Making your own chest hardware

[petersb]

Well has anyone ever made their own harware for a project before?

I am STILL making a mahogany trunk for my oldest son, kind of like a hope chest for boys. I really wanted a rugged, manly look for the chest and as most of you know, the hardware can make, or break the whole look of a piece. I looked at a TON of differnt hinges and handles and knobs, trying to find just the right "look" for this box that I made. I wasn't able to find what I had envisioned, so I started to contact blacksmiths to see about having what I wanted made. Actually, it was the other way around. I thought to have a smith make the parts for the box, and after getting some quotes, I found that the custom harware would be a bit over budget. So I started to look for commercially made hardware and couldn't come up with anything. I really didn't want anything "fancy", I wanted a hammered, handmade by a blacksmith look.

I decided that I could attempt to try and make the peices that I imagined. Well I did come up with some hardware and it DEFINATELY has a rugged look to it. It's made from 1/8" thick 1.5" wide steel. I heated the steel in a small woodstove till glowing hot and pounded them into shape with a hammer. The finish turned out really nice and black like I wanted. I am at work now, and when I get home, I will post some pictures of the pieces that are complete so far.

I am just looking to share what I was able to come up with and see how many others out there have made their own hardware. Also to let others know that we are not limited to what is available out there already made. It is a wonderful thing to be created with an imagination and the ability to construct with our hands.

Tell us what you have made or post some pictures of what you came up with.

Thanks

Brett

[petersb]

Here are the pictures I promised.

[Bombarde16]

Exquisite surface on those and I hope this has encouraged you to try more. One basic caveat that you probably already know: Avoid forging any of the galvanized stock that they sell at the home centers. Zinc coatings do nasty things at high temps.

My only criticism would be the screws used to hold things in place. a.) Slotted screws would have been more in keeping with the style. b.) Use fewer, bigger screws for each handle. And c.) Perhaps the screws heads could be similarly distressed to match.

Nice execution. I'm going to have a kitchen to appoint in a few weeks and I may just try banging on some steel myself.

[jHop]

One of my interests is blacksmithing. most smiths and ferriers I've talked with actually try to remove those "rugged hammer marks" from their work, as they feel it is less professional an appearance. Irony, eh?

If you want to keep with the image, go with a square head nail. (or, if you can fashion it, to a square head to a rivet cap, and screw into it from the back.)

Some of the best stock I have been guided to for occasional smithing is car springs. Leaf springs have the advantage of being wide enough to start with for the straps, but coil springs are usually easier to find. use a cutting wheel on a grinder (or dremel) and cut off about two coils (should be plenty). If you don't have a forge, there are a couple decent examples on Instructables.com. A propane torch, while effective, may not be sufficient to do the complete job. If you have gas welding torches, that will definately be sufficient. You don't need to invest thousands into a blacksmithing shop, either. a good heat, a decent ball peen hammer and a 2 pound sledge, and a hardened metal surface at least 1/2" thick should be enough to do a decent job. If you really want to shell out $500 for an anvil, go ahead, but make sure the surface is level and that there are either no cracks or pitting, or that the cracks have been repaired by someone who knows what they are doing.

Only one purpose of the anvil is to provide a surface to shape the metal on. Another purpose is a heat sink; if you don't have a proper heat sink, the metal you are working will suffer from stress cracks and cold cracks. While they are interesting details, they dramatically reduce the structural integrity of the metal. (Kind of like major voids inside lumber.)

Last thing you'll need is something to quench the metal in. Water is traditional, but some people prefer used motor oil. A good set of vise grips can replace any tongs you might need, but don't leave the vise grips in the heat. Last thing I'll recommend is a decent set of leather gloves. At least for the hand holding the hot metal.

[Mister Pants]

One basic caveat that you probably already know: Avoid forging any of the galvanized stock that they sell at the home centers. Zinc coatings do nasty things at high temps.

Can't reiterate that one enough. It can be done with the proper respiratory equipment, but I know of one guy who died from inhaling those fumes without respiratory gear and one who almost did.

Good work on the hardware Brett! I've got a sand casting kit I've been meaning to use to make some small pewter pulls in a couple of pieces just to give it a shot. I have a couple of friends who do smithing work, I should probably hit them up at some point .

[petersb]

WOW! You guys may have just saved my life!

I didn't have a clue about the zinc being toxic when heated. I was going to "blacken" the hinges, which are zinc coated, and the screw heads, which are zinc coated too! This might have been my last post!

Thanks for the heads up.

I do plan on having the screws match the black finish and I do like the idea of using larger slot head screws. I would actually prefer the square heads over the round. I may grind some screw heads square and go that route.

I used pliers and my fireplace gloves to handle the pieces. I was wishing that I had a ball peen hammer and the small sledge. I used a Craftsman 16oz finish hammer to pound the pieces out! Maybe that is why my hands were so sore the day after.

[Onboard]

Lee Valley has some screws that may work. Or, if you think a nail will work you might like these.

WOW! You guys may have just saved my life!

I didn't have a clue about the zinc being toxic when heated. I was going to "blacken" the hinges, which are zinc coated, and the screw heads, which are zinc coated too! This might have been my last post!

Thanks for the heads up.

I do plan on having the screws match the black finish and I do like the idea of using larger slot head screws. I would actually prefer the square heads over the round. I may grind some screw heads square and go that route.

I used pliers and my fireplace gloves to handle the pieces. I was wishing that I had a ball peen hammer and the small sledge. I used a Craftsman 16oz finish hammer to pound the pieces out! Maybe that is why my hands were so sore the day after.

[jHop]

Brett, if you know a couple of smiths, talk with them about nails similar to the ones Onboard pointed out. I've watched smiths turn out ones similar to style A listed in the link in six strokes. Nails are some of the quickest things for smiths and farriers to turn out. And I'm willing to bet the cost will be so ridiculously low you could find a new market for them in your woodworking. (There's more work in decorating the head with multiple flat spots than there is in the body of the nail.)

I realized I hadn't congratulated you on a wonderful job, both in wood working and metal working. That is an amazing project you have done. Very nicely done!

[Mister Pants]

I didn't have a clue about the zinc being toxic when heated. I was going to "blacken" the hinges, which are zinc coated, and the screw heads, which are zinc coated too! This might have been my last post!

I'm not sure if just blackening would cause a significant problem. The one guy I know of who passed away was burning off a significant amount of it. But either way zinc oxide (the fumes released) isn't something to really fool around with lightly. The story in the link here pretty much says it all better than I could. Its an extreme end of things but much lower doses can certainly make you ill. http://www.anvilfire.com/iForge/tutor/safety3/index.htm

[flairwoodworks]

Hi Brett,

I've made a couple chests as well as the hardware for them. I haven't tackled a hasp or a lock yet though.

[petersb]

Hi Brett,

I've made a couple chests as well as the hardware for them. I haven't tackled a hasp or a lock yet though.

Those are excellent Chris! I really like the handles. I may steal your idea, if you don't mind. Are those nails or screws?

[nateswoodworks]

Nice work, I have made many handles and some hinges out of wood but not metal hardware. I guess that after spending so many years as a welder that is the LAST thing I want to do on my time off!

Nate

[rmac]

One of my interests is blacksmithing. most smiths and ferriers I've talked with actually try to remove those "rugged hammer marks" from their work, as they feel it is less professional an appearance. Irony, eh?

Blacksmithing. Irony. Don't think this kind of thing goes unnoticed.

-- Russ

[flairwoodworks]

Those are excellent Chris! I really like the handles. I may steal your idea, if you don't mind. Are those nails or screws?

Brett,

By all means, use my hardware as an inspiration to make your own. If you have any questions, feel free to ask! The small chest has pyramid-head screws and the larger one has clinched, cut nails. I think the cut nails were a mistake because they were too long and went through (my fault) and required so much hammering to drive home, it damaged the top (repairable). Pyramid-head screws are more expensive, but in my mind, the way to go. The handles are made from 1-1/2" angle iron.

Look for my chest (and better pictures) in a Taunton book on blanket chests coming out next spring.

[Onboard]

Brett,

By all means, use my hardware as an inspiration to make your own. If you have any questions, feel free to ask! The small chest has pyramid-head screws and the larger one has clinched, cut nails. I think the cut nails were a mistake because they were too long and went through (my fault) and required so much hammering to drive home, it damaged the top (repairable). Pyramid-head screws are more expensive, but in my mind, the way to go. The handles are made from 1-1/2" angle iron.

Look for my chest (and better pictures) in a Taunton book on blanket chests coming out next spring.

The link I posted above (Lee Valley in Canada) is for the pyramid-head screws. Do you know who supplies them within the 48 contiguous states? Thanks.

[flairwoodworks]

The link I posted above (Lee Valley in Canada) is for the pyramid-head screws. Do you know who supplies them within the 48 contiguous states? Thanks.

Nope. I live in BC, Canada.

[Onboard]

Nope. I live in BC, Canada.

Sorry Chris. I noticed your Avatars but never looked down at the “BC” detail. American woodworkers sure like Lee Valley as a source. However, I answered my own question by doing a Google search on pyramid-head screws and came up with a number of suppliers here in the states.