Fireplace Surround and Mantle

We’ve shared some of our fireplace tools here as well as a variety of custom fire place screens we’ve created over the years. For this next project, we got to go a bit bigger in the world of fireplace accessories.

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Kyle and his crew created this custom fireplace surround and mantle in forged and fabricated steel with a rust patina finish. While rust is usually the enemy of steel, when applied and sealed correctly, a rust finish offers a beautiful warmth and richness. The mantle brackets support an oak mantle that coordinates with the other wood in the client’s home.

(By the way, if you like the mantle brackets, you can find a similar set in our Lucia Metal Studios Etsy shop.)

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Cat Tail Sculpture Commission

Over the last few years, Kyle has created a series of cattail sculptures. This is one he was commissioned to create for the client’s front porch. Take a peek at the design and creation process below!

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Creating a to-scale drawing of the sculpture is the very first step in the design process. Next we re-create the drawing in full size on the steel layout table (the blacksmith's equivalent of a workbench.)

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Next up: making the cattail flowers. In the first photo, we're using a fullering tool on the anvil to shape tube steel. The last photo shows the needle gun we use to create the texture on the cattail.

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We used angle iron to create the leaves. Here we're cutting the ends into points, then shaping the leaves hot using a tool known as a bending dog in the the vise.

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To make the base, we cut the shape out of steel plate. We added texture later on with the hammer.

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And now to assemble all the parts!

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This piece was finished with a rust patina, a finish that works well with the subject matter and holds up great for exterior work. Here the piece is installed on the happy owner's front porch!

Sculptural Screen

This client approached us with an exciting project: creating a large-scale custom garden sculpture for their yard. The resulting sculptural screen is forged steel with a rust patina finish. The design was inspired by the curving paths and curling bark of the trees in the client's garden.

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One of the first steps in a project of this scope is to create a mock-up or test piece. Kyle’s foot is included to show the scale of the material for this piece. The stock is quite a bit heavier than we usually use!

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The design incorporates a process known as “upsetting” on the 6' posts. Upsetting is a forging technique that involves bringing the material back down on itself to make it larger than the original stock. Usually we can do this closer to the ground, but in this case the height required climbing a ladder to get the best results.

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The completed posts with a quarter shown for scale.

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Next we shaped the horizontal curved pieces, then clamped them in place on the screen. Once all the pieces were locked in, we used a torch to cut them to varying lengths, creating a sense of rhythm and balance.

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A few detail shots of the custom sculptural screen before installation to show the rich texture and dimension.