6 Drawer Side Table

This old 6 drawer parts bin was repurposed into a cool side table for a client. This piece measures 12X14X24.

Friday Finds

A few new pieces  in the booth today. Stop by and check these and all of the other great items at Antiques in Milton.

Start to Finish...

Hot rolled steel was used to create the frame for this vintage mirror. Each of the dimples around the frame were hand hammered. The frame was heated and then waxed to seal the surface.

The missing silvering shows the mirrors age and adds an artful sense to the piece in turn creating something that is not just useful but beautiful.

$175.00

Available for purchase at Antiques in Milton 109 Union Street Milton, Delaware.
Open 10-5 Monday thru Saturday
12-5 Sunday

Driftwood Art

   There is a lot character in a piece of wood that has been floating around the ocean.  The wood tells a story of countless hours of being tossed about by the waves to finally wash ashore and be found by someone strolling the beach. Where has it been, what has it come in contact with? Did a whale brush against it? Maybe fish nibbled it to see if it was food. Close your eyes and imagine.

   Now open your eyes to see the wood in a whole new light. Something that has soul and beauty. Strength and substance. Something from the earth. Sculpted by nature. Combined with man made steel to be artfully displayed and treasured.

  These pieces are currently available for purchase. $65.00 for the vertical piece and $85.00 for the horizontal piece. Look for them in the Black Falcon Fabrication booth located inside Antiques in Milton, 109 Union Street Milton, Delaware. Open 10-5 Monday thru Saturday, 12-5 Sunday.

The Dental Cabinet

I got a call the other day about restoring an old medical cabinet. I don't really get into restorations but I said bring it by the shop and I will take a look. This is what arrived, a cabinet from a dentist's office. I looked it over and we talked about the job for a while. The conversation went back and forth on what direction to go with the project and it was decided that I would not be doing the work for the client. A deal was struck and I purchased the cabinet. I would be restoring the cabinet for myself! Now the fun begins, removing several layers of paint. Can't wait to get started...

Barn wood table

  I am always questioned as to where I find the wood for my furniture. I smile and say that some wood is purchased from a barn wood supply company, some has come from barns that I have taken down and some has been purchased at yard sales. The yard sale comment always seems to raise an eyebrow as if I'm pulling their leg. Well, it's true, the wood that was used for the top of this table was found at a yard sale.

  The yard sale was just a few miles away from the shop at a house with a very weathered pole barn out back. After looking through the goods that were out for sale I asked if there was anything in the building. Sure was, everything that was too heavy to move to the front yard was in the barn and for sale. I found enough items that day that I had to make a trip home to get a trailer in order to get everything back to the shop.

  These yard sale boards were a full 2" thick, nearly 10" wide and 14' long. I have had them in storage for a while and finally decided to build something with them. The table pictured above is what I built. The pictures are a bit deceiving, this table is much larger than it appears. It measures 37 1/2" wide, 89 3/4" long and 30" tall. The live edge slab legs are 2 3/4" thick and are bolted to the top with heavy gauge 3" angle steel. All together the table weighs 209 pounds.

  If you would like to purchase this table or inquire about having a piece of furniture custom built please contact me through email at mattpiccolo@yahoo.com

From coffee table to cupboard...

     If you go back to the beginning of this blog you will find a post about a coffee table. The table in that post had been in the store for sale for a little over a year without being purchased so to make room for newer pieces I decided it was time to bring it back to the workshop. After moving the table around a few times to make room in the shop I knew something had to be done.

     What to do? Chop it up and toss it on the scrap pile? The thought had crossed my mind. Then, while shuffling the table from one side of the shop to the other for the last time it was chop time! Some pieces of the table would not end up on the scrap pile though. The pieces that could be reused were transformed into the cupboard pictured above.

     With a fresh cut off wheel on the grinder I started dismantling the coffee table and separating the usable parts from the scrap. The 3 inch channel base and the 1 1/2 angle frame of the top were the only pieces that made the transition into the new cupboard. The remaining parts were set aside maybe to be reused in a future piece of my furniture or to sold off and turned into a new air conditioner, toaster or whatever scrap metal gets turned into.

     I have had the idea of a large cupboard floating around for a while and with the leftover steel from the table this seemed like the perfect time to get started on a new project. A few rough sketches were drawn up and then the process of cutting, forming and welding began. The frame of the cupboard is steel angle covered with 18 gauge sheet metal that has been step rolled to add some design flare. To finish the steel a rusting solution was used and then sanded off. Black stain was applied next to darken the metal with a final hand rubbed waxing to help protect the finish.

     The wood that I used for the shelves was salvaged from a local feed storage barn that was being torn down. A light sanding was all the boards needed before a coat of Briwax Tudor Brown was applied. The dark color contrasts well with the metal and also allows the character of the wood to still show through. I like being able to see all of the saw marks, nail holes and bug holes that the old wood has earned over the years.

     At 80 inches tall, 4 feet wide and 2 feet deep at the base this cupboard is an attention grabber. Stop by the Black Falcon Fabrication booth inside Antiques In Milton to see it in person. Located at 109 Union Street in Milton, Delaware the store is open 7 days a week 10 till 5 Monday through Saturday, 12 til 5 on Sundays.

    

Brass tags

From the start all of the furniture that I have built has had a serial number stamped on the framework. Now, along with the stamped number each piece will have a custom etched brass tag. Due to the etching process each tag is unique just like the furniture that I build.

Just out of the shop...

     This is the latest piece from the shop. All of the usual goodies are included. The steel frame with bead rolled panels, barn wood top and aged patina get your attention first. Grab the hand built handle and swing the door open to find two adjustable and removable shelves. The steel frames of the shelves hold thick barn wood slats and are ready to hold whatever you can fit through the door of the cabinet. Standing 40" tall and 16" square this latest offering from Black Falcon Fabrication is built to last for generations.

This cabinet has been sold. Please inquire about having a piece of furniture custom built to fit your needs.

Store display

 Here is the finished display piece that I teased a photo of the other day.

   Starting with some inspiration from the world wide web I headed to a nearby flea market to gather some time worn supplies. Once the dust settled from digging through the piles of  Linda's treasures I had found the perfect items for this project. An old door with the lower corner missing where some critters had chewed through, a pair of louvered closet doors and an old church pew with cracked paint along with a few other finds were stacked besides the truck waiting for a deal to be struck. As soon as the money changed hands the truck was loaded and I was on my way back the shop.

   After a quick stop at Lowes for a few more supplies I was at the shop and work began. The church pew was dismantled and the wood was used on the sides of the door and for the deck of the "porch". The closet doors make up the end walls and some rusty tin from my stash of goodies finished off the roof. I had to make the shelves from new wood but with some paint work and added distressing they blend in nicely with the older items.

   With the help of my wife Anna and two friends Chris and Steven the new display is in place and stocked full of items ready for purchase. A big thank you goes out to them for taking time out of their day to help me get this in place and ready to go.

Hmmm, what's this?

A tease photo of one of this weeks projects. I am hoping for some better weather so I can get some pictures of this outside.

Shots from the shop...

Fresh Finds

A few pics of some recent finds.

 The Huffman oil can is really cool. It has an adjustable spout that can be moved all the way straight down. There is a stopper in the bottom of the can with a lever so nothing pours out until you are ready.

The red hand truck has some style to it. Rubber tires too.

The springs are a little over 4 inches tall. These could be used as decoration pieces or would work well as candle or flower holders.

The metal tray measures 10 5/8" wide, 18 3/4" long and 5 1/2" deep. Built tough it could hold just about anything you could put in it.

Look for these and other vintage and interesting objects in the Black Falcon Fabrication booth. Antiques in Milton 109 Union Street Milton, Delaware 19968.

Clean, Grind, Weld

Just a few photos from the shop. Working on a single door cabinet. 40 inches tall and 16 inches square. The cabinet will have bead rolled sides, barn wood top and adjustable shelves. Be on the look out for the finished piece soon.

Vintage Finds and Interesting Objects

These are just a few of the items currently available at the B.F.F. booth. There plenty of vintage and hand crafted pieces to choose from. Be sure to stop by 109 Union Street Milton, Delaware and see for yourself.