Anchors Aweigh

                Back before I had devised many clever ways to avoid it, I was often roped into installing the hardware I make.  I don't really enjoy installing hardware.  There are a lot of reasons for this, but as an illustration of the hazards of installing hardware I give you this story.  

               I had made a house full of drapery and bathroom hardware for a large new ranch house about 30 miles outside of Santa Fe.  By coincidence, the contractor on the house had his office in the same complex where I had my shop.  We were sort of vaguely familiar with each other.  When installation day rolled around, I loaded all the hardware and installation tools into a truck and my crew and I set out for the house.  I hadn't seen it and I believed the designer when he said that there was wood framing in the wall where the hardware was to be installed.  There was no reason for me not to believe him.  Approximately 14 seconds after I got there the contractor told me there was no wood framing.  Plus the walls were polished adobe.  You can't just Spackle and shoe polish over a mistake in polished adobe.  I was pretty sure I didn't have the tools or the anchors to install the hardware.  The contractor who had lied to the designer about the framing decided to come to my rescue.  He had a hammer drill and anchors that would work and he would install the first bracket just to show me.  Okee dokey.  We went into the first bedroom and the designer measured the drapes and said exactly how far off the ground the bracket should be.  So far so good.  Then the contractor scurried up the ladder and started drilling.  ummmmmm.   The center bracket needs to go in the center.  Not seven inches left of center.  On the upside, I wasn't the one who had totally messed up the wall.  I took over the installation and used his drill and anchors to put the brackets where they were supposed to go.  He went off to find one of the adobe guys to repair the wall.  Sadly that wasn't the worst problem of the day.  Somebody, the contractor, had incorrectly measured the width of the window in the main room.  The rod was too short.  That I could solve, but it was annoying.  The strangest part of this story, though, is that I still have that hammer drill.  I spent months trying to give it back to the contractor and he wouldn't take it.  I think he blamed it for his mistake.  It wasn't the drill that made the mistake.

                Often the key to installing hardware is having the right anchors.  Also drilling the holes in the right place.  Most people won't have polished adobe walls and if they do, they can probably hire an expert installer to put up their hardware.  So I thought I would give you some of my experience with installing hardware.  And maybe hanging pictures because that's something we all do.  The anchor, and therefore the screw, depend on the type of wall you are hanging on.  This is a continuation of my last post about getting the screws to work with your iron hardware. 

               Block, brick and cement take a different kind of anchor than drywall, paneling and plaster/adobe.  Then within each category the anchors are classified by pullout and shear ratings and sometimes type of screw.   It's possible to lose an entire day in the anchor isle of your hardware store while you try to figure out if you really want to punch holes in your freshly painted wall.  Remember always have Spackle and shoe polish.  Unless your walls are not white.  Then you need paint.  

                If you have cement, block or brick walls, you have some options.  In most cases you can use a light duty anchor.  I prefer a plastic plug anchor.  These should work for most drapery hardware and hooks.  They also should work for bathroom hardware although I have found that people yank on their towels which causes bars to pull out of the wall.  So for a heavier duty option I would go with a larger diameter screw that is also longer.  You can go with a heavier duty threaded anchor, but they leave a really big hole in your brick.   

               This chart is for the type of anchor I use for brick or cement and , I will admit, tile.  It shows how much more resistance you get from a larger or longer screw.  When you install with these anchors you need to drill the hole a bit longer than the anchor, then push the anchor in until it's flush with the surface of the brick and use a screw that is the length of the anchor plus the thickness of whatever you are mounting.  The screw should run the full length of the anchor.  This is why the hole needs to be longer than the anchor. Go longer rather than shorter with your screw.

Light Duty Anchor for Block or Brick.  These work really well.

Light duty anchors for block and brick  --  high strength twist resistant plastic anchors
Screw size	Length	Drill bit size	Pullout rating	Shear rating
No. 4	1"	5/32"	40 lbs	NR
No. 6	1"	3/16"	180 lbs	NR
No. 8	1"	15/64"	220 lbs	NR
No. 10	1"	1/4"	250 lbs	NR
No. 10	1 1/2"	1/4"	370 lbs	NR
No. 10	2"	1/4"	520 lbs	NR
No. 14, 1/4"	1"	5/16"	300 lbs	NR
No. 14, 1/4"	1 1/2"	5/16"	420 lbs	NR
No. 14, 1/4"	2"	5/16"	570 lbs	NR

I apologize to those of you who are in countries that use the metric system.  I'm pretty sure these sizes can be translated into metric without a problem and the basic information is still valid.  These are color coded for size  when you buy them.  I didn't include the colors in the chart, but it's useful to know.

              For a Sheetrock and plaster walls, there are a whole different set of options and some of these really depend on what you are comfortable with.  The easy to install anchors have a lower pullout rating.  The anchors that are a pain in the butt have a better pullout rating.  There are walls where I have lived that are  filled with anchor bits because I can't get the anchor in the way I want it so I just push it through.  I don't recommend this but you gotta do what you gotta do.  Generally the anchors you get when you buy a coat hook from the decor store are not pullout rated.  That means it doesn't really take much to pull them out of the wall.  I will say that the problem with drywall is that it really can't hold that much weight..  But here are some options and my thoughts on them.  

It's useless as far as I'm concerned.  When you open the package of hardware that comes with your purchase.  Throw these away.

This is the toggle that ends up lost in the wall.  I don't like them, but the pullout rating for 1/4" bolt is 50 lbs.  I don't want to explain how these work because I hate them.  Ok fine.  Drill a huge hole in your wall.  Close the toggle and push it through.  Hope there is room on the other side for the toggle to open and then stare at the giant hole and wonder how you can mount anything with this.  Pull out the screw and lose the toggle in the wall.  Go get a different anchor.  Wonder how you can use this anchor with the giant hole.  Get the Spackle.  Wait 2 days before trying again.  You can also struggle with what you are mounting already attached to the anchor and screw but that's even more painful.  Just avoid these. 

This is a plastic toggle anchor for drywall.  I use these.  They are easy to use and work well for light duty.  Pullout rating on all screw sizes is 30 lb.  Use a sheet metal or wood screw with these.  After you drill the hole fold the anchor and push it through.  You want the toggle to spring open on the other side.  The screw going through should press the toggle tight.  One of the nice things about this anchor is that you can use a lot of different size screws with the one anchor.

These come in plastic and zinc but I use the plastic ones.  They are easy, you don't need a drill bit, and they work pretty well for very light duty.  Pullout rating is 5 lbs.  I have used wood screws or sheet metal screw with these.  The screw should be shorter than the anchor plus the whatever you are mounting. 

 

I've not used this anchor, but I like the way it looks.  You don't need a drill bit to install it and you can't lose it in the wall.  The pullout rating for a No.10 screw is 30 lbs.  The screw comes with the anchor.

This is the anchor if you are worried about pullout.  After drilling the correct size hole you put the anchor in the wall and tighten the slide cap.  It stays in place.  Then you use a machine screw with the toggle.  No. 10 - 24 screw has a 200 lbs. pullout rating and a 200 lbs shear rating.  You do have to drill a 1/2" hole.  Remember the Spackle.

              

               I hope this is helpful. It's always good if you have wood framing to anchor into.  That is easier than any of these anchors.  I have never successfully used a stud finder so I usually just drill the holes I need with a pilot bit and if I hit wood framing that's good.  If not, go with an anchor.  Some of these anchors may be a little hard to find.  I'm sure they can be found online. 

               I did say I was going to tell you how to hang a picture.  This is where I wish I could draw better.  You don't need a fancy picture hanging kit with hooks and stuff.  If you drive the nail into the wall at the same angle that you would through one of those hooks, it should hold a picture without a problem.  Drive the nail down into the wall at about a 45 degree angle.  That's it.

Back to making things. 

Peace my friends

j 

The magic of muriatic acid

      I was working on a new coat hook design and working through what screws to include with the hook when I realized that there is no perfect screw that will work for every application.  This is sad. What follows is my attempt to help rectify this for the average person. Or perhaps the person with no fear and time on their hands.  

The coat hooks I'm working on.  These are made from scrap square bar. Slotted screws not hammered.  

Hammered Phillips head screws.  You can see how rough the slots are.

Hammered Phillips head screw. 

   


     I think if you are reading this you probably have a fantastically funky home and amazingly wonderful taste.  It follows that somewhere along the line you bought some forged hardware because ...hey...it's beautiful.  You may have gotten it online from one of the big players (or a small shop like mine) or at a festival or even from the local hardware store, but when you tried to install it you discovered that the screws aka mounting hardware didn't work for your situation.  They might have been the wrong length or the wrong type or maybe there wasn't any mounting hardware.  The supplier of the beautiful forged  hardware was no help, mostly because they are not me, so you went to the local hardware store and got some screws that would work.  Those new screws were perfect except they were bright silver and not the wonderful color of forged iron.  Rather than live with that you either returned the forged hardware in frustration or maybe you painted the screws, or if you are like me, you colored the screws with a Sharpie.  (This is not a paid endorsement.  I'm not opposed to paid endorsements so if you want to pay me to endorse something, drop me a note.)    I admit to using a Sharpie on occasion to fix a color issue on my hardware.  I'm helpful, not perfect.

     There are, however, a couple of other probably better solutions to the bright silver screw or bolt problem.  For this muriatic acid solution the screw has to be zinc plated.  I think it's also called hydrochloric acid.  It can't be stainless steel or nickel plated although you can darken both of those too.  I'll get to that later.  The easiest at home solution to darkening zinc plated screws is muriatic acid.  If you have a pool, you already have some.  If not, it's pretty cheap, comes by the gallon, and can definitely hurt you and possibly kill you if you aren't careful.  Also it's available at all the usual home improvement stores.  The important thing for this application is that it dissolves zinc. 

A really bad picture of zinc plated screws

      In order to get the zinc off the screws they need to be immersed in the muriatic acid.  The guy I learned this from used a piece of steel wire to dip the screws in the bottle of acid.  It only takes a couple of seconds.  I like the acid to remain fresh and I do this a lot so I usually pour a little acid in a plastic cup and drop the screws in.  For the samples in the pictures, I just put a little acid in the lid. 

 

On the left is the plated screw.  On the right is the screw with the plating removed by the acid.

     Once the plating is gone, rinse the acid off the screws and let them dry.  They will probably be a little rusty, but they will be the dull grey color of steel.  After that you can hold the head in the flame of your stove while holding the screw with a pair of pliers until the head turns black.  I would then dip the head in wax.  You can also oil it with kitchen oil.  Like seasoning a cast iron pan.  I had a buddy who seasoned his cast iron pans with Crisco ( Again, not a paid endorsement, for the buddy or Crisco). You can probably use that too.

 

     I think this is a fairly easy way to get a better look for forged hardware.  It doesn't give you a hammered look, but at least it's not bright silver on black.  

 

The plated screw.  The screw with the plating removed.  The screw heated in the stove and waxed.  My dirty hand.

     I'm trying to make hammered screws for my hooks.  I tried to find slotted screws at the big box home improvement stores.  They only have Phillips head.  Phillips head doesn't work that well when I hammer the head so when I have a big enough hardware order, I will add a box of slotted screws to supply with my hooks. I can clean up the slot after hammering much better than I can clean up a Phillips head.  Once I have the screws, I can list the hooks for sale.

    I should mention that there are a couple of caveats with this process.  You do not want to touch muriatic acid.  It's acid.  You also do not want to breath the fumes.  Do this process outside and don't stand over it.  I'm pretty sure breathing the fumes will mess you up.  Once you have removed the plating, the screws will rust. If you want to look at a list of safety tips, click here. 

    If you need blackened screws or bolts for a bathroom, you could try just holding a stainless steel head in the stove fire. This would also work for nickel plated screws.  Neither of those will rust as readily, but they are also more money.  Natural gas heat on the stove would probably be enough heat to make the head turn black.  It may take a bit longer. I don't know because I have a propane torch, and a forge and an oxy-acetylene rig. (google spell check wants to change this to foxy-acetylene.  What is foxy-acetylene?  Please tell me if you know unless it's going to scare me.)  I don't actually use the stove.  

   The best looking decor is consistent.  You want the mounting hardware to match the rest of the hardware.  This is a little step in that direction. 

    I hope this works for you without pain.  

    Now I need to get back to work.  Until next time

    j

Helpful hints from hello, wheez...cough cough...sigh

The Raven

As part of my never ending effort to be useful, I decided to try a post with some potentially useful information.  At least I think it's useful.  It's always possible that nothing I have to say is useful and that's why I spend most of my time talking to myself.      ...Eh.

A long time friend of mine from a former life who suspiciously follows me on Instagram asked for this information.  Well, ya know, he asked how I did this and I said I'd make a video.  What I actually said was, if I told him I'd have to kill him......so it's possible you will all have to die.  Probably not right away though. Anyway, I reconsidered and told him I would make a video.  Only, 1 - It would be 10 hours long and that's even too much for me.  And, 2 - I don't know how to make a video..... so the first part is just an excuse to cover up the second part.  Really though, 10 hours would be even more tedious than this explanation of why I am not making a 10 hour film.  Plus boredom would be a terrible way to die.  I decided to spare my fan and do a blog post instead.  So Bob, here's another post for you.

Anyway, back to the aforementioned somewhat useful information.  Chasing and repousse.  I will not, or probably not,  go into a long explanation of what each one is and how they differ.  Basically they are techniques that transform a flat piece of metal into a three dimensional relief.  Or something like that.  If you want the full explanations go to Wikipedia.  You can read that stuff there.  There are probably better places to find out about it but Wikipedia is concise. 

The definitions are less important to me than the technique.  Sort of.

Traditionally repousse and chasing were done in gold, silver and copper based metals.  I don't work in gold and silver and although I have some copper scrap, I mostly have aluminum scrap.  So that's what I have been using for my repousse and chasing.  One day I will graduate to steel and copper.  This is consistent with my life philosophy which is always start your day with gruel.  Otherwise it could go downhill.  Or sideways.  In other words, master every technique in the hardest possible material and then everything else will be cake.  Cake being dessert...and the last thing you eat in a day because you want to end on a high note.  Start with gruel.  End with cake.  Every day is a good day.

I feel like I should get to the meat of this blog now.  

As I said, I have aluminum sheet scrap.  I think it's 14g or maybe 16g.  It's scrap from a project I did probably 10 or so years ago.  I don't remember the exact gauge or alloy.  It's actually a bit scary because it's in jagged cuts off of the full sheets and the edges are sharp.  So I have these odd shaped pieces of aluminum sheet that I have been trying to come up with a use for.  My situation changed and I decided to do some repousse and chasing.  

Let me walk you through my process.  If you want to try this, you will need some things.  I'm just going to make a list of the things I think are useful or necessary when doing chasing and repousse.

• A flat piece of metal sheet and an understanding of annealing and work hardening metals
• A way to anneal the sheet.  I use a propane torch because I am working pretty small
• A not hard surface.  This one is a little tricky.  There are a lot of things that can be used as backing.  Since I am working small, I use a pitch bowl.  There are several types of pitch and the type you choose is based on how you work.  My pitch is a combination because I keep trying new pitches.  But if you are just starting and want to try this without a huge investment, you could try using carpet or rubber or wax as a backing.  I met a guy last year who does all his chasing in wax because it gives the way he wants it too, and he thinks pitch is too hard.  The reason I use a bowl, rather than a box or some other thing to hold my pitch, is that I can move it and angle it as I work.  Dang, I gotta go take a picture of this.  BRB  hahahahah 

  

  Pitch bowl on stand

• A hammer with a large flat face.  I have several hammers.  I use two most often.  I have a cheap cobblers hammer and I have an expensive chasing hammer.  They cost me about the same amount each.  You can get a cheap chasing  hammer for less than $10.  It will work fine and give you a chance to not spend all your money on tools that you will toss in a corner when you get frustrated and give up.  Not that you will.
• Chasing tools.  Oh yeah.  That's a wide open thing.  I made most of mine,  You can buy them but it's pricey.  I don't think you need a lot of tools to start.  To begin you could probably get away with a liner, some kind of pusher and a planisher.  I made my favorite liner from a small cold chisel that had seen some rough use.  I have a doming block from HarborFreight that I use for pushing.  It may not work on other metals.  And I made a planisher from another broken chisel.  I do have a bit of tool steel around the shop, so I have made a few chasing tools over the last year.  Each situation will dictate the tools necessary, but for a basic form and to see how metal moves you can start very basic.  You could start with just a planisher that also pushes.  
• Safety glasses and ear plugs.  Don't be an idiot.  
• Good light
• A surface to flatten the work between processes and when you are done.  I use an anvil.  
• A soft hammer to flatten the work as above.  I use a cheap wood mallet, but some day I will probably invest in a paper hammer.  

I think that's all the tools.  The first thing you must do is anneal the metal.  As part of that process I heat the pitch so that the metal will stick to it and I can work.  Once the metal is stuck to the pitch, I can draw the figure on the face of the metal with a liner. That is the entire first step.  Easy.

All the tools and the Raven drawn with the chisel in the aluminum sheet. I used a curved and a straight liner and my cobblers hammer.

Just beginning the repousse using doming tools

Next I remove the metal from the pitch (this takes heat) and turn it over and reattach it to the pitch. This is the beginning of the repousse phase.  To be honest, I am still working on this.  I need to get better at not over pushing the metal and seeing the negative form.  While you are doing this you are working on the back side of the piece. I also work with the pitch warm.  I never want to do any work where I'm not sweating all the time.

Ready to be removed from the pitch and be turned over for chasing

The raven has been reattached to the pitch and is ready for chasing

Once the repousse is complete you need to heat the metal again to remove it from the pitch and dress the pitch by reheating it and moving it around so it's ready to hold the work again.  I often anneal the work again at this point.  I also put pitch in the back of the work so that it is fully supported for chasing.  

The aluminum needs to be flattened

The Raven has had the detail added.  I should have taken more pictures of the chasing process. This is after it has been flattened on the anvil.

Chasing is the most fun part of the process because that's when the work takes on it's final shape and begins to really look like your vision.  This is probably the most time consuming part.  I'm not entirely happy with this raven, but that's because I made a mistake in my thinking.  I am always learning so I hope I won't make that mistake again.  Usually by the end of the chasing, the metal has broken free of the pitch.  If it hasn't then you need to heat it.  If it breaks free too soon, you will need to reattach it.  

The Raven lifted off the pitch

The raven after the curve in the aluminum has been removed.

This should be fun.  Keep in mind that you are sculpting directly into the metal sheet.  You should work it until it looks the way you want it to look.  

The impression of the Raven in the pitch.  You can see some of the different pitch colors I use.

Oh yeah, your hands will probably hurt.  

And Bob, thanks for asking, I have all new teeth now and my jaw is mostly healed.

Back to work

j