MRS Metal Fabrication, Inc.

Powder coating is applied to architectural metalwork to create a hard finish that is tougher than conventional paints. The coating is typically applied electrostatically and is then cured under heat to allow it to flow and form a skin.

There are several advantages to powder coating. Powder coating is more durable and produces a much thicker coating than conventional liquid paints without running or sagging. Powder coated items also have fewer appearance differences between horizontally coated surfaces and vertically coated surfaces than liquid coated items (which show the direction of brush strokes). Finally, powder coatings emit near zero volatile organic compounds and their production waste stream is far less toxic than liquid paints. See this article for more information.

However, certain design elements must be taken into account to ensure that powder coating is a truly low-maintenance finishing option. When homeowners pay extra money for a powder coat finish they are paying to avoid the headache of touching up liquid paint for years to come.  That said, when rail sections must be welded together in the field, the powder coat finish is inevitably disturbed and the welded joints must be touched up with liquid paint. While the painted areas are not all that noticeable they will need to be maintained indefinitely.

To avoid this problem, homeowners might consider using stainless steel bolted connections like those in the photo below. These bolted connections are designed to be hidden:

This hand forged railing is bolted together with hidden connections. There was no field welding!

On the homepage of our partner firm, Jeff King & Company, a detailed photo of one of our rails is showcased for demonstrating “flawless” design. This is an example of bolted connections that are more overtly incorporated into the design to complement the stainless steel cables.

Since the sections can be individually powder coated and then bolted together, no field welding is required and thus the integrity of the powder coat is not at all compromised. While bolted connections do add extra cost to the fabrication process, if you are already spending extra money on powder coating then you are making investment in the most durable and low maintenance option available and bolted connections will help you to achieve this.

To peruse the colors available you can check out this cool Cardinal Industrial Finishes Powder Color chart.

At MRS, we work frequently with homeowners who are saving money by running their own home improvement or new construction projects rather than hiring a general contractor.  We LOVE working directly with homeowners. However, we have seen several learn the hard way how challenging it can be to optimally coordinate the timing of the various project elements and subcontractors.

One common mistake has to do with the installation of automatic driveway gates. if you are having a driveway gate installed, be sure to consult with your metal fabricator before your driveway subcontractor pours concrete or lays pavers. We greatly prefer to install the basic structural elements of the gate before the driveway is complete.  While it is possible to core-drill holes after the fact to receive the gate posts, it would take far less field labor time if we could install them ahead of time.  Also, if the driveway is complete before we arrive, it no longer possible for us to lay a grade beam. Particularly in the Bay area, grade beams are advantageous because they connect and brace the posts underground, ensuring that the gate is more rigid and seismically stable.

When our clients want their gate to open automatically, we also install an inductive loop or “loop detector” under the driveway.  If that option is no longer available, we can always install an above ground photo eye, but they are less sightly and only sense cars when crossing the direct path of the eye. In-grounds loops, on the other hand, are completely hidden and can sense a car in the magnetic field of the area, allowing for auto-reversing and free-exit applications.

We will continue to post tips like these for DIY homeowners from time to time. Let us know if you find them useful. Or if you have specific questions about how to incorporate ornamental metal work into the design or schedule of your home improvement project feel free to post them!

At MRS, we often get calls or emails from clients seeking “wrought iron” gates, guardrails, fences, and other architectural metal work. We usually don’t take this to mean the client wants us to fabricate their project using authentic wrought iron. In almost all cases, the client is simply seeking an ornamental style with scrolls and other Ionic or Victorian decorative elements.

Today the products that people describe as wrought iron, are actually made of mild steel. While true wrought iron is occasionally still sourced for the conservation of ornamental metal work, it’s no longer commercially available. Currently, the only way to get true wrought iron is to import it from Europe or to source it from an old bridge, wagon wheel axle, or other antique item.

People still refer to ornamental metal work as “wrought iron” because decorative metal work was historically made of wrought iron. The word “wrought” is a past participle form of the verb to work. So, in the very general sense, wrought iron literally means, “worked iron” and described finished iron goods made by a blacksmith or other smith. More technically speaking, wrought iron is distinct from steel due to the addition of a compound called iron silicate- an inert, non-rusting glass like slag. The slag inclusions give wrought iron a “grain” resembling wood. Slag also provides the tough yet malleable quality, making wrought iron soft at red heat and more easily forged and forge welded.

After the introduction of mild steel, which was cheaper to produce, wrought iron, and the craft skills associated with it, gradually disappeared with the general decline of craft standards in the twentieth century. Today, the metal ornament that people would describe as “hand-forged wrought iron” is prefabricated in mass quantities, not made by hand.

It would not be cost effective for MRS to hand-forge elements that our competitor firms can order and ship from China. However, occasionally we get a client that is willing to pay the price differential to incorporate authentically hand-forged elements. We love working at our forge and take pride when we can utilize the skills we picked up studying with Georgia blacksmith, Ivan Bailey. And if a client seeks true wrought iron, we know a supplier in Europe from which we would be happy to order so as to provide authentic ornamental ironwork!