I have a lighting commission that was going to use glass shades, client has just asked me to investigate mica which I have not used before. 

I need to shape the shade into a either half cones or shallow troughs that would be closed at both ends and I have seen mica curved for lighting but have googled forming & bending mica sheets but can't find any info ....  any pointers very gratefully received!  Can you form it with heat or hot water, will it drape over a form?

We have recently tried clear Permalac on some exterior ironwork and it seems to be holding up well. The pieces were not heavily forged, more bent and a clean wire-brushed look was what we were after.

This is a railing that we installed July 5, so guess what we were doing on the July 4 'holiday'??!!!

This project was lower down on our client's to do list than exterior railings and door hardware, but after having designed both, we got to a situation where the railings and door hardware were, stylistically, a million miles from each other the gates assumed primary importance.