Railing Sample,rectangular tubing

Stephen Fitz-Gerald - Friday, March 5, 2010 - 9:01pm

This is a sample for a current railing job I'm working on.
Years ago I fantasized that this 1" x 2" rectangular tubing might indeed collapse the way you see in this image ,if brought to heat in the forge and pulled around a scroll jig.My reasoning was based on the assumption that,all things being equal and the heat even throughout,there would still remain some structural integrity at the corners of the tubing that would hold the rectangular cross section while the broad flat faces all collapse in and the edge faces bulge out. This gives a lovely ,almost ORGANIC aesthetic to the scroll which is quite tactile and simply begs to be gripped.
The other interesting contraposto aesthetic point is that I made a very beefy button finial and welded it to the very center of the scroll.
Though the rails for this job are destined to be powdercoated,I can see the possibility in the future of making this same composition in stainless steel to capitalize on the polished metal look which has it's own aesthetic...

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Nice work, Stephen! What a

hautsteel - Sunday, March 14, 2010 - 12:23am

Nice work, Stephen!
What a coincidence; in that, I am also working on a very small hand rail project, however, I am seriously contemplating (over a fine Scotch or two...), scrapping my approach after viewing the photo of your approach. Unfortunately, I began with a machine-formed top cap (sad... I know), but my project really didn't lend itself to a labor intensive approach with artistic influence.
FYI - I have that address you were looking for in regards to the gate with the copper center motif out here in West County and I will email you soon.
Dino

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Labor intensive?

Stephen Fitz-Gerald - Sunday, March 14, 2010 - 10:32am

Stephen Fitz-Gerald
Always good to hear from you Dino,
One of these days when time and scheduling allow,we should meet at David's(David Hamilton) blacksmith shop in the town of Bodega.That's where I do all my forging. This process is actually very quick and efficient once you make the jigs. The only hammering is folding over the tip to hook on the jig. It's remarkably quick and easy.I will soon be exploring the same concept in 1.5 inch square tubing...
And if I'm not mistaken my copper repousse gate is not far from there.I don't know the exact address but I'd take Joy Rd. to get there from David's studio...

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Railing

Stefani - Saturday, July 30, 2011 - 3:12pm

Very Nice and good to know. I love the things you post and thank you profusely.

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rectangular tubing railing

Stephen Fitz-Gerald - Sunday, July 31, 2011 - 8:05pm

Stephen Fitz-Gerald
Thank you Stefani!Glad to know there's somebody out there...LOL

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such a shame to powdercoat

dendrite - Saturday, August 6, 2011 - 2:35am

such a shame to powdercoat over it

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powdercoat

Stephen Fitz-Gerald - Saturday, August 6, 2011 - 8:12pm

Stephen Fitz-Gerald
I tried but it wouldn't fly with the clients.Their house is 3 miles from the ocean ,off the grid,in Cazadero,a remote corner of Sonoma County.In the winter there is too much moisture. For most of the county we have 25 inches of rain per year,but for Cazadero it's 72inches...

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