabcad.com

43 The Wagner Companies..........www.wagnercompanies.com

53 Hebo - Stratford Gate Systems Inc.....www.drivewaygates.com 46 Hougen Mfg. Inc................................................... www.hougen.com

Your advertising contact for O&MM Fabricator NOMMA Buyer’s Guide NOMMA website CO NTAC T

Sherry Theien Advertising Director 8392 Leesburg Ct. Rockford, IL 61114 815-282-6000 815-282-8002 fax stheien@att.net January / February 2014 n Fabricator

Advertise in the 2014 NOMMA Buyer’s Guide Your one-stop resource for shop and office personnel The Buyer’s Guide is available in 3 versions: 1) print, 2) online, and 3) database. Closing date November 30, 2013 Contact Sherry Theien, 815-282-6000; 815-282-8002 fax; stheien@att.net 73

Metal Moment

From the NOMMA ListServ

Join NOMMA to get your questions answered free.

Polishing 3-inch-wide stainless steel in field NOMMA member Thomas Zuzik, Artistic Railings Suhner Rotofera flex shaft machine at the shop (3 phase 220). Inc., Garfield, NJ, posted a question on the We use a “tire” on it that takes belts 31/2 inches wide by about NOMMA ListServ: 15 inches long. For stainless we use the 3M Cubitron belts in We have a large project that just grew into more projects that various grits and then Scoth-Brite. use 1 x 3 inch, 304 stainless steel tubing pre-polished to a For field touch up or splice joints, we made an adapter #4 in the field. However, because the contractor asked us to to mount that tire on a variable speed grinder. This gives us install railings before we thought we should, enough torque and the right RPM. We tried our material got marked up on top from the it on a heavy duty drill, but it was not the other workers on the site. right RPM and harder to control. Yes, we wrapped and protected the The guide sounds like a great idea. We material so you can imagine what they have don’t have one, but something to consider done to it for me to post this. for the future. It can be bolted into one of What tool would you use to re-polish a the handle holes. 3-inch-wide surface in the field in long lengths? CS Unitec PTX Eco Smart. In the end, it is the same idea as the Metabo, utilizing equipment that we already have. I would use the Metabo drum sander. If you do — Maciej Jankowski, Artistic Iron Works not have one, you could use a 3-inch-wide belt LLC sander with the center pad built up a little with a piece of Scotch-Brite. As to what grit of belts Even the CS Unitec can get you there. The guide to use, it depends on how badly it is damaged. rollers help with consistency — just like that — Tony Martinez, Big D Metalworks smaller multi-tool you were looking at. The Metabo SE12-115. We have better luck with the electrical tools A Metabo SE12-115 is a good unit for what you are that don’t have flex shafts when trying to keep a asking about. It has the torque needed, so you don’t bog linear grain. down, and Metabo has the wheels and drum papers. You can We find the flex shaft tools are cumbersome in some also buy the papers and wheels from your normal suppler if situations, like making linear grain finishes over larger you wish. Metabo also has Pyramid papers that can get you surfaces. To combat the pull of a stationary flex shaft, we close to a #8 polish, if that comes up in the future. have a sling or shoulder strap clipped to Suhner’s Rotostar so Also, you can use a guide to keep your #4 lines straight. we can move more freely along the surface to be polished. A — Terry Barrett backpack polisher — Ghostbuster style. — Doug Cernonok, Myers & Company Thanks everyone. A few more questions. We have a variable speed Metabo unit with the 3 x 15.5 inches air drum, but never thought of mounting a guide to it. Terry, when you noted the unit you referred to (Metabo Join NOMMA . . . to get your questions answered on the ListServ SE12-115), when you use it with a guide are you talking about putting a straight edge on or a sliding guide such as on a The NOMMA Listserv is an ongoing email discussion circular saw? list where NOMMA members can get quick answers at — Thomas Zuzik no charge to their important questions. Obviously, it is a most valuable benefit for NOMMA members. We fitted a sliding guide on it. If you are a NOMMA member and not subscribed, — Terry Barrett contact support@nomma.org. If you are not a NOMMA member, we encourage you CS Unitec has one similar to the Metabo machine, the PTX to join your industry’s trade association. Eco Smart–Electric Linear Grinding System. We have a TA LK TO US

Something on your mind? Got something to say? Got an idea? Got a tip? Got a gripe? Do you have a story to tell? Fabricator magazine would like to interview you for a Metal Moment story. Please contact editor Todd Daniel at todd@nomma.org. 74

Fabricator

n January / February 2014

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