Reproduction Stickley hardware #3

I thought after the last Reproduction Stickley hardware entry that I was done with the subject.  But, found one more set of instructions on how to roll your own Hand-Hammered Copper hardware.  The first entry I did on this topic had a link to a different guide.  Personally, I think they are both worth reading.  The lead picture from the article is shown at the left.  I sure hope this constitutes Fair Use as my only purpose in displaying it is to tempt you into reading This Great Article on the American Woodworker Magazine website on how to make the hardware for yourself!  Hammer Your Own Copper Hardware by  David Olson is well worth reading, as is the companion article by Randy Johnson on building a Stickley style chest of drawers.  Yes, to get these results a fair bit of work is going to be required, but, I think worth trying, at least once.

Reproduction Stickley hardware #2

Back in May of last year I whined about not being able to find good Reproduction Stickley / Mission hardware.
I especially bashed Rockler's offerings.  To be fair, I think Rockler's hardware is good, just not perfect.  Also, they have a variety of offerings not available most anywhere else.  But, I am on a mini "quest" to find great hardware and Rockler's isn't what I'm looking for.  I hate identifying a problem and not being able to find a solution.
However, I now consider a solution to be in hand.

Thanks to  Michael Pekovich, art director for Fine Woodworking magazine and his recent blog entries (really worth reading - about the value of mockups and living with (and modifying) mockups to improve the quality of your work) I've seen some great hardware!  Yep, the hardware is made by Gerry Rucks and is available through his website, Arts and Crafts Hardware.  This picture is what convinced me to check out his webpage.

Of course every silver lining has a rain cloud - this one is the pricing.  Gosh, it is almost like he wants to be paid for his beautiful work!  The funny part is, his prices are (well, some a lot higher, but some lower) comparable to Rockler's pricing for many of his items.  I know that I will be buying from Gerry sometime this year.

The above picture is from the Arts and Crafts Hardware furniture page, which looks to be made by Rick Fusco - very nice stuff!  I've always liked the Gus Stickley Bridal Chest.  The site isn't so huge that you will be buried in detail - I recommend you check it out.  You might find exactly what you have been looking for.

Branding / Leaving your mark

This post is all about signing and dating work.  Typically, I don't - mostly I don't think that my work / most work merits a signature. I feel like that is something reserved for artists / things of artistic merit rather than the ordinary or utilitarian.  But, as much of what I do is for family, I've given serious consideration to marking pieces for the benefit of future generations. (Lofty dreams, hoping that your hand-crafted what-not isn't put in the dump after whoever you made it for is done with it!)  But, leaving that behind for now, there are a few ways people brand their items:
The easiest is to simply use an indelible / laundry marker to write on some inconspicuous place before applying finish.  Any good permanent marker like a Sharpie would work.  You may want to put on a thin coat of finish first, so the marker doesn't "bleed" quite so much, and then finish as usual over it.  Another is buy a wooden or metal "mark" that you would buy especially for the purpose - most are round and easily inset into your project.

Rockler and many other companies offer woodburning brands that you can customize - some with your name, some that are just a logo, even just initials.  I've seen them offered with and without their own heat, so some are truly like a branding iron, while most are like large electric soldering irons.  They even offer a date attachment that you can change (buy a new one) each year - but it is so expensive you may as well buy a whole new brand.  Well, some of the graphic brands are more expensive, shrug, may be worth it for those.
Some use the right size forstner bit and drill a shallow recess and epoxy in a coin with the current year.  I like this because it gives a solid date that can survive refinishing if need.  Whenever you embed a coin though, you wonder if some 10 yo is going to dig it out eventually - either for his collection, or to put in a gumball machine.
Decals and stickers are another option and have been used by professionals and amateurs for many years as well - you can now make your own decals easily using a desktop inkjet printer.
I "Branded" this Blog by making a "Leach" icon that is simply a large "L" cradling the letters e,a,c,h. which arose from my interest in creating a furniture brand.  If I was going to use this as a basis for a decal, the "L" would be a try-square.  The top two brands pictured are real cattle brands from our family history / background in farming and ranching.  The first is Bar Lazy L ( (the horizontal top line over an L over a rocker) which was our Paternal Grandfather's brand. The second brand was our Maternal Grandfather's initials, with the first initial reversed for balance, probably the same as his monogram.

Anywho, no decisions yet on a brand for me.  We've done a few "branded" projects - one by putting a hand written piece of paper into a hollow spot in the project (I like that, and will do it again) before sealing it closed and another by signing in ball-point pen (although a laundry marker would have been much better) and finishing over that.

I'm leaning towards a wood-burned brand coupled with an epoxied U.S. dime.  Both can survive most any kind of abuse / refinishing / painting.  That combination seems busy /overdone somehow - but I don't want to make a new brand for each new year.  The modern Stickley company uses a wood burned brand and a brad-fastened metal mark that has elements from the original logos.  The brand pictured is on a twin bedframe headboard - this mark would be hidden by boxspring. This is another combination that can survive refinishing.  I want something smaller though, so that I can mark smaller projects as well as the large.  Any thoughts or suggestions appreciated!

Reproduction Stickley hardware

One project that I've been stalled on for a while (for a variety of reasons) is now hinging (snork) on finding suitable hardware. Actually, I've found good hinges, but the pulls are what really show / what people will be handling. As it will be in quarter-sawn Oregon White Oak with only simple detailing it seemed only appropriate to use Craftsman/Stickley-style hand-hammered copper hardware at least for the pulls. Rockler offers a line of hardware made by Stickley in cast copper - perfect, right? Well, maybe. Note that I said "cast" rather than "hand-hammered" - take a look at this close up of one of the pulls Rockler offers. I've only seen a few good Stickley pieces with this sort of pull, and they did not have the same feel as the one pictured above. But, "Patterned from the original designs of Gustav and Leopold Stickley, this cast copper hardware has been re-issued by the Stickley Furniture Company exclusively for Rockler!" means that commercially, these are about as close to the best match available, right?
I did check on a couple antique sites and found one that had a pair of real 1905 - 1912 Stickley pulls for $265. Ouch. This Popular Woodworking Blog entry has a few pictures of what original hardware looks like. Yep, not cast - made from coppersmithing / peening together pieces of copper sheet and cast or thick wire for the actual pulls.
This great blog entry by Mark A. DeCou on Lumberjocks shows a way I might get what I want, but not without learning some new tricks & buying some copper stock. There are commercial ways of getting a good patination on new copper work, I'd have to use one of those methods as bright copper isn't what I would be after. I think a trip to the bookstore may be in order, and perhaps a trip to a library as well. I can make or buy nice oak craftsman pyramid knobs for the pulls, but just not what I'm after. Any suggestions appreciated!