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MIKE AND ART DESIGN

Custom Metal and Wood products

MikeAndArtDesign

Pool pump screen

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Here is our latest project, in which I really got to show off some creative, artistic vision.  A customer approached me, wanting to replace a rotting wooden trellis pool pump cover. For his new cover, he wanted something one of a kind, to fit with his artsy, contemporary home ( Air Bnb Link ).   Here are some of the pictures of the process! I will post some final pictures when the landscaping has been finished!

Mike and Art Design - Custom Wood and Metal Artwork
Getting our rust on
Mike and Art Design - Custom Wood and Metal Artwork
setting the frame
Mike and Art Design - Custom Wood and Metal Artwork
Mike and Art Design - Custom Wood and Metal Artwork
Mike and Art Design - Custom Wood and Metal Artwork
Now we have perforated steel
Mike and Art Design - Custom Wood and Metal Artwork
Mike and Art Design - Custom Wood and Metal Artwork
Using the torch is fun!
Mike and Art Design - Custom Wood and Metal Artwork
Rusting it out
Mike and Art Design - Custom Wood and Metal Artwork
Altering the bottom now the top is set
Mike and Art Design - Custom Wood and Metal Artwork
Mike and Art Design - Custom Wood and Metal Artwork
Adding some leaves and flowers
Mike and Art Design - Custom Wood and Metal Artwork
Basically finished!
Mike and Art Design - Custom Wood and Metal Artwork
Installed (rainbow was captured with camera)
Mike and Art Design - Custom Wood and Metal Artwork
Final product
Mike and Art Design - Custom Wood and Metal Artwork
Mike and Art Design - Custom Wood and Metal Artwork
Final – up close
Mike and Art Design - Custom Wood and Metal Artwork

Mailbox Stand

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When a mailbox falls down due to heavy rains, it’s a sign to get a new custom built one from Mike ‘n Art Design.  Here’s one we built for just that reason!

Cool riveted posts
Twisted hollow square tubing
Main Vine
Before leaves
before leaves up close
with leaves
All finished
All set in place

Past projects

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Scrolling through some old images, here are some past projects my dad and I have worked on together, or individually.

Square gate
Elaborate scroll entry gate from back
Window Accent Scroll bars
Scroll bars
Straight bars with scroll bottom and top
Accompanying bent twisted metal side gate, with gold accent sheet metal
Scroll bars for window accent
Close up- Bent twisted metal with gold sheet metal accents -RV Gate
Elaborate scroll entry gate from front
Bent twisted metal with gold sheet metal accents -RV Gate
Simply RV gate with top circle accent
Close up of Straight bar scroll top/bottom gate

Brackets

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A friend of mine needed some “aged” brackets for a table and thought this would be a fun project to undertake!

 

 Here is my blog style gallery!  

 

 

I started with a 1-1/2″  piece of flat strap (left) and cut 4 pieces at 8-1/4″ each, and ground them down so just the steel was exposed.Bracket_project-1

 

I then clamped it down and proceeded to hammer it down with three different sized ball ping hammers to give it that “aged / hammered” look. We both took turns swinging away at the steel, creating craters both big and small, and eventually ended up with steel that looked like this!

 

Bracket_project-3

 

Bracket_project-2Mental note:

When attacking this task, do not leave your beer on the table you are beating, you will ultimately end up with a fallen comrade (left)  🙁

 From here we need to grind down the edges to make it look “eaten”.

Bracket_project-7

 

Bracket_project-6Bracket_project-5

Once we have our Strip, we can clamp it down

and hammer one end down on a straight edge,
giving us a nice 90degree angle
and you’re left with something like this!

 

 

This is what the finished product yielded.  Turned out pretty nice!!

Bracket_project-10

Castle Gate 1

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This is one of the first “art”-sy gates I built.  I knew I wanted something that felt like it was part of an old medieval castle. Perhaps my recent visit to England inspired me to get up and make them.  I knew PorterBarnWood had old reclaimed barn wood I could use, and i figured I would have to age the steel myself.  I wanted it to look like it had been through some rough times

I kept calling my dad, and had a hard time making decisions without him there.  When I did call him, he would just listen to what I said and ask me which I thought was best.  I guess hearing myself validate my ideas was all I needed to make sure I felt it was a good decision, and he was great at forcing me to make the decision.  I spent a lot of time doing this gate, as it was a concept in my head, and first of its kind.

I spent hours, banging and grinding steel to give it that custom AGED look, custom made the handles, and let it spend some time rusting, by spraying it down with water every couple days until  it really got going.  Then I would clean it off from time to time, allowing the rust to spread and color the metal nicely.  After the aging process finished, a nice coat of rustoleum and Shellac sealed the deal.

Then it was on to gate two!
 Check out the Gallery here
Castle gate 1 back
peeking through
Old fashioned slide bolt, with lock
Front Up Close
“aged metal”
Custom Door handle
Custom “grate” for peep hole
If the gate won’t keep you out, maybe Mable will… ( I assure you she’s nicer than she looks here!)
Up close

 

Castle Gate 2

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My dad helped start this project, but then passed away in the middle of finishing this project.  Installing this was a tough, yet at the same time, awesome moment. I still heard him talking to me while welding, and doing stuff with this gate.  We laughed and joked like we normally did, and he was still telling me all the things that I was doing wrong.  It was tough, but that was when I knew that he and I would always be making stuff together, from now on!

We decided to keep the wood we got from PorterBarnwood natural looking, (no color stain) to keep that grey shade from the PA hemlock, that once was a barn. Made another handle, the same as the other gate, for a little continuity. This project had a lot of love, hardship, pain, and anger put into it and I think it came out looking pretty awesome.

Next fun personal project is the RV gate…

Castle gate rear less light
Up close
castle gate rear