Brushed Stainless Steel Door Handles

A recent order prompted a return to the light box to see if we could photograph the luster of brushed rather than polished stainless steel. The lightbox had to be reconstructed to fit the 35” length of the Ergo Epic handle and even then, it was a very tight fit. The Ergo grip was photographed on a golden satin fabric using a Canon ESO Rebel with diffuse light created from overhead rows of LED light cells. The walls of the box are covered in a reflective foil to focus the light on the object and the floor and back wall are usually covered with a black or white backdrop.

How to Brush Stainless Steel

1.     Angle grinder with a blade attachment is used to cut off any gates left from the  casting stage.

2.     Angle grinder using a very coarse grit disk that removes any major surface imperfection. This sometimes will reveal a small crater or void caused by an air bubble that occurred during casting which will need to be filled with steel weld before going further.

3.     A handheld burnisher with an 80 grit sanding drum is next applied to begin buffing and refining the surface.

4.     A second burnisher machine is used with a dual grit scotch-brite sandpaper drum with successively finer grit drums.

5.     The final burnishing is done by hand with scotch-brite pads.

6.     Lastly the piece is passivated.

 Passivation

 316 Stainless steel is known for its rust resistance so what is oxidation and why is passivation necessary? 316 stainless steel is an alloy comprised of iron, chromium, nickel, molybdenum, and carbon. Chromium reacts to oxygen in the air and this oxidation process creates a protective layer on the surface of the stainless steel that acts as a barrier to corrosive forces like salt air. It is the iron component in metal that rusts and while 316 develops a protective coat, during the burnishing process contaminants can attach to the surface. Hence the final stage is to passivate the piece by immersing it  in a bath of citric acid solution which strips any iron contaminants from the surface and bonds with the iron elements to neutralize them and prevent future corrosion.

Back-to-Back Mirrored Door Handles

The Heroic Vine is a very organic piece and is not symmetrical but slightly asymmetric meaning the top and bottom are different and the front and back faces also are slightly different.
Two of these were ordered as a set to be mounted back-to-back on a glass door panel and the client requested that they be “mirrored”.

This raised an interesting question and in answering I was faced with a mind teaser that took me down Alice’s rabbit hole into the world of symmetry.

When we describe 2 images as being mirrored, we are stating that the one image is a reverse of the other and we can flip the image in a program like Photoshop to achieve this. While this is easy to do with a flat or 2-dimensional image this can only be achieved with a 3-dimensional object if is completely symmetric as would be case in a perfectly spherical orb or cylindrical tube. In both cases one can turn the object on its head, rotate it etc. and we will always be viewing the “face”.

This is not the case with any of the door pulls we make as we do not make any that are plain tubes or orbs. However, we can still create a mirrored set provided one face of the handle is symmetrical and the design at the top is the mirror image of the design at the bottom. The Morphic Serpentine handle is a good example with the top lacey pattern bending to the right and the bottom bending to the left.

If the handle design is not symmetrical, we can only create a truly mirrored set if we have a left and right facing design as is the case with our Hedgerow heroic tree handles.

The Grapevine heroic handle is not symmetrical and not directional. The “front” of the handle is different to the “back” as is the “top” to the “bottom”. As a set and when mounted back-to-back on glass they are best described as an organic mirror of each other.

Hawaiian Theme Door Handle

Now that we have designed and carved the patterns for our new Orchid Door Pull, we have moved forward to create 5 molds and have used these to create the wax replicas of the patterns. The waxes will be shelled in a ceramic coating and once fired the wax will be removed so that the hollow shells can be filled with molten bronze.
The new door handle has been designed so that the flowers and stem can either be upward or downward in direction, for as orchid enthusiasts know, this is indeed the way they grow in nature. To accurately depict the flower buds the stamen will be pointing downwards, as in nature, regardless of the direction of the plant the bud is always upward with the stamen downward so that bees and other pollinators can fly into the flower and gather pollen to perpetuate the reproduction of the plant.
While it takes more time and material to create 5 molds this enables us to cast the sections separately thereby determining the direction of the handle when the bronze castings are welded together and the location of the decorative supporting leaves is decided. The supporting leaves will always be welded at the “top” of the orchid handle or put another way at the point where the stem begins its growth.

The patterns were carved in basswood and then sprayed with a grey primer to fill in the grain of the wood so that successive versions would be smooth

Red wax replicas made from a silicon mold that was filled with hot wax, the wax once cooled is removed and the process is repeated to create a batch of flower buds. The stamens will be made separately using another mold and the process will be repeated to create as many stamens as there are buds. Once cast the bronze stamen will be inserted into the bronze bud and welded in place.

Bronze handles a warm alternative for yachts and beach homes

We have previously discussed why 316 stainless steel is the preferred steel for marine environments, but bronze is an equally well-suited alloy and one that offers warmer tones.

I frequently am asked what alloy is rust resistant and will not change color. Stainless steel as its name underscores is the obvious answer as while silicon bronze is equally rust-resistant it will change over time as it’s “living” patina evolves.

 In 316 stainless steel the alloy’s color and durability are secured by its passive layer of chromium oxide which does not change the color of the metal and which does not change much over time as the chromium content enables the film to self- heal and re-create the oxide. A similar protective layer or layers develop on the surface of bronze through oxidation but the film continues to develop and new layers with different chemical components and different colors develop over time. This continuous changing oxidation occurs naturally and the thicker the patina the more the lower layers off copper are protected.  This oxidation should not be confused with rust which is a corrosive oxidation made when iron and oxygen combine to form iron oxide. Rust eats away at the upper surface and as this flakes off the lower layers of iron are exposed to oxygen and the process repeats itself with successive layers of iron degrading into flaky rust.

Left: living patina on Hedgerow Bronze Lever after 8 years Right: Polished bronze with light patina and sealed

Bronze is an alloy formed with copper which is the main metal and one that is rust resistant.

Our handles are cast in silicon bronze and the silicon element strengthens the copper and enhances its corrosion resistance. Silicon bronze is a particularly good at resisting the corrosive effects of sodium chloride or seawater.

Silicon bronze will oxidize in different ways and produce different colored oxides depending on the composition of the air and water in the environment. The more acidic the air the more accelerated the oxidation process will be but as we can see from historical buildings and ancient artefacts this patination process should not be mistaken as metal corrosion or decay but seen as a successive build-up of layers of patina.

Vine Cabinet Pull the Patinas were Created By Applying Liquid Sulfides and Oxides to Hot Bronze

The air is made up of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide and depending on your location varying levels of sulfur, ammonium and phosphorous, the latter being by-products and pollutants associated with high density farming and industrial manufacturing. When these combine with water or each other they produce oxides and sulfides that produce different patinas on the bronze surface

We replicate these environmental patinas with our light and dark brown finishes and blue green and red patinas by immersing our castings in chemical solutions of ammonium and sulfur for black and redder tones and cupric sulfate and acetic acid for blue green tones. We then seal the patina either with a coat of oil, wax, lacquer or with a more durable enamel layer which is baked onto the patina. The sealants slow the rate of future patination to varying degrees.

Taking A Break in the Hollywood Hills - Ways to Re-charge Your Batteries

Don’t be misled by the title as there is noting in this post remotely like practical advise on how to re-charge that battery for your power drill or other electric tool. Instead we spent an overcast May Gray day (not to be confused with Inspector Maigret created by Georges Simenon) on a trail that runs from Durand to Mulholland re-charging our inspirational reserves. Tourists be warned there is no access to the Hollywood sign which if you look closely you can see peering through the marine layer or pedestrian access to Mulholland West.

The overcast sky made the morning refreshingly cool and the Coronavirus gave us time to take a few shots of some of the local birds that were more conspicuous and easier to hear without the throng of tourists.

Flowering Broom

We were treated to both the sight and sound of a Chipping Sparrow perched on a shrub and while we were unable to capture his rust red top we were able to capture his profile as he took off. This family of sparrow is very common in Los Angeles and their tame nature makes them easy to spot.

Broom plants and soft fountain grasses have taken hold on this trail making a great foreground to Castillo del Lago, home in the 1930’s to the renowned gangster Bugsy Siegel and in the late 1990’s to Madonna.

Tame and Easy to Spot the Chipping Sparrow’s Head Has A Rust-Red Top

See how birds have inspired our cabinet pull designs

See how other hikes have inspired our cabinet hardware page

See More of Our Flora Cabinet Pulls

Search for Longer lasting compact batteries for LED door handles

Our illuminated door handles were designed for the hospitality sector and are often used on exterior and interior doors where their color changing ability and organic design create a dramatic statement.
As public areas receive greater use than would be the case in a typical household we designed these pieces to function as hard wired handles connected to low voltage wiring and thereby capable of providing continuous light for many months with the lifespan being limited only by the durability of the LED components. Most of our commercial projects are either new construction or major remodels where new doors are designed to carry low voltage wiring.

Some smart newly constructed homes will have wiring built into the door frame but if not trying to get power into an existing door can be a challenge. For the commercial sector, frameless glass doors are also unsuitable for hard wired handles and so find ourselves searching for a battery alternative. Can any reader suggest a battery that would work?

You may find our quest surprising, but the problem always comes back to finding a battery that is small enough to fit into a 1 ½” x 4” cylinder and that has a long-life span. Our single-color white spot uses 350mA and while this is a small amount of energy so too is the life capacity of smaller batteries. Batteries are measured in part by the Ah or amp hours so a 1Ah battery can power a 1Amp device for 1 hour or power our white LED spot for just under 3 hours.

Some small batteries have an 8.5Ah which would power our handle for 24 hours and make some sense if the light were not constantly on but motion triggered for short 10 second bursts.

Re-chargeable batteries are another option especially for exterior use where a small solar panel could be attached to the cap of the handle.

We will continue to search for battery alternatives and will be exploring both motion and light activated uses as well as rechargeable batteries and welcome any thoughts from readers.

Oil rubbed bronze door hardware and living finishes

The corrosion resistance of bronze makes it an alloy well suited for exterior door hardware. Over time with exposure to the elements bronze develops a patina which will continue to age and become darker. This living patina is a film of oxide which develops on the surface and helps to protect the bronze substratum.

We can simulate this process by applying an acidic solution to our prepared bronze (see other posts on Birchwood M20). The acidity of the solution will rapidly darken the bronze creating a film of oxide in a matter of minutes rather months or years. However, even though the bronze has been patinaed the oxidation process will continue and the patina will continue to darken and even become verdigris in color hence the phrase “living patina”.

Can the patina be fixed so that the color of the bronze does not change?
The oxidation process can be slowed down by sealing the surface with wax or by baking on either a clear enamel of lacquer finish. The latter method is one we turn to for more commercial projects and public areas where our handles will be touched constantly.

The knob or lever of a bronze handle set will become naturally burnished in those area where it is touched to open or close a door. As the escutcheon plate typically doesn’t get touched to the same degree, this area will continue to become darker. For our more textured handle sets we simulate this effect by using different acid immersion times for the knob and plate and further accentuate this contrast be burnishing key areas like the lizard’s body shown here.

Small Wine Closet Big Statement

Investing in wine is a serious venture and one that works best for those able to exercise self-control in the interest of deferred gratification.

Once the long-term commitment to wine collecting has been made the connoisseur then has to plan how to house the collection and this is where the creative challenge begins. When I think of wine collections I tend to think of lofty cellars deep in the basements of grand chateaus or perhaps grandiose Sonoma wineries and indeed our grapevine collection fits well in either setting. What I am less likely to think of is the modest interior of a hallway closet.

I recently had the pleasure of meeting Faye Montgomery, a Los Angeles homeowner who was in the process of renovating a home that she and her husband had bought in West Los Angeles. When I first heard that Faye was creating a wine closet, I instinctively thought of our smaller scale vine door handle which at a more modest height of 14” works well for smaller wine rooms. However, on looking at the 30” x 80” glass door I understood why Faye was leaning toward the Ergo extended door pull a dramatic 3’ tall contemporary door grip. While the Ergo handle may not be an obvious choice, I think it is clear from the photos that this 2-toned sculptural piece works beautifully with the ceramic wall tiles that mimic hexagonal metal studs and a ceramic floor that looks like weathered walnut. Although the wine closet is small the sleek handle appears to be floating and in so doing does not over-power the wine collection which also appears air born. Taken together the 3-dimensional tiles, the angled ceramic floor and the handle create a clever illusion of timeless space.

Photo Courtesy of Faye Montgomery

Tiles from Spain available through Emser Tile, West Hollywood.

Tiger Illuminated Door Handle

Tiger Design for Illuminated Door Handle latest piece from Martin Pierce

The new Tiger Illuminated Door Handle has now been released into the wild or at least that is how we sometimes feel about the internet.  We have in previous posts explained how the pattern was created with old world skills using a scroll saw and aluminum sheet to create a durable pattern for lost wax casting. We have now completed  our first stainless steel castings and using energy efficient LED strip lights have created a color changing and single color illuminated Tiger door handle.

As is the case with all of  illuminated door pulls, the Tiger panel is  directly wired  with 22 gauge fine wires that are fed through the door frame into the decorative door panel.  The power is typically delivered to the door through an electric hinge and then conveyed to the handle through a low gauge harness that comes with the fixture and is ready for connection to a class 2 power supply.  

The Tiger door pull is UL listed and is lit with a flexible weatherproof strip  and encased in stainless steel which is corrosion resistant and durable.

Tiger is the fourth  piece in our collection of  illuminated door handles which include  Fish, Coral, and Morphic themes.

Work is continuing on the Hedgerow new tree handles  but as with any new design of this size and complexity there have been quite a few challenges to resolve and as we are now incorporating LED lights and have a left and right facing handle we have had a lot to think through.

Other illuminated designs are taking shape in Martin’s sketch book so stay in touch to see these as they evolve.

Ladder Door Pulls

Here in Los Angeles the trend towards more dense and smaller residential housing can be seen throughout the city but there is also a trend a foot towards larger door pulls for entry doors and public areas. We suspect that both trends will continue and so are developing a series of grand large scale door pulls.

The designs will need to meet ADA requirements and while this may be a design challenge it is one that appeals to us here at Martin Pierce, where making functional art is our mantra. The key to making a door pull suitable for those with disabilities is to focus on the grip aspect of the design. While there is no formula for achieving this many look to the standards that are called out for grab bars that have a prescribed diameter of between 1 ¼ to 1 ½” or other comparable gripping surface.

Many of the commercial door pull designs focus rigidly on the diameter of the pull which may explain why there is an abundance of plain ladder style door pulls on bank doors, shop doors, restaurant and other commercial doors. The term “ladder pull” describes the profile of the door pull as it is supported typically by 2 mounting posts one at each end of the what is usually a straight tube handle and when viewed from the side looks like a ladder.

While still allowing for an easy to grip surface area we feel there is room for a little artistry in designing ladder pulls. We are still at the concept stage on this new direction but hope to have some new pieces ready by the end of 2017. As with all of our work these too will be available in either stainless steel or bronze and will be cast using the lost wax method.

Spotlight on architectural hardware collections at Martin Pierce---Morphic

One of the more popular lines of architectural hardware at Martin Pierce Hardware is our Morphic collection.  One look at the sleek design and interesting texture of these pieces and it is easy to understand it's popularity.

On our website we describe it this way: "Fluid contemporary designs are the basis for this innovative style of decorative door hardware. Cast in steel, these hardware pieces are extremely contemporary but when cast in bronze the effect is reminiscent of the Art Nouveau style."

The openwork design of this grouping makes it the perfect candidate for innovative customization options like the addition of a powder coated color:

or an LED lighting feature that will be debuted at this years HD Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada.  This collection also underwent some color and form changes for the new Baha Mar Resort in the Bahamas.  More on this exciting project to come.

The collection also includes large and small pulls for cabinetry and furniture, passageway knobs, entry way levers that can be adapted to meet ADA standards and our majestic entry door pulls that will make a great first impression to all who enter a residence, hotel, spa or other hospitality project.  Here is a sampling of the collection:

To view the entire Morphic and other collections of custom hardware, please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Designers please stop by our showroom at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles, Ca  90016

323 939 5929

Our location at the 2015 HD Expo

It is hard to believe that the 2015 HD Expo is exactly 60 days from today!  The first quarter of this year has just flown by what with preparations for the Expo as well as working on other projects.

We have been assigned our booth location.  You can find us in booth #2277  in the Exhibitor's Hall.   We are excited to share with you some new products (more on these later) as well as display some of your favorites from past shows.  Suffice it to say our Morphic Heroic door pull has undergone some amazing changes!

As we have done in past shows, we will be awarding to the first ten visitors to our booth one of our silver plated orchid cabinet knobs.  Pretty and feminine and wonderfully detailed, this knob will add an elegant touch to your home or office.

And be sure and check out our new lighting collection that we are debuting at this year's Expo.  Game of Thrones fans will enjoy the new designs.

To view many of our architectural hardware collections, please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Designers can visit our showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA  90016

323 939 5929

A look back at past giveaways at the HD Expo

We recently announced that the first ten visitors to our booth in the Exhibitor's Hall at the 2015 HD Expo will receive one of our exquisitely detailed silver plated orchid drawer pulls to use as they please.

We have made it a tradition to award a piece of our custom hardware each year we attend the HD Expo.  We thought it might be fun to revisit past giveaways:

In 2014 we awarded twenty lucky visitors to our booth their choice of either the whimsical dragonfly pull or our small scarab beetle pull.

Small scarab pull from Martin Pierce Hardware Los Angeles CA 90016

The spring of 2013 found us delighting ten lucky winners with our beautifully detailed butterfly pull.

Our new at the time bronze daisy pull was chosen as the giveaway for the 2012 HD Expo.

And it all started with the fun polished brass frog pull we awarded to the first ten visitors to our booth during our inaugural visit to the 2011 HD Expo.

Were you one of the lucky winners?

To view all of these items or our entire collection of architectural hardware, please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Designers, please stop by our showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd Los Angeles CA 90016

Tel: 323 939 5929

Light up the room with our new bronze candlesticks

Over the years we have shared with our clients and those who enjoy our blog just how much Martin is inspired by nature and where he goes to find that inspiration.  This may include hiking trips to local canyons or exotic spots such as our recent trip to Spain or a visit to more  formal gardens such as those at the Huntington Library in San Marino or the Botanic Gardens in Santa Barbara.  We are always equipped with our camera to snap photos of birds and other creatures and their habitats as well as beautiful flowers and foliage.  These visits and corresponding photographs serve as inspiration for future hardware and art projects.  For example, this photo of a budding succulent taken on a day trip to the Huntington Library (and hangs on the wall in our home)

served as inspiration for Martin's latest project--a pair of beautiful candlesticks.

Delicate in appearance only, these candlesticks are cast in solid bronze and measure 14" high and 6" wide at the base. They accommodate a "chime" or processional candle with a .5" diameter.  This unusual size can be purchased from specialty shops like General Wax in North Hollywood, California. The candlestick shows the succulent just before it flowers with the flower stem serving as the "stem" of the sculpture.  The concept was largely based on a succulent similar to those in the Echeveria family of succulents, specifically the 'Black Prince'.   You can read more about this plant here.

This candlestick was originally designed for our home and we then gifted a pair to our close friends on their wedding day.  We are hoping to use the design to create a larger candle arrangement that will feature a larger central succulent surrounded by small buds and the center piece would use a more standard sized candle.   Here are a couple more looks at this exquisite candlestick.

To view our entire collection of architectural hardware please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Designers, please visit our showroom located at :

5433 W. Washington Blvd Los Angeles CA 90016

Tel: 323 939 5929

A quick update on green living

Whether you are a professional seeking LEED certification on a current project or a homeowner looking to live a "greener" life in your home, there are several simple and easy methods to employ that take little effort but have a big overall impact.

• Replace light bulbs.  This is not news and if you live in California you are already aware of the differences in light bulbs.  But replacing those old incandescent bulbs with the more energy efficient CFL's  and LED's, that use up to 80% less energy than the incandescents, will make a difference in both your energy savings and your pocketbook.
• It is important to utilize as much natural light as possible in the design of any building. This is not only aesthetically pleasing but will help reduce the need for electricity, heating and other forms of energy
• Use self-replenishing natural items such as bamboo for flooring, cabinetry and even personal household items like bath towels and bed linens.
• Live plants improve air quality and add a touch of life to any room
• Solar and battery operated lighting for both the interior and exterior is a great energy saver.
• Buy locally.  This not only supports local business in your community but saves energy by reducing the amount of fuel needed for transportation and reduced the amount of pollutants emitted during transportation.

We make every attempt to keep our manufacturing process as "green" as possible with careful attention paid to the disposal of paints and other waste, recycling etc.

The old mantra of repurpose, recycle and reuse is still a simple rule to live by.  And you can look forward to celebrating the 45th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22, 2015.

To view our entire collection of architectural hardware, please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Enjoy a virtual tropical vacation with our nature inspired door hardware

                                    Tropical Patio by New York Architects & Building Designers Ike Kligerman Barkley

While many of you across the U.S. and Canada are digging yourselves out of yet another winter storm we are continuing to bask in unseasonably warm weather here in Southern California.  I don't share this to make you feel bad but, rather, to introduce you to some of our custom hardware collections that will have you dreaming of blue skies and warmer climates.

Few places on earth have the variety of foliage and flowers as Hawaii.  The islands are alive with colorful hibiscus, the state flower, leafy green ferns, elegant orchids, fragrant plumeria and exotic protea.  We designed our orchid pull in silver plate that offers the ultimate in luxury for a client's island home.

Along with amazing beaches and the unbelievable landscape, the islands are also alive with tropical birds and other native animals that have sparked fun and mysterious folk-lore tales.  Along with the orchid pull, we designed a whimsical version of a Hawaiian bird to be installed on the same property.

To compliment this truly bespoke collection our Animal grouping features lizards, geckos, frogs and other tropical creatures that all signify warmer weather ahead.

To begin your virtual tropical vacation you can view our entire collection of architectural hardware at www.martinpierce.com.

The amazing future of 3D printers and how we use them

We recently attended the 3D Printer World Expo held at the Marriott convention center in. Burbank California, which was very interesting and enlightening. At present Martin is sculpting and creating the old fashioned way:

• Sketch by hand an idea showing it from 3 perspectives or elevations.
• Draw over each elevation on a 1"x 1" square grid

• 

• Use a sheet of tracing paper to make a grid that is twice as big as the first grid i.e. 2" x 2" squares to make our initial sketch twice as big by free hand drawing the same lines on the bigger grid  and so on for all the grid sections. We will continue this process for all 3 perspectives.
• We then take the tracing paper elevations or perspectives and trace them onto a block of wax or wood
• Finally we begin to shape the piece with cutting tools, basically bandsaws, chisels etc.

As far as I can tell, this "old-fashioned" grid concept is at the heart of 3D printing and 3D scanning. We have all seen enough movies or games where we see a human head mapped out on a rotating grid and then the model gains life with skin and muscle being digitally added. So it was fun and enlightening to see some of these model making and scanning machines in action.

Gil Bruvel had some really interesting sculptures on display:

What ideas did we take away and what lessons were learnt?

COST and LEARNING CURVE The 3d scene is becoming more affordable.  The base price of a 3D printer, for example the creatorbot-3d machine,  is priced at $1,845 and will print a piece in polycarbonate or nylon that is 12"w x 12"d x 18"h.  Not bad but you will also need to be able to "build" the stl file that "runs" the printer or issues the instructions or code that determines how it moves and releases jets of polycarbonate to create  the shape of the piece you want to make. To be good at this you will need to learn a program like zbrush or maya or  Sketch up. The first 2 programs run anywhere from $699 to $2000 plus but Sketch up is free. If, like me, you find an on-line tutorial difficult there is a 40 hour course for $1500 available.  BUT whether these costs add up will depend on how you can use what is printed.

PATTERN MAKING If you are starting from scratch and do not have drawing and sculpting skills then yes, 3D printing and modeling are good options. However, for us the learning curve is too long and the output too slow when compared to old fashioned carving and modeling. When Martin has a new concept he is able to draw it very quickly from at least 3 perspectives. He can make a rough model in modeling foam to see if the actual piece in reality is still attractive and at that point can make changes. By comparison, if he created a 3D file it would take him a long time to create the file as his keyboard and mouse skills are slow, it would also take as much as 12 hours to print the piece.  If he then wanted to change it he would have to go back to his digital file and work at his snail pace to make the changes and then spend again up to 12 hours printing it. This process may have to be repeated several times.

MAKING A FINISHED PRODUCT There are some 3D printers that can print metal using essentially fine metal flakes that are mixed in a polymer so the end result is at best a metal hybrid.  Not an option for Martin as we cast our bronze door handles in SOLID silicon bronze and likewise our contemporary door handles using SOLID 316 stainless steel. Both metals are dense, not porous, and have great durability.  They stand on their own as metals and do not need to be plated.  316 Stainless steel is also one of the most corrosive resistant metals around.  We value the inherent beauty of solid bronze and solid steel and both give us the mediums we need to create beautifully crafted heirloom hardware.

HOW WE USE THE TECHNOLOGY We are currently using this technology to scan simple shapes like our new Dragon egg.   Martin turned it on a lathe to create a solid egg shape in wood approximately 14" long by 6" in diameter. To hollow out the wooden egg would have taken Martin 2 to 3 days so we chose to work with a  3D scanning company who scanned the egg and then created an stl file in which they made the egg hollow with a thin wall dimension of .125" . We then worked with a 3D printing company who printed the new hollow egg in a polycarbonate material. This saved us a lot of time and we will use this process again to create blank patterns. The egg has since been carved with what we hope others will agree, is fine artistry, and will be cast in solid .125" steel.  It will be our first venture into custom wall lighting and we are excited to debut it for he hospitality designers and architects who attend the upcoming 2015 HD Expo in Las Vegas.

To view our entire collection of stainless steel and bronze hardware, please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

2015 HD Expo, here we come!

 

Like the Jaybird that inspired our latest bronze sculpture, the first month of the new year simply flew by!  But that just puts us one month closer to the 2015 HD Expo and our trip to Las Vegas, Nevada.  This will be our fourth consecutive year exhibiting at the Expo and we are, as always, looking forward to connecting with many of you.

As we get closer to the event we will be sure to share not only our location in the Exhibitor's Hall but we hope to have some custom hardware surprises that we think will please many of you who are involved in the hospitality design industry.  If you will recall, we debuted our new Morphic cylindrical entry pull last year featuring a hot patina color enhancement that adds a new dimension to this very unique item of architectural hardware.

More to come!

To view the entire Morphic collection please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Bronze Jay sculpture reveal

Several months ago we introduced you to our jay sculpture in a three-part series that chronicled the process of designing, sculpting and casting a bronze piece, whether it be used as door hardware or as wall art.  Our goal was to share with you how, after all the hard work, a collection of pieces like this

become a beautiful piece of  sculpture like this soaring beauty:

This majestic piece measure 18" from wing tip to wing tip, 12" from beak to tail and projects 4" from the wall.  The dark oil rubbed patina allows the exquisite detailing of the wings and body to be enjoyed.  Part of a limited edition, this bird sculpture can be hung on the wall and admired as a piece of wall art or utilized as custom door hardware for an impressive entry to a residence, hotel or commercial building.

If you are interested in the jay sculpture or any of our custom hardware collections, please contact us to discuss your specific project.  Our entire collection of architectural hardware can be viewed on our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Meet you over at Dering Hall

We are excited to announce that we have recently partnered with online marketplace, Dering Hall, to offer our custom architectural hardware products to designers and architects.  This partnership makes it possible for those design professionals to find custom entryway, passageway and drawer and cabinet hardware for their hospitality, commercial and residential projects. The site features a selection of our hardware including items from our Ergo and Hedgerow collections as seen in the snapshot of the webpage below:

Ergo Door knob

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Product Specifications

Dimensions

Rose 3 1/2"W 1/2"D Knob 2 1/2"W 2 1/4"D 3"H

Location

Los Angeles, CA

Category

Accessories, Hardware, Knobs/Handles

Product Type

Made-to-Order

Lead Time

8-10 Weeks

Material

Stainless steel

Product Description

Our contemporary styles are cast in 316 Stainless Steel. We pride ourselves on our exceptional quality And artistry. The contours of this piece are designed to fit your hand hence the name Ergo-nomic. For a warmer tone we recommend ordering this piece in bronze.

Other pieces featured include our Hedgerow entryway door pull:

Dering Hall  best describes their services-"Dering Hall is an online marketplace for the finest interior designers, architects, artisans, and design galleries to showcase their work and sell new, high-end home furnishings and accessories."  They make it easy for discerning design professionals and homeowners alike to search for and find high-end products like furniture, fabrics, lighting fixtures and, of course, hardware.

You can view our entire collection of custom hardware at www.martinpierce.com.