Jan/Feb 2015 O&MM Fabricator

The official publication of the National Ornamental & Miscellaneous Metals Association January / February 2015

$6.00 US

®FabricatorOrnamental and Miscellaneous

Metal

The face of tech school apprenticeship, page 51

Biz TalkWhat fabricators say about 13 estimating apps, page 14

Shop Talk

page 45

13 bending tips, page 30

Shop Talk

See METALfab2015, March 11–14, 2015, program guide after page 34

2014 Top Job Gold Award: Non-forged, exterior railing and fence

Modifying tools crıtıcal to completing Falling Hammer Productions’ job

Making stainless look forged

Prompt Service. Superior Quality. Competitive Pricing.REQUEST YOUR FREE CATALOG OR SCAN CODE TO DOWNLOAD NOW!

Lewis Brass & Copper Co.69-60 79th Street, Middle Village, NY 11379 USA | phone 718-894-1442 | fax 1-718-326-4032

Visit our new website at www.lewisbrass.com | [email protected] FOR CATALOG

CALL US OR VISIT www.lewisbrass.com TODAY!1-800-221-5579 (US Only) | 1-718-894-1442

BRASS & BRONZE PRODUCTS IN STOCK FOR IMMEDIATE SHIPMENT

The Tubing & Alloy Experts

Over 60 years of providing Tubing, Sheet, Coil, Bar and more, where and when you

want it on both ready-to-order and custom orders.

BRAS

SBR

ONZE

COPP

ER

NIC

KEL-SI

LVER

Celebrating our 57th Year

1957-2014

Heirloom Stair & Iron Inc.Campobello, SC, USA

Forging Your Future | Recognition

* First time members, offer expires March 31, 2015

Membership in the National Ornamental & Miscellaneous Metals Association (NOMMA) offers a unique opportunity to meet and interact with the best and brightest in the ornamental and miscellaneous metalworking industry. The connections you make here will serve you in the future when questions arise, you’ll know what colleagues to call. NOMMA interactions lead to profitable collaborations, new jobs, and lifelong friendships.

NOMMA serves its members and advances the industry through education and the promotion of a positive business environment. By becoming involved in NOMMA, you have a chance to add your voice to the conversations that shape and grow the industry. There is no better way to ensure your business’s needs are part of the discussion than by being at the table with the leaders and technical minds that are shaping the future.

The NOMMA annual Ernest Wiemann Top Job Awards program rec-ognizes excellence in metalwork craftmanship regardless of size or scope. The Mitch Heitler Award for Excellence, which is the highest honor given by NOMMA, is chosen from among the gold winners of the Ernest Wiemann Top Job Awards by a panel of judges. The program has helped innovate and advance the industry by showcasing ideas that push the envelope, overcome challenges, and improve upon existing concepts. All winning projects are showcased in the Fabricator magazine and featured on the website. Press releases are mailed to newspapers in the winning shop’s community. The contest is a great marketing tool to showcase your business!

Visit www.nomma.org today to discover many more compelling reasons to become part of NOMMA family.

National Ornamental & Miscellaneous Metals Association

t: 888.516.8585 f: 888.279.7994 www.nomma.org

Join NOMMA Today and Save $100*

Visit us online at www.nomma.org and enter promo code: DM2-2014

Forging Innovation . Shaping Business . Delivering Profits

As a member you agree to follow NOMMA’s Code of Ethics (viewable on the NOMMA website).

NOMMA Membership Application - Join Us!Membership Category – Check One:

Fabricator MemberMetal fabricating shops, blacksmiths, artists or other firms and individuals in the industry whose products or services are sold directly to the consumer or the consumer’s immediate agent.

q Micro Shop - $350 (annual gross revenues under $250,000)q Medium Shop - $425 (annual gross revenues $251,000–$2,499,999)q Large Shop - $500 (annual gross revenues $2.5 million and higher)

Supplier MemberSupplier members are those members that produce or distribute materials, machinery, and accessories for the industry or provide services that may be used by the industry.

q Nationwide - $595 (operating on a nationwide or international basis)q Regional - $465 (operating within a 500-mile radius)q Local - $375 (operating within a 150-mile radius)

q Affiliate - $310.00 q Teacher q School q Non-profit organizationIndividuals, firms, organizations and schools that do not engage in the fabrication of ornamental or miscellaneous metal products, do not provide products or services to the industry, but have a special interest in the industry.

Company:____________________________________________________________________________________

Primary Contact :______________________________________________________________________________

Address:___________________________________________________________________________________

City:_____________________________________________ State: ________ Zip: _________________________

Country: __________________________________________________________________________________

Phone:__________________________Fax:________________________ Toll Free:_______________________

E-mail: ____________________________________________ Web:_____________________________________

Company Description/Specialty:____________________________________________________________________________________

Payment method: q Check (Payable to NOMMA, in US dollars, drawn on US bank)

q AMEX q Discover q MasterCard q VISA

Card # _________________________________________________ Exp.:________________ CVV: ___________

Print name on card: ___________________________________________________________________________

Signature_____________________________________________________________________________________

Return to: NOMMA, 805 South Glynn St., Ste. 127 # 311, Fayetteville, GA 30214 • Ph: 888-516-8585 • Fax: 888-279-7994 • [email protected] • www.nomma.org

Membership Category – Check One:

q Fabricator - $425 $325 (to pay in four payments, you can enroll in the Quaterly Payment Plan - please see below)Metal fabricating shops, blacksmiths, artists or other firms and individuals in the industry whose products or services are sold directly to the consumer or the consumer’s immediate agent.

SuppliersSupplier members are those members that produce or distribute materials, machinery, and accessories for the industry or provide services that may be used by the industry. q Nationwide - $595 (operating on a nationwide or international basis) q Regional - $465 (operating within a 500-mile radius) q Local - $375 (operating within a 150-mile radius)

q Affiliate - $310.00 qTeacher q School q Non-profit organizationIndividuals, firms, organizations and schools that do not engage in the fabrication of ornamental or miscellaneous metal products, do not provide products or services to the industry, but have a special interest in the industry.

Company:____________________________________________________________________________________

Primary Contact:______________________________________________________________________________

Address:___________________________________________________________________________________

City:_____________________________________________ State: ________ Zip: _________________________

Country: __________________________________________________________________________________

Phone:__________________________Fax:________________________ Toll Free:_______________________

E-mail: ____________________________________________ Web:_____________________________________

Company Description/Specialty:____________________________________________________________________________________

Payment method: q Check (Payable to NOMMA, in US dollars, drawn on US bank)

q AMEX q Discover q MasterCard q VISA

Card # _________________________________________________ Exp.:________________ CVV: ___________

Print name on card: ___________________________________________________________________________

Signature_____________________________________________________________________________________

JOIN BY JUNE 30, 2013 AND RECEIVE A $100 DISCOUNT OFF YOUR FIRST YEAR OF DUES*

Return to: NOMMA, 805 South Glynn St., Ste. 127 # 311, Fayetteville, GA 30214 • Ph: 888-516-8585 • Fax: 888-279-7994 • [email protected] • www.nomma.org

FAX TO: 888-279-7994Join Online: www.nomma.org • By Phone: 888-516-8585, ext. 101

Quarterly Payment Planq Please enroll me in the Quarterly Payment Plan.Payment method: q Please auto charge my credit card. q Please bill me each quarter.

Questions? Contact: Liz Johnson, Member Care & Operations Manager: (888) 516-8585, ext. 101, [email protected]

FAB 201501

January / February 2015 n O&MM Fabricator 5

About the cover Falling Hammer Productions LLC, Wolcott, CT, won the 2014 NOMMA Top Job gold award in the non-forged, exterior railings & fences category for this 125-foot, 304 stainless steel railing for a large residence. See story, page 45.

President’s Letter ............. 7METALfab2015: You’re invited!

Exec. Director’s Letter .... 8Trello helps you organize workflow.

NEF ........................................12Foundation names new leadership team.

Metal Moment .................66Dragon Forge has the passion to do it for television.

News ........................................................59n Demand softens, but outlook of the

Architecture Billings Index remains positive.

n Construction employment increases in 37 states and District of Columbia.

Events......................................................60Plan now for blacksmithing classes

through September.

Media ......................................................61Review of Ironwork Today 4:

Inside and Out.

Products ................................................62

What’s Hot!

NOMMA Supplier Members .........57

New NOMMA Members ..................58

Ad Index .................................................65

Bent offerings .....................................30You can find bending tips in a vari-ety of places, including the NOMMA ListServ. But when O&MM Fabricator magazine wanted to find a few, we spoke directly to the fabricator. Here’s a baker’s dozen worth of ideas.

By Jeff Fogel

Shop Talk

Making stainless look forged ....... 45Stainless steel is harder to bend and more finicky to weld. Find out how Falling Hammer Productions took extra care during design and fabrication of this Top Job gold-winning railing.

By Peter T. Swarz-Burt

Top Job Winner Profile

The current face of technical school apprenticeship ............................51Trade schools depend on advice from local companies to help build their pro-grams. Here’s what Savannah Technical College, Savannah, GA, has learned.

By Steve Hartley and William Burns

Also: 5 ways you can help students get the training they need for you .......... 55

Biz Talk

Inside

n

January / February 2015 Vol. 56, No. 1

The only show exclusively for ornamental & misc. metal fabricators ..........after 34The METALfab2015 program demonstrates the value of peer networking and continuing education: n Education sessions n Exhibits n Awards banquet n Shop tours n Business classes, presented

by Tyler Pare, a consultant with FMI Corporation, Raleigh, NC, will offer a number of how-to tips.

n Keynote speaker, Barry Will-ingham, is the vice president/general manager of Ameristar Perimeter Security USA Inc.

METALfab2015 Guide

Shop Talk

What fabricators say about 13 estimating software programs... 14Whatever tool you use for estimating the costs from job to job, make sure your method is consistent. Software helps you achieve this.

While sometimes tedious to learn, software can also save you time and cut down on mistakes.

Which program works is for you?By Linda Erbele

Knowledge to enlighten the industryMETALfab2015

Gulf Coast members show favorite measuring devices ..........10

NOMMA loses Sam Paresi and Bob Ponsler Jr. .................................... 11

Letter to the Editor ............................ 11Strength of square tubing vs. square solid.

NOMMA Network

Heitler Award

Sell More Jobs:FabCAD JobViewerNow available on the App Store℠, our game-changing selling tool allows you to show the customer exactly how the finished product will look on your iPad® or iPhone®. Using photos of the job site, select gates from our design library or use your own and sell the job on the spot. No drawing required.

Technology partner to great designers, fabricators and business ownerswww.fabcad.com / 1-800-255-9032

Easily input field measurements of your gate, fence, or railing

job and FabCAD Premium draws the job for you in seconds. It

also generates the dimensions and cut list, everything your shop needs to build the job.

Boost your Business:FabCAD Premium

App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Autodesk is a registered trademark of Autodesk Inc and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA or other countriesiPad and iPhone are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. FabCAD is a registered trademark of FabCAD Inc.


n

President’s Letter

METALfab2015: You’re invited!The arrival of a new year means new year resolutions, a fresh start, and most importantly, the time to sign up for METALfab.

This year’s annual confer-ence takes place March 11–14 at the Valley Forge Casino Resort, just outside of Philadelphia.

As NOMMA’s president and convention chair, I’d like to extend an official invitation for you to join us. Our Convention Committee and NOMMA Edu-cation Foundation have spent months planning an outstanding pro-gram that features excellent education, shop tours, exhibits, and social events.

Look for opportunitiesStarting Wednesday morning, our

keynote speaker, Barry Willingham, will discuss how to find opportunities during times of adversity and chal-lenge. Considering the recent reces-sion and the many changes occurring in our industry, I think this presenta-tion will hit home for many members.

Barry, who is vice president and general manager of Ameristar Perim-eter Security USA Inc., is one of our own members and a seasoned speaker.

Ways to manage business betterIn the area of education, I’m partic-

ularly excited about our business class series, which will be led by Tyler Pare of FMI Corp.

His classes will cover improving productivity, connecting actual job costs back to estimating, developing business, managing effectively, han-dling change orders, and learning how to measure business performance.

The knowledge you gain from these classes will more than pay for your METALfab costs.

Other education sessions will cover cash flow, hiring employees, and mea-suring.

I’m delighted to report that the popular video shop tours are back, plus we’ll board buses on Saturday for

some actual shop visits. The video and actual shop tours always provide a wealth of ideas by seeing how other fabricators organize their shops and the equipment they use.

Tools that improve ROIThe exhibits open Thursday

morning; you’ll see your favor-ite vendors from around the world. The METALfab show provides a great opportunity to see the latest industry prod-

ucts and obtain ideas for future jobs. Chances are you’ll see a tool that will save you money.

How the top fabricators did itAs the former Top Job Awards

Contest chair, one of our most useful resources is the Top Job Jamboree, which takes place Friday afternoon.

During the Jamboree, the entries from the awards contest are flashed on a screen and the entrants come for-ward to talk about their work. Often, an interesting conversation ensues with members of the audience. The Jambo-ree is a true goldmine of information.

Benefits of engaging interactionWhile you’ll gain an incredi-

ble amount of knowledge from our stellar education line-up, another great source for learning comes from conversations during class breaks, at social events, and on the bus during shop tours.

We call this interaction the “NOMMA Network,” and it will pro-vide you with tons of benefits.

Finally, we will have an exciting spouse program. I encourage you to bring your better half, and bring your employees as well. Also, be sure to plan time before and after the event for sightseeing.

I look forward to seeing each of you at METALfab2015.

Mark Koenke, Germantown Iron & Steel Corp., is president of NOMMA.

Dedicated to the success of our members and industry.

NOMMA OfficersPresident

Mark Koenke, Germantown Iron & Steel Corp. Jackson, WI

President-ElectAllyn Moseley, Heirloom Stair & Iron, Campobello, SC

Vice President/TreasurerKeith Majka, Majka Railing Co. Inc., Paterson, NJ

Immediate Past PresidentJ.R. Molina, Big D Metalworks, Dallas, TX

fAbricAtOr DirectOrsGreg Bailey, Bailey Metal Fabricators, Mitchell, SD Max Hains, Mofab Inc., Anderson, INMaciej Jankowski, Artistic Iron Works, Norwalk, CTTina Tennikait, Superior Fence & Orn. Iron,

Cottage Hills, IL Cathy Vequist, Pinpoint Solutions, Jupiter, FLHenry Wheeler, Wheeler Ornamental Metals, Dothan, AL

supplier DirectOrsBill Schenke, Ameristar, Tulsa, OKMark Sisson, Mac Metals Inc., Kearny, NJDave White Jr., Locinox USA, Countryside, IL

NOMMA eDucAtiON fOuNDAtiON OfficersChair

Lynn Parquette, Mueller Ornamental Iron Works Inc., Elite Architectural Metal Supply LLC, Elk Grove Village, IL

Vice ChairRob Rolves, Foreman Fabricators Inc., St. Louis, MO

TreasurerMike Boyler, Boyler’s Ornamental Iron Inc., Bettendorf, IA

Nef trusteesHeidi Bischmann, Hartland, WICarl Grainger, Grainger Metal Works, Nichols, SCMark Koenke, Germantown Iron & Steel Corp., Jackson, WI

Christopher Maitner, Christopher Metal Fabricating, Grand Rapids, MI

Greg Terrill, Division 5 Metalworks, Kalamazoo, MI

NOMMA chAptersChesapeake Bay

Patty Koppers, President, Koppers Fabricators Inc.Forestville, MD 301-420-6080

FloridaMarco Vasquez, President, Vasquez Custom Metals Inc., Tampa, FL, 813-248-3348

Gulf CoastRandy LeBlanc, President, Metal Head Inc., Lafayette, LA, 337-232-38383

NortheastKeith Majka, President, Majka Railing Co. Inc., Paterson, NJ, 973-247-7603

Pacific NorthwestGale Schmidt, President, A2 Fabrication Inc., Milwaukie, OR, 503-771-2000

Upper MidwestMark O’Malley, President, O’Malley Welding & Fabricating Inc., Yorkville, IL, 630-553-1604

NOMMA stAffExecutive Director, J. Todd Daniel, CAE Meetings & Exposition Manager; NEF Executive Director, Martha PenningtonMember Care & Operations Manager, Liz HarrisSales Director, Sherry Theien Editor, O&MM Fabricator, Robin Sherman

fAbricAtOr eDitOriAl ADvisOry bOArDterry Barrett, Pinpoint Solutions, Jupiter, FLDoug Bracken, Wiemann Metalcraft, Tulsa, OKBill Coleman, Arc Angels, Dunedin, FLNancy Hayden, Tesko Enterprises, Norridge, ILChris Holt, Steel Welding, Freedom, PARob Rolves, Foreman Fabricators, St. Louis, MO

O&MM Fabricator n January / February 20158

I always look out for organiza-tional software that will increase my efficiency at work. Recently, I stumbled on a useful tool for NOMMA member shops — a web-based project management program called Trello.

Trello, now with report-edly 5 million members, runs from your Internet browser and uses the idea of a whiteboard with sticky notes. Mainly used to track workflow, it has other uses as well.

One use is that rather than see-ing one project board in a conference room, all members of your team can view the board from their computer or mobile device at all times.

Trello’s workflow system can be traced to the famous kanban schedul-ing system that was made famous by Toyota in the 1980s. As your jobs move through the shop, you simply advance the cards from one stage to the next.

You can also list months to make it a calendar or design it as your personal “to do” task manager.

The real power of Trello is what you can do on the back of a card. If it were a real yellow sticky, you’d run out of room quickly. By using the back, you

can attach a file, create a check-list, assign it to a coworker, and color code it. You can write notes on it, too.

Trello has many competi-tors, but I chose it after testing several systems. My runner-ups include Basecamp, 5pm, and Zoho Projects.

Trello is my favorite because of its simplicity, and it’s not

packed with confusing bells and whis-tles that I’ll never use. However, Trello does have some hidden advanced fea-tures you can use as needed, e.g. a cal-endar, card aging, and voting.

The basic Trello is free. You can get more features by purchasing Trello Gold or Trello Business Class, which both cost $45 per year per user. The paid versions allow you to upload huge attachments, which may be handy when sharing design drawings. The free version limits you to attachments no larger than 10 MB.

I’ll conduct a webinar on this soft-ware later. And soon I’ll share another ing online tool called Priority Matrix.

Best of luck with your organizing!

How to reach usOrnamental & Miscellaneous Metal Fabricator (ISSN 0191-5940), is the official publication of the National Ornamental & Miscellaneous Metals Association (NOMMA).

O&MM Fabricator / NOMMA 805 South Glynn St., Ste. 127, #311 Fayetteville, GA 30214

Editorial We love articles! Send story ideas, letters, press releases, and product news to: Fabricator at address above. Ph/Fax: 888-516-8585. E-mail: [email protected].

Advertise Reach 8,000 fabricators For information, call Sherry Theien, Ph: 815-282-6000. Email [email protected]. Ads are due on the first Friday of the month preceding the cover date. Send ads to: Fabricator at address above. Email ads to: [email protected] (max. 5 megs by e-mail). Or upload ads to our website where a downloadable media kit is available: www.nomma.org.

Membership Join NOMMA! Beyond the magazine, enjoy more benefits as a NOMMA member. To join, call 888-516-8585, ext. 101. For a list of benefits, see membership ad in this issue.

Exhibit in METALfab Exhibit at METAL-fab, NOMMA’s annual convention and trade show. For more information, con-tact Martha Pennington at 888-516-8585, ext. 104, or [email protected].

Subscriptions Subscription questions? Call 888-516-8585. Send subscription address changes to: Fabricator Sub-scriptions, 805 South Glynn St., Ste. 127, #311, Fayetteville, GA 30214. Fax: 888-516-8585, or [email protected].

1-year: U.S., Canada, Mexico — $302-year: U.S., Canada, Mexico — $501-year: all other countries — $442-year: all other countries — $78

Payment in U.S. dollars by check drawn on U.S. bank or money order. For NOM-MA members, a year’s subscription is a part of membership dues.

NOMMA Buyer’s Guide Published each December as a separate issue. Deadline for all advertising materials is October 31. Contact Sherry Theien at 815-282-6000 or [email protected].

Opinions expressed in Fabricator are not necessarily those of the editors or NOMMA. Articles appearing in Fabrica-tor may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express permission of NOMMA.

© 2015 National Ornamental & Miscellaneous

n

Executive Director’s Letter

Trello helps you organize workflow

Todd Daniel is executive director of NOMMA.

Are you a NOMMA Top Job winner? Do you have how-to, step-by-step tips to share? Have you solved an interesting fabrication problem? Write for O&MM Fabricator. Contact Editor Robin Sherman at [email protected].

WE WANT YOUR JOB PROFILES, TIPS

Need to close a gate?We have the solution!All Locinox gate closers feature:

LOCINOX USA - [email protected]: 877-562-4669 FAX: 708-579-0978 Let’s make better fences together

All our gate closers feature:

Adjustable closing speed & pressure

QUICK-FIX Easy mounting with Quick-Fix

L R For left and right opening gates

Adjustable final closing action: snap or smooth

Designed with rustproof materials

Unaffected by temperature changes

A gate closer for every situation:MAMMOTH-180An elegantly designed self-closing hinge that opens smoothly and closes gates up to 330 lbs regardless of the outside temperatures.

SAMSONIndustrial, horizontally mounted gate closer with adjustable speed and force. It is designed with rustproof materials and installed with pre-fitted Quick-Fix mounting hardware.

APPLICATION BY GATE WIDTH Mammoth-180 0 - 330 lbs

Samson-250 0 - 160 lbs

Samson-400 160 - 200 lbs

Verticlose 0 - 150 lbs

APPLICATION BY GATE WEIGHT

VERTICLOSE-STD180° hinge applications!Adjustable, vertical mounted gate closer suited for use with 180° hinges, wall mount applications and gates with arched tops.

VERTICLOSE-RAIL90° hinge applications! Can be installed to push the gate closed or mounted on the secure side of the gate to pull the gate closed.

APPLICATION BY GATE WIDTH

n

The NOMMA Network


Gulf Coast members show favorite measuring devicesThe Gulf Coast NOMMA

Network held their fall meeting in Clinton, MS, on November 15, with Iron Innovations Inc. serv-ing as host shop.

The main program for the day was “Show-n-Tell,” where members demonstrated their favorite tools, in this case, a vari-ety of laser measuring devices.

Scott Meckes of Door- king also demonstrated a radio transmitter that tested signal strength. The device ensures that gate operator electronics will have a sufficient signal during the design stage.

For the business session, NOMMA Executive Director Todd Daniel gave a slide show called the “Not So Dirty Dozen.” He showed 12 online informa-tion sources that you can access from either the NOMMA web-site or from related associations.

Scott Colson, who served as host for the day, showed a tele-vision commercial he recently produced and gave a short talk on advertising.

There were the usual favor-ite events, including a shop tour, the famous buck-in-a-bucket raffle, and a delicious barbecue lunch.

During the tour, attendees, saw Iron Innovations’ torch cut-ting system and several jobs in process. Attendees were particu-larly interested in the company’s parts organization rack, which used 5-gallon buckets.

The next meeting is tenta-tively planned for Fort Payne, AL, and time and date will be announced.

The Gulf Coast NOMMA Network enjoyed a nice turnout at their November meeting, with attendees coming from Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi.

James Minter Jr., left, shows his favorite laser measuring device to a captivated audience.

During the tour of the Iron Innovations shop,

the parts organization rack, featuring 5-gallon buckets,

was a hit with attendees.


Gulf Coast members show favorite measuring devices

In Memoriam

NOMMA loses Sam Paresi, past volunteer

Sam Paresi, 88, a long-time NOMMA volunteer, passed away on December 27, 2014. He was employed with Julius Blum & Co. Inc. for 66 years before his retirement in 2011.

Sam was a reg-ular participant at METALfab conferences and a founder of the National Ornamen-tal Metal Museum

in Memphis, TN. He served on the NOMMA Standards Com-mittee for many years and helped develop standards that are still used to day.

He also helped to create the Metal Rail Manual and NAAMM-NOMMA Finishes Manual.

In 1992 Sam received the Julius Blum Award for outstand-ing service to the industry. In 2010, the NOMMA board voted him as an honorary lifetime member, and he was recognized at a special ceremony during a Northeast Chapter meeting in January 2011.

Sam began his career at Julius Blum in 1944, at age 18, as an errand boy, and then moved up to inside sales, warehouse foreman, and then outside sales. The only time he left Blum was to serve his country in the Korean War.

Sam will always be remem-bered for being kind, friendly to all, and for being passionate about the industry. At NOMMA conferences, he always made a point to say hello to everyone and he had a true concern for the well being of others.

Services were held December 30 in Massapequa Park, NY.

Donations in his memory should go to: Association for the Help of Retarded Children (Nassau).

Strength of square tubing vs. square solid

I’m reading the November/Decem-ber 2014 O&MM Fabricator, and the article on testing railings is quite good.

However, I’d like to point out an inaccuracy. A statement made in the article says that square tubing is stron-ger than square solid. It’s a common misconception and an argument I’ve faced multiple times. This isn’t true when comparing apples to apples.

For instance, people should not assume that a hollow of a same alloy and temper as a solid, will be stronger. The opposite is true.

Where it gets tricky is that steel tubes under 2 inches are manufactured to ASTM 513 and are made from a differ-ent steel composition than standard hot rolled solid bars. They have a minimum yield strength of 72,000 psi and tensile of 87,000 psi with 10 percent elongation, whereas A36 steel has a yield strength of only 36,000 psi and tensile of 58,000 to 80,000 psi with 20 percent elongation.

Now, if someone takes the same grade of material, such as architectural bronze, and compares a 1-inch solid square versus a 1-inch square tube, (no matter what thickness tube) the solid will almost always win.

For details on the actual calculations for this, see http://bit.ly/1tuQSpd

Kendall Shrock Shrock Fabrication

Author, Jeff Fogel, respondsThis tube vs. solid strength is an old

debate. Engineers and physics students fight about it in pubs.

A tube can be at least as strong, if not stronger, than solid stock provided we are talking about similar mass and not similar diameter.

What this means is that hollow tube has a higher strength to mass ratio than solid. But when you’re comparing equal diameters, the solid wins hands down.

Having said that, Kendall Schrock is considered one of the most knowledge-able people in the industry. I’d go with his opinion (which, unlike a physicist, is predicated on real life). I have no problem being corrected by him.

Letter to the Editor

n

In Memoriam

NOMMA loses 41-year member Bob Ponsler Jr.,

Bob Ponsler Jr., 66, of Won-derland Products Inc., Jack-sonville, FL, died suddenly on December 14, 2014.

Bob was a 41-year NOMMA member and served as Florida

Chapter president in 2003 and also as chapter representa-tive to the NOMMA board.

In 2006, he served on the

NOMMA Technical Commit-tee and attended the ICC spring code hearings that year. He also attended many METALfab con-ventions.

His father, Bob Ponsler Sr., was a past NOMMA president and NOMMA legend.

He served in the Florida Army National Guard for many years and retired as a major.

Wonderland Products started out by building playground equipment in the 1950s. From there, the company moved into light industrial blacksmithing and later became known world-wide for its high-end ornamental work.

The company has won numer-ous awards in the Top Job con-test.

One of the things the com-pany is known for is its expertise in working with Monel metal.

Bob is survived by his wife Daysi Melo Ponsler, mother Thelma Ponsler, sister Jeanie Allen, brother David Ponsler and three sons Robert Pons-ler III (Rachael), Joseph Pons-ler (Sarah) and James Ponsler (Tayna) and eight grandchil-dren. Two of his sons — Joe and Jimmy — continue to run the business.

n

NOMMA Education FoundationIn partnership with the National Ornamental & Miscellaneous Metals Association


DONATE!

For more information on donating to the NOMMA Education Foundation Contact NEF Executive Director Martha Pennington, 888-516-8585 x104, [email protected].

Foundation names new leadership teamThe NOMMA Education Foundation would like to congratulate its new officers.

Chair, Lynn Parquette, Mueller Orna-mental Iron Works Inc., Elite Architec-tural Metal Supply (pictured, left).

Vice Chair, Rob Rolves, Foreman Fab-ricators Inc. (pictured, center).

Treasurer, Mike Boyler, Boyler’s Ornamental Iron Inc. (pictured, right).

METALfab2015 education highlightsAlong with the outstanding lineup of NOMMA members

presenting at METALfab2015, NEF is providing a very special presenter, Tyler Pare, a consultant with FMI Corporation.

Pare will present a series of classes for the METALfab2015 education program on Wednesday, March 11 and Thursday, March 12.

As a consultant with FMI, Tyler focuses on leveraging his construction experience and his knowledge of business mechanics to help clients mitigate risks and improve produc-tivity. The topics that Tyler will be covering include:

n Leveraging Your Competitive Advantage by Improv-ing Productivity

n Connecting Actual Job Costs Back to Estimating n Key Performance Indicators that Drive Best Practices n Keys to Effective Management n Driving Best Practices in Business Development n How to Avoid Confrontation with Change Orders

Other useful sessionsWhere’s The Cash? Dave Filippi, FabCAD will present a

practical and unconventional look into small business man-agement

Hedging Your Bets on Hiring the Right Employee for You. Roger Carlsen, Ephraim Forge, will lead a discussion on how to design an employee search paradigm, including, but not limited to:

n Where to look for possible candidates. n Some first impressions insights. n Designing the right written test to fit your specific needs.n Thoughts on actual hands on task testing. n Making the final decision.Measuring Made Easy. Mark O’Malley, O’Malley Welding

& Fabricating Inc. and Terry Barrett, Pinpoint Solutions will show attendees the tools, technology, and methodology for

field measuring, shop drawings, and shop and field layout.

History of Metalwork. Eric Cuper, Cuper Studios LLC, will focus on history of metal emphasizing blacksmithing and decorative work, and how technology and modern design have impacted it.

Under 40 — Hammering Out Your Course in Metal-work. Discover how the under-40 group see its future path to success.

Video Shop Tours. This is your chance to see in-person how other fabricators set up shop.

Women in the Business. A roundtable discussion for women about their challenges and successes, and what the future holds.

ListServ Live. Meet the people who participate in the NOMMA ListServ discussions and ask them more questions, in person.

Other classes will be announced; be sure to check the NOMMA website at www.nomma.org.

For more information: See the METALfab2015 Convention Guide included in this issue after page 34.

Special NEF events at METALfab2015Don’t forget to consider making a tax-deductible contribu-

tion for our Live and Silent Auctions set for Thursday, March 12, 2015, during METALfab2015.

The Auction Committee is requesting donations of auc-tion items, which may include, but are not limited to:

n Metal sculpture, a garden gate, hand-forged furniture, books, artwork or antiques;

n Non-metal items such as tools, gift baskets, gift certifi-cates/coupons, jewelry, electronics, clothing, food/wine, presentation drawings, the use of a condo at the beach or air-line tickets;

n Specialized services to create a custom one-of-a-kind item for the winning bidder;

n Or, be creative– the sky’s the limit!Donation forms are available at www.nomma.org under

the education tab. Thank you in advance for your contribu-tion to NEF.

Finally, please join the NEF trustees at the Partners in Education Reception on Friday, March 13.

This event is sponsored by NEF to thank you for your con-tinued support of the foundation.


By Linda M. Erbele

Shop Talk

n Whatever tool you use for estimating the costs from job to job, make sure your method is consistent. Software helps you achieve this. While sometimes tedious to learn, software can also save you time and cut down on mistakes. Here’s what fabricators say about 13 programs.

What estimating app works for you?

Editor’s note: For this article, O&MM Fabricator looked at a 13 estimating software programs used by fabricators. We sought to interview at least one fab-ricator for each app and talk to the ven-dor as well. If one of the two sources are not mentioned in a description, it was because we could not reach the source.

Due to the numerous products and features, and space limitations in the magazine, we cannot describe each com-prehensively. Instead, we attempt to give you a “sense” of the product.

Sometimes it’s an RFP for a job. Some-times it’s a customer with a sketch for complicated work. Regardless of the way the job comes in, you create an

estimate for the cost of the work.Estimators likely build a job in their

mind to some degree from start to finish — every weld, pipe and sheet, cutting to finishing. What machines are used for each step? The purchase price for each piece of material, as well as shipping costs, are included.

The labor hours for every process required to turn raw materials into a final job is accounted for. Plus hours for installation. If that requires an over-night at the customer’s location, per diem for the employees might be part of the cost. If a truck is rented, its cost and that of gasoline is factored in.

Thus, an estimate would include all costs for design, field measuring, materials, labor, finishing, installation, travel, machine rental, subcontractors,

overhead, and profit as a percentage. Kevin Hill, administrator with

Owens Welding in Cleveland, GA, says that after the material and labor costs he adds in the costs to run the machines and the use of other consum-ables, such as welding rods and wire, gas, and power. Like most fabricators, he says the shop uses a lot of electricity.

“Basically, an estimate is an educated guess,” says Hill.

Sometimes, experience tells him the cost of a job. Sometimes, it’s a blind bid or a price by the hour.

“When you find that an estimate was too low, you can’t go back to the customer and ask for more money,” he says. “You just eat it and move on. But you learn from it.”

Michael Stone, author of Markup and

Structural Material Manager

For more information:

doorking.com/dcslide

DKS DC Slide Gate Operators are perfect where backup power is critical, as they keep running when AC power has been lost. No power – no problem. In remote locations without power, simply connect our solar panel and large batteries for stand-alone operation.

The DKS Model 9024 provides everything you expect from a gate operator in this class – and more. Power where you need it, when you need it.

The new DKS DC Slide Gate Operator’s powerful DC motor, and full size gearbox, deliver the best gate opening power – and security – in its class.

Full sized gear box moves gates up to 35 ft. and 1000 lbs.

Member: AFA, DASMA, NAA, IDA, NOMMA, NPA, SIA, SSA

Parking Control Access Control Telephone Entry Gate Operators

New DC Slide Gate Operatorwith Backup when power is down, or with Solar when there is no power

See us in booth 539


BIG BLU HAMMER MFG. CO.3308 Frank Whisnant Rd., Morganton, NC 28655PHONE: 828-437-5348 • FAX: 828-437-9217

The Big BLU Power Hammer continues to become the workhorse and center of activity in hundreds of shops across the United States and in many foreign countries around the world.

Profit, A Contractor’s Guide Revisited, says you rarely see an estimator who has made the mistake of overestimating. If a mistake has been made, it’s usually the other way around. Maybe you acciden-tally left out an item. Easy to do.

You’ve got to use a systemStone teaches a course on

estimating (see www.mark-upandprofit.com). What is important in a takeoff, he says, is the use of a consistent system.

“Too many people get hung up on how to get the numbers,” he says. “What’s important is using the same system every time. You do the same thing, the same way, every time. That’s how you stop things from falling through the cracks.”

The consistent system must also be a good system. Stone says that two mis-takes people make with estimating are not using a system that covers all the variables, including profit and over-head — and the second is guessing. “It’s very boring and tedious, but it has to be done right or you lose money,” he says.

For some fabricators, creating an

estimate requires a sharp pencil with an eraser, maybe graph paper, or a legal pad — and a long night.

For others, it’s a spreadsheet with fields for quantities of materials, then the labor: hours for cutting, weld-ing, sanding, polishing, yadda, yadda, yadda. . . . Then columns for additional hours of installation.

Using a spreadsheetLike many, Spirit Ironworks in Bay-

port, NY, is a small shop that does a lot

of custom work. Partner Rachel Miller, who does most of the estimating, recently began using an Excel spread-

sheet to track time on a job.“If we get a similar job, I can

occasionally pull labor from (an older job,) but it’s never the same,” she says, because each job is different. A look at older jobs can

at least give her an idea of labor hours per operation.

The advantage to a spreadsheet is it can be as simple as a list of prices or as complex as you can make it. With rows and columns, items of material can be listed and the var-

ious labor functions (cutting, welding, sanding) can be listed beside them. Once set up, a spreadsheet can serve as a checklist of materials and processes.

Because it can calculate, columns can be totaled and the percentages for overhead and profit factored in.

However, spreadsheets are two- dimensional. They can’t make an asso-ciation between much more than the rows and columns. Scrolling through multiple pages of material and other data can be tedious.



See more at www.cmrp.com/circular-staircases

Chicago, IL • Kansas City, MO • www.cmrp.com • [email protected] PRODUCTS COMPANY 1-800-644-0674


Using softwareEstimating programs typically can

be customized by the user. All the pro-grams we review are Windows-based, but ask the vendor if there is iPhone, iPad, or Mac functionality.

Many fabricators, even small shops, use a software application, which may be available either on-premise — meaning you own it, and the program has been loaded onto your computer; or it is in “the cloud” — meaning the application and sometimes a materials database are accessed on the Internet and live on a provider’s server. Variations can exist, such as the application on your com-puter and the database in the cloud.

Most software vendors offer com-plimentary training when you buy the product, and online help documents for later. Many of the larger software packages have videos online showing how they work. Look for the best train-ing deal after the “new” wears off.

Software is sold typically as “licensed users,” sometimes referred to as “seats” — the number of people at the company

they have an estimating function and can also help you manage other business operations from production to purchas-

ing and accounting. Some can do multing and nesting — combin-ing lengths of the same materi-

als to create the most efficient cuts to reduce overages of materials. This can extend to telling the shop how

to best use the sheet or bar most eco-nomically. Some can even track price breaks by quantity, knowing when buying 50 of something will cost less than buying 46.

Bluebeam Jim Toney, general manager at

Southwest Architectural Metals in Hen-derson, NV, uses Bluebeam.

“We use it in doing takeoffs for a project in preparation for proposals,” he says. “It is primarily used in lieu of paper documents and can be passed electronically to share information. We pass the marked up electronic files between the different divisions of our companies: structural steel, miscella-neous steel, stair structures, and archi-tecturally exposed metals and glass.”

The software is cloud-based and everyone can work in the same file. Southwest Architectural Metals doesn’t use it to produce the final document the customer sees, but if they are success-ful with the bid, the Bluebeam file can be transferred to the operations side so they can understand the project’s scope.

Bluebeam costs $219, and customers can buy a $79 annual training package.

“Bluebeam Revu allows users to perform many types of digital takeoffs; they do not need to own any additional Bluebeam software,” says Steve Jones, senior channel sales specialist. “While Revu is an extremely powerful tool (especially for the price point), it is not a 100% apples-to-apples replacement for dedicated on-screen takeoff solu-tions, which cost substantially more and are more specialized. However, for many of our customers, Revu has all of the features they need to get their job done efficiently.”

He adds that Bluebeam doesn’t have a material or labor cost database.

“Users can add costs [of materials] to their measurement markup tools by using custom columns in the markups list, but this information does need to

authorized to use it. Prices start with the first user, and most go up with each seat. Sales people can sometimes dis-count the cost when more licenses are purchased, so don’t hesitate to negotiate.

Many programs include a database of material items. Depending on the volatility of prices for the particular metal a fabricator uses, a database of costs by sheet or length can be helpful.

Some programs are “enterprise resource planning” (ERP) programs —


Phone: 1-800-467-2464 • 636-745-7757

Upgraded Vise Capacity 3/4” to 2-1/2” Tubing

Adjustable Height Larger V-Block ViseRecommended for pipe notchingModel 400-VSU2ADJ

Double Sided VS Ultimate Tube/Pipe Notcher

MEMBER

Wider Table Allows Vice to Travel Further so Cutting can be Accomplished on both sides of the End Mill. This allows Notching those

otherwise “Impossible Pieces.”


ISO 9001QMI-SAI Global

The Cable Connection800-851-2961 • 775-885-2734 faxwww.ultra-tec.comE-mail: [email protected]

• Fittings and cable for 1/8", 3/16", 1/4", 5/16", and 3/8" diameter cable

• Diverse array of fittings adapt to field conditions dictated by the job

• For either indoor or outdoor installation

• Cable runs custom cut and swaged to your specs

• Swageless technology fittings available for 1/8" and 3/16" diameter cable

• Weather-resistant type 316 stainless steel — virtually maintenance-free

• Less labor intensive — easy to install

Top three judged photos receive prizes and you will receive credit for every photo that we use for promotional purposes (ex: Photo courtesy of ABC Metalworks).

See the 2014 winners and get details on submitting your own photos at our home page: www.ultra-tec.com.

2013 NAHB “New American Home”


Overview of software programs for estimating cost of jobs

Application Strengths* Weaknesses* Improvements Cost Training coming (basic plan)

Blue Beam Relatively None Spring $219 $79 per year with OST inexpensive identified 2015

E2 Shop Comes in Learning Spring 2015 — $1,995 Free System modules curve metrics

FabMate Customized None Early $3,000 Free by shop 2015

FabSuite Comes in Complexity First quarter $5,000 5 hours free modles 2015

FabTrol Calculates labor Fields a bit Rewrite in $3,500 Free per operation limited, Spring 2015 based on requires to address previous inputs abbreviations field size

Fast Track Low cost None identified None expected soon $295 Free manual

JobBoss Job tracking None Feb $2,750; Free identified 2015 $299/month

MIE Quote-It Adaptable Learning Jan $2,500 w/initial training free; curve 2015 $1,500 + $215 for training

PlanSwift Figures linear Learning Mid-2015 $950 $295 footage on screen curve from PDF, CAD dwg

ProEst Detailed estimates None Spring $1,295 $695 for from on-screen plans identified 2015 online class

Structural Multing, nesting None Spring $1,495 + Free manual Material identified 2015 — $795 estimate Manager metrics module

Visual EstiTrack Cost tracking Complexity New release $3,000 Free issued Dec 2014

WinEst Pro Ability to view None 2015 $3,500 $1,000 and sort data identified

* Strengths and weaknesses are based on interviews with fabricators who use the software.

tion. It compares the actual costs to the estimated costs. People in the shop scan a piece of paper associated with the job (called a job sheet or router) with a bar-code reader to track their hours spent on each part of the job.

In addition, Rolves says, they gen-erate shipping tickets, purchase orders, and invoices with the software. It tracks the bids that turn into orders and allows the estimator to record notes so that someone else can see how the estimator envisioned the product being made.

The E2 Shop system has an optional database of materials that the user can choose from, and can create reports based on customer or product. The user can add prices based on experience and update them as they change.

The program’s calculator helps break

down how much of a sheet or bar each part (or a job) is using, and it can calcu-late quantity price breaks — the change in price if 10, 25, or 50 are purchased.

“You create your own work centers (in the software,)” he says. “If you want to consider coping a pipe to be a differ-ent operation from cutting a pipe, you can set up it that way. We’ve changed the design set up in the software over the years as we’ve learned things.”

For example, he says they initially set up a unit for welding and a separate unit for layout for the welding. But the welders had to stop work to record time for layout before they went on to weld-ing, and so it made sense for the two operations to be combined.

Rolves says he has used the software a number of years, but has had more

be added manually,” Jones says.Training videos are available. Contact www.bluebeam.com

E2 Shop System Rob Rolves of Foreman Fabricators

in St. Louis, MO, uses the E2 Shop Sys-tem by ShopTech.

“No software takes away the art and intrinsic knowledge needed for estimat-ing, but it helps,” he says.

One big time-saver in using software is the ability to quickly search other jobs that are similar.

“If the powder coating on this job is like another one, that speeds up your time to quote,” he adds.

An ERP product, the software can do more than simply create estimates. It tracks inventory and schedules produc-

Ultra-tec® Cable Railing and Wagner Lumenrail®

No Sharp edges on retainersNo long, bulky fittingsNo uneven, hand-crimped shanks

10600 W Brown Deer RdMilwaukee, WI 53224

(888) 243 [email protected]

wagnercompanies.com

MKT KG NOMMA FABRICATOR NOV 14.indd 1 10/8/2014 9:14:05 AM


presents THE BESTIN GATE HARDWARE

PHONE: 1-800-888-9768FAX: 616-235-2901www.dacindustries.com

DAC INDUSTRIES, INC.600 ELEVENTH ST. N.W.GRAND RAPIDS, MI 49504

STEALTH COVER STEALTH ROLLER STRONG ARM LATCH

PANIC DOOR HARDWARE AUTO-LATCH BLACK STRONG ARM LATCH

GATE HINGES

SENTRY LATCHSELF-CLOSING HINGES

BEST

IN GATE HARDWARE30

YEARSDACINDUSTRIES

19852015

labor costs in the manner you want to compile them,” he says. “Make sure the program puts the estimate together the

way you want it done. Don’t adjust your operation to the way the software works.”

Miller says he couldn’t find a program that fit those needs, so he hired Michael Babcock of MB Soft-

ware Solutions to create it.“It is basically a compiler. It’s a

very good compiler as opposed to a spreadsheet,” he says. “It does an excellent job of taking our inputs and compiling them in the man-ner we asked him to do. It prepares

a summary sheet, a list of individual items, then a proposal sheet in a very slick fashion.”

Miller says the software has a mate-rial and labor database, that can be cus-tomized by the user to add costs. They have been using the system since 2003.

MB Software Solutions president Mike Babcock says he’s re-writing the software to bring it to current technical standards and expects that re-write to be complete about mid-2015. It creates estimates, and hours collected by the

Higher levels of management are avail-able above that, such as accounting and quality control.

Contact www.shoptech.com/ products/estimating

FabMateBill Miller, president of Ebinger Iron

Works in Schuylkill Haven, PA, believes the most important thing about an esti-mating program is that it works the way your company does business.

“See if it compiles your material and

training several times over the years, and learned more each time.

“Like any software, if you get train-ing on every part of it at the begin-ning, you won’t retain it,” he says.

Paul Ventura, ShopTech’s vice pres-ident marketing says the product is designed so that a small fabricator can purchase just the estimating portion and download to Quick-Books, or buy the accounting part of the software in addition to the estimating portion.

The E2 Shop System is available on- premise or in the cloud. Employees can report their time with a bar code scan-ner or a tablet, where they can also view the drawings or pictures of the job.

“We have a basic (starter) system priced for the smaller guy,” he says.

The starter system costs $1,995 for each license including free three-day classroom and Internet training, both pre-recorded and live.

Ventura says the basic system can create estimates, track the job, and per-form purchasing and shipping func-tions. The next level of the software adds shop floor system management.

MAGNETIC DRILL PILOT LIGHT

MAGNETIC DRILL MAGNETIC DRILL PILOT LIGHTPILOT LIGHT

MAGNETIC DRILL MAGNETIC DRILL

800-426-7818 SERVICE • INTEGRITY • RELIABILITY HOUGEN.COM800-426-7818 SERVICE • INTEGRITY • RELIABILITY HOUGEN.COM

NEWHMD905TWO SPEED

Pat Pending

From low light to no light, never worry about seeing where you are drilling again. The LED Pilot Light is a standard feature on new models of Hougen magnetic drills. Visit www.hougen.com and see first hand the three new models of magnetic drills plus the redesigned HMD904.

• New Models• More Power

• More Speeds• More Features

Hou-719 NOMMA.indd 1 12/15/14 10:06 AM


The Hebo machines are the absolute fastest way to add value to metal. Literally less than the cost of one $10/hr employee, with a useful life over 25 years. The multi-functional Hebo machines can: twist, bend scrolls, endforge, emboss, texture, edge hammer tubing and solid bar, make baskets, and press belly pickets. The machines work with: steel, aluminum, bronze, copper, and brass.

Hebo Machines were started by German Blacksmiths, with you the fabricator in Hebo Machines were started by German Blacksmiths, with you the fabricator in mind. Their mission has been to partner with you, to provide you with a mechanical advantage to speed up your processes, in order to help make you as fast, efficient and profitable as possible.

Phone: Office 503-722-7700 Cell 503-572-6500Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

Websites: www.usahebo.com | www.drivewaygates.com | www.forgedironsupply.com

Email: [email protected] www.heboe.com | Phone ++49 6453 91330 Fax 49 6453 913355 | Hebo Maschinenfabrik, Am Berg 2, 35285 Gemunden-Grusen, Germany

CALL FOR A FREE DVD 503-722-7700OR VISIT WWW.USAHEBO.COM

If you need a machine and don’t buy it, then you will ultimately find that you have paid for it and don’t have it. - Henry Ford

“”

STM MOTOR UNIT Can twist up to 1.25”

HEBO SCROLL MACHINEScroll up to 3/4” square cold

24-TON HYDRAULIC TABLE


tion management, purchasing, and inventory control.

FabSuite integrates with modeling systems such as Tekla and SDS/2, as well as AutoCAD-based systems such as Advance Steel. Thus, a CAD design can be imported, and estimates and production control information can be generated. An included web-based interface enables remote access to data as well as recording of shop activities on tablets or smartphones.

Issler says a detailed inventory sys-tem allows the user to add the costs of materials. Fabricators can maintain that database as their pricing changes.

Contact www.fabsuite.com/ estimating

FabTrolDavid York of York Metal Fabri-

cators, Oklahoma City, OK, has used FabTrol since it was a DOS program, pre-Windows.

“Inside Fabtrol, there are abilities to build pre-fabricated units and calculate how many inches of weld go on a piece of metal,” York says.

The software offers a field to put in the material, with an associated field (or more) for the labor that will be required. For a railing, for example, he puts in the welds, the core drills, brackets, and pick-ets, each with the associated labor.

“When I’m done, it tells me how many hours I have per post,” York says. “If we sell the job, then I give it a job number. When engineering details the job, it gives them a bill of material. Then they hit a button that says ‘optimize.’ It tells purchasing they will need to order 376 pieces of pipe.”

York says that once it goes to the shop, the program tracks the labor for the project, which can then be compared

to the estimate. Brian Williams, FabTrol’s

general manager, says the pro-gram allows the fabricator to build a model of the shop operations within the software. “We have the ability to set up for-

mulas to derive time based on the length, the type of material, the weight of materials, or the perim-eter of a plate,” he says. “As you’re doing your material takeoff, we have automation that determines

what types of operations needs to hap-pen for certain types of material, then how long those steps should take.”

Williams estimated that it could take a fabricator new to the software an entire day to create a model of the shop within the software. But a person just using it for its estimating capabilities could get going with little training in just a few hours.

He says that the software will cal-culate buyouts and sub-outs, freight, markups, overhead, and profit. FabTrol comes in three levels, FabTrol Shop, for small shops, FabTrol MRP for more management, and FabTrol Pro.

FabTrol Pro maintains a material cost database that is updated automat-ically for users who also use the pur-chasing system. Users have full con-trol over material pricing. The latest pricing for a given bid can be saved and re-used, and/or each job can have custom pricing. FabTrol tracks labor, for those using the production module, and can provide feedback about man-hours per assembly type.

Williams adds that FabTrol Pro was re-written and released in the fall of 2014, and the estimating module is being re-written with an expected Spring 2015 release date.

A common complaint about FabTrol has been the limited field size, and Wil-liams says a re-write will address that.

Contact www.fabtrol.com/software/ fabtrol-pro-enterprise/ estimating.html

Fast Track EstimatingFast Track Estimating was created by

Michael Stone, who teaches classes on

shop foreman can be input manually to be compared against the estimate.

“The beauty of this software is it’s as simple or as complex as you choose to make it,” Babcock says. “What I’ve heard from my customers is that the other softwares do all this whiz-bang stuff, and they only use 20% of it. FabMate provides a simple, clear way for consistent estimat-ing, taking the routine out of one’s head and tracking it in a database, so that knowledge is preserved and able to be re-applied for future estimates.”

It has a materials database, and the ability to factor in labor and installation costs, such as a hotel stay.

“You shouldn’t need a manual for this software,” he says, although a 52-page book comes with it. “You should be able to pick it up, just common sense.”

The price begins at $3,000, and the current version has no additional cost for other users, at this point.

“It’s all you can eat,” Babcock says. He offers a 30-day money-back

guarantee and says he’s happy to discuss customization of the product.

“I’m a small company that started 10 years ago. I’m willing to listen and put something together that will help you work smarter not harder,” he says.

Contact www.mbsoftwaresolutions. com

FabSuiteBrad Landry, division manager with

Grunau Metals in Oak Creek, WI, uses FabSuite for estimating, project man-agement, and production control.

“It puts together a material list, con-nects to Outlook, and sends (the list) to vendors,” he says. “You can send a spreadsheet out for them to fill out so you don’t have to do any keypunching.”

The software has multing and nest-ing functions to minimize overages and suggest the best cut from sheet material.

“They have a very open minded development team that listens to cus-tomers and implements things when we ask,” Landry says. “They listen to us fabricators and have made some really good changes.”

Bill Issler, FabSuite president, says fabricators can purchase just a module to create estimates or larger modules that do project management, produc-


The choice is yours...internally or externally mounted.

• Hydraulic closer & hinge all in one small, powerful package!

• Dual bearing glide system for consistent superior performance

• High strength aluminum — tested to 500,000 cycles

• ADA compliant

• Multiple adjust options — closing speed and final snap action

• Powerful hydraulics

• Visibly small footprint

• Highly tamper resistant

• Maintenance free – no messy grease

P: (800) 716-0888 E: [email protected] www.ddtechglobal.com

Hydraulic Gate Closer and Hinge


up, but the MIE support people have always been quick to fix it.

MIE Quote It is the quoting and estimating software part of MIE Trak Pro, created by MIE Solu-tions. It integrates with Quick-

Books as an on-premise software. It does not contain prices for mate-rial, but users can add them to

the database.MIE Quote It prices start at

$2,500 for the first seat with training included, or $1,500 with training priced separately. Additional seats are $1,500 each. MIE Trak Pro costs $5,995 for the first seat and $2,995

for additional seats.It is available on-premise for both

the application and database, or on-premise applications with cloud-based database at $50 per month or both in the cloud.

Contact www.mie-solutions.com

PlanSwiftSRS, in Metuchen, NJ, has been

using PlanSwift for about two years to do takeoffs for railings. The software imports drawings from PDF, JPG, or CAD formats.

One feature of the app is that the user can click on the beginning of a line that indicates a rail or wall, for exam-ple, then click on the other end, and the software estimates linear footage or square footage, even gallons of paint for an area.

It also imports data from a spread-sheet, so if you had, for example, foot-age of various pieces of metal, it can add that in as you direct it, says Lou Anelli, PlanSwift’s vice president mar-keting. The software can figure labor based on the data you give it.

“It integrates fully with Excel and a variety of accounting software applica-tions,” he adds.

SRS lead estimator Lin Huang says she can import the drawings from a job and create the takeoffs by clicking on the beginning and the end of the rail-ings to develop the linear footage.

“It’s very convenient to separate the types of railings,” she says.

In the past, she had to keep track of the footages on each page of a job manually. PlanSwift can show her a summary of the pages on one side of the screen and on the other, a totaled

garbage out,” he says. “People will punch in the wrong job number, or forget to punch out so it looks like they had 90 hours on one job in a week.”

JobBOSS is available in the cloud or on-premise. Marketing director Mike Stadelman says an on-premise seat license is $2,750 or the Internet subscrip-tion is $299 per month for the first user and $19 per month for the next user.

On-line training guides are available for free and regional training sessions available at a cost. The cloud version comes with 30-days of free consultation training.

A material cost database is available and can be updated by the user.

Currently, shop hours can be tracked with a smartphone or tablet in the online version and that will be avail-able in the future with the on-premise version.

Contact www.jobboss. exactamerica.com

MIE TrakJoe Skelton owner, of Nemesis Met-

als in Fond Du Lac, WI, uses MIE Trak software, another ERP system.

“It quotes our projects, and breaks down material costs,” he says. “It (defines the order of) all the opera-tions when they hit the floor. We tell it dimensions, and it does the math on that piece of material. The system’s pretty adaptable.”

The app helps with the repetitive parts of estimating and keeps track of materials and labor, he says. Shop workers can track their time by scan-ning a job sheet or tapping it in on a tablet. He adds that occasionally an issue with the software has come

profitable estimating. His simple esti-mating software is $295. It breaks down parts of the job as “assemblies” (a group of labor and material steps to perform a single unit of work) and allows the fab-ricator to enter materials, labor, and subcontractor costs. Then the percentage for overhead and profit is applied to create the final price.

Stone says that the “assem-blies” can be adjusted to match the needs of the shop, and some are already built in that are applicable to fabricators.

“It’s a small, bare-bones, get-the-job-done type program,” he says. “Our tar-get market is the smaller company.”

The software includes a database of materials, labor, and assemblies that are easily customized, Stone says. The esti-mator enters the quantity of each assem-bly; material, labor hours, and other costs can be adjusted for each project as needed.

They can also easily create new assemblies by cloning an existing assem-bly and adjusting. The software then cre-ates an estimate document.

Stone says it is so simple that a train-ing class isn’t really necessary, but he’s personally available to help anyone get started.

“I always take support calls, and they usually last about two minutes,” he says.

Contact www.markupandprofit. com/products/ estimating-software

JobBOSSTony Martinez, production coordi-

nator with Big D Metalworks in Dallas, TX, has a mantra about the fabrication business: You can’t manage it if you don’t measure it.

“How do you know you made money on it if you don’t track the hours?” he says.

He uses JobBOSS by Exact America for purchasing, job tracking, and cost analysis.

The program also has estimating and scheduling functions. Big D doesn’t use those functions because the company has spreadsheet processes they have used for years, he says.

He has advice about any software though.

“With any program, you’ve got to factor in human errors. Garbage in,



list of footages, by page. “That saves a lot of time,” she says. She says the software has other functions that she has

yet to explore. Currently, SRS uses an internally generated spreadsheet to add the labor and material costs to the mate-rial list that is generated by PlanSwift, then the spreadsheet adds in overhead and profit.

The software itself does not come with a material cost database, but users can add the prices and update them as necessary.

“It has a lot functions, and PlanSwift has a good team to develop other functions,” she adds.

User licenses are $950 for PlanSwift, and the company offers a 14-day free trial download. A $200 annual support plan includes all upgrades. The first hour of training is free and the company offers a $295 training package in addition that includes personalized webinars.

Contact www.planswift.com

ProEstAt press time, Gale Schmidt with A2 Fabricators,

Milwau kie, OR, had just begun working with ProEst con-struction estimating software to customize a database.

“Seems like most software out there having to do with steel focuses on structural members. ProEst is more univer-sal and they seem willing to customize for miscellaneous metals,” she says.

ProEst president Jeff Gerardi says the ProEst database is easy to maintain and fabricators can add their costs to the materials in the database.

“The ProEst software is very easy to use and operate,” he says. “It automatically calculates the total pounds and labor necessary to install and fabricate any type of metal.”

ProEst comes in three levels of annual subscription (standard, professional and enterprise) starting at $1,295 per year.

Training requires an additional fee. The company offers three types: Web-based, classroom, and on-site.

Contact www.proest.com

Structural Material Manager Custom Fabrication builds a lot of steel tanks, and

co-owner and president Roger Rhoades says he has the esti-mates from jobs the company built 15 years ago stored in his files in the Structural Material Manager software. That saves a lot of time for him.

“Hardly any of our stuff is the same, but a lot of it is sim-ilar,” he says. “You may get four or five hours to bid a job.”

But even estimates from scratch are easy to create with the software.

“If you type in something in wrong, it will tell you and you go back figure out what you did wrong,” he says. “There is a place in the program you can put in hours (to create the estimate.) Then you can go in the program to print the materials to a [Microsoft] Word document and send it out as a inquiry for material to the vendor.”

Another feature Rhoades likes is that it reports the square footage inside and out, which tells him costs for painting and finishing.


12080 SW Myslony St. Tualatin, OR 97062 Toll-Free: (866) 252-4628

[email protected]

-Stringers, Staircases & Handrails- Decorative Gates, Fences & Signage

www.albinaco.com

SPIRAL, CIRCULAR & HELICAL BENDINGPipe, Tube, Plate & Structural Members

-Handrail Kits Available: Bent and trimmed per drawing, mid-rails trimmed and coped, assemblies supplied as individual parts or fabricated complete!

CELEBRATING

YEARS!75

Est. 1939

For Custom Fabrication’s type of work, Rhodes says an estimating program must know the weights of materials precisely to generate accurate prices. In addition, the pro-gram has a nesting and multing capability, so it tells the shop how to cut.

“It will add up all your cuts and give you the best size to buy to cut your pieces of it,” Rhodes says. “If you’re buying 60-foot beams, it will tell you how to cut all your pieces to cut waste.”

Structural Material Manager is not full-blown ERP soft-ware, says Edward Easterday, software sales and support with EJE Industries.

“That is actually what so many people find attractive about the product, is that it does not strive to be all things to all people or to handle every conceivable task,” he says. “Instead, it focuses on a few areas and does them extremely well (such as nesting and multing.)”

Another difference from generalized ERP is that Struc-tural Material Manager “speaks” steel.

“By that I mean that an angle can be entered as L 2 x 2 x ¼ x 10’-6, exactly as a fabricator is accustomed to writing it by hand,” Easterday adds. “We don’t require the item to be given some strange part number but, rather, accept it in industry-standard nomenclature. In keeping with the above statement, simplicity is our claim to fame in the steel soft-ware industry. Our customers are expected to be literate in fabrication-related matters rather than computer-ori-ented ones.”

The software comes with a materials cost database that must be updated by the fabricator.

The software is on-premise and costs $1,495 for the main system plus an additional $795 for the estimating module. Easterday says there is no training cost because the manual is “very complete” and training videos are on the website.

Contact www.ejeindustries.com

Visual EstiTrackAs an ERP shop management software, Visual EstiTrack

by Henning Software not only creates estimates but also tracks and manages jobs.

Tom Zuzik Jr., vice president of sales and design with Artistic Railings in Garfield, NJ, has been using EstiTrack for shop management for nine years.

“We’ve built our materials and labor into the software,” he says. “It produces a list of our costs, then we are able to compare the estimate against the actual. It’s fabulous for tracking costs.”

The material office enters material purchased into the software, and employees in the shop scan their time on a work order sheet the software prints per job.

He’s happy with the software, but when asked about weaknesses, he says that it is not a simple system.

“For people who have never used a system, it’s not a small jump,” he added. “As with any of the larger software pack-ages, it takes someone in the company to manage it. Some-one has to do the input and the checks. The biggest thing with time and material tracking is — it’s only as good as your input.”

The software does not come with a material cost database.


says the company uses it and an exist-ing spreadsheet to create estimates. They input raw materials to the com-pany spreadsheet, which they adjust on a per-job basis, to get prices by pound or foot, then add that information to WinEst to calculate the labor. WinEst can track materials as well.

“We plug in our numbers and it builds our percentages” to create the final estimate, he says.

He added that the company’s owner uses it to review costs.

Billie Henning, vice president with Henning Software, says the software is an on-premise purchase. It will down-load to QuickBooks or a customer can buy the Visual Books accounting sys-tem. Time spent on the job can be tracked with bar code scanners in the shop or a smartphone.

The first user license starts at $3,000.

Contact www. henningsoftware.com/ products/ visual-estitrack/overview

WinEst Pro

WinEst Pro comes with a starter construction database and will work with most other databases. It works with most accounting, scheduling/project management, and CAD soft-wares. The user can build a template of standard questions that go with every estimate (Travel time? Over-head? Machine rental?) and use it as a checklist.

Robert Aquilera, drafting manager at JSR Incorporated in Schertz, TX,


For your information

About the authorLinda Erbele, an Atlan-ta-based writer with 15 years of journalism expe-rience, specializes in busi-ness and travel writing.

“WinEst sells the RS Means Con-struction Cost Data in a WinEst data-base format,” says Steve Watt, segment

manager for the General Con-tractor/Construction Manager Division of Trimble Buildings.

(WinEst was recently acquired by Trimble.) “A customer can choose to subscribe to annual price updates,

which would include updated material prices.”

The first user license starts at $3,500. Training is in addition and can be done on-line for $1,000.

Contact http://buildings.trimble. com/products/winest

n


Shop Talk

Bent

n You can find bending tips in a variety of places, including the NOMMA ListServ. But when O&MM Fabricator wanted to find a few, we spoke directly to the fabricators. Here’s a baker’s dozen of ideas.

OFFERINGS

Chapala Iron Company’s home-made scroll bender receives multiple custom dies and is adjustable for larger scrolls. It was built based on information gleaned from O&MM Fabricator articles. See Tip 13.

In the world of bending, two types of people do this work: Those who bend for fabricators and those fabricators who bend for themselves. So to speak.

Whereas the first category may not be willing to share what is essentially their trade secrets, the second group has no such restrictions.

Because bending is part of so many fabrication jobs, one thing is for sure: Fabricators have plenty of experience and are just fine with sharing it.

Read on for 13 ideas.

By Jeff Fogel


1 Bend first, cut later

Cutting the right length can be a Sisy-phean task owing to the material nature of a bend.

The outside of the bend has a tendency to stretch while the inside of the bend is com-pressed. This results in a distortion of the overall length of the piece.

Worse, it’s not always uniform so the bend can wind up somewhere other than you planned.

Absent software, you have to calculate to allow for the distortion of the bend. This might involve math you’ve either for-gotten or have been scru-pulously avoiding since high school.

Here is a simple and effective solution from Mike Stylski of Accent Ornamental Iron & Pow-der Coating Co., Cam-bridge, MN:

Start with stock that is longer than your draw-ing calls for. Let’s say you need a piece that is 24 inches with a bend dead center at 12 inches. Use a stock piece that is 28 inches, or so.

Mark the center of your bend at 14 inches. After your bend is finished, simply cut off the ends 12 inches from the center of the bend.

2 Keep it on the levelWarping is another unintended and

unwanted consequence of bending a piece of steel. Sometimes, a bend can take off in a direction of its own, out-side the plane of the bend. Stylski has a simple fix for this problem as well.

Check your work with a torpedo level to make sure it’s staying in the same horizontal (most bending is done on the horizontal dimension) plane you’re working in.

If it starts to have a mind of its own,

a crescent wrench welded to the end of a length of pipe provides the necessary incentive for the bend to keep itself on the straight and narrow.

This involves a second pair of hands applying counter pressure to the errant movement as determined by vigilant checks with the torpedo level.

3 Fabricate your own diesA number of reasonably priced

bending machines are ready for pur-chase. But, at the lower end of the price spectrum don’t expect them to be infinitely adjustable or awash with dies for every occasion.

No problem. That’s one of the advan-

tages of being a fabrica-tor. You can make your own dies.

For instance, Eugene Evans of Eugene L. Evans Mfg. Co., Anniston, AL, was working with a Bentec that came with a wedge for 90-degree bends. He wanted some-thing softer for a 12-inch bend on a 6-foot set of steps.

He yanked out the wedge and replaced it with a blunter U-shaped die.

Once you make a new die, hang on to it. Chances are you’ll use it for another job.

4 Let software do it for you

To create drawings and figure lengths for bending, good soft-ware can help. For Bill Bendinelli of BenFab Inc., Lansdowne, PA, FabCAD is his go-to program. It’s essentially AutoCAD modified for metal fabrication.

Remember the sticky problem of bends chang-ing the length of your piece? That’s where FabCAD shines. Rather than resort to math, or just wing it with a

guesstimate of the length, the software measures along the centerline of the bend and automatically calculates and accommodates the amount of stretch and compression in the bend.

You simply set the software for the radius of the bend, the diameter of the stock, and the length. Voilà, a fin-ished drawing that is dead on accurate for length.

A basic program that might serve many of your bending needs costs about $1,800.

Mark O’Malley of O’Malley Welding & Fabricating, Yorkville, IL, is also big on software.

“Using a bender without software

Heating the bend with a torch. Oxygen and acetylene provide motivation to give this cap rail a nice 12-inch outward flair at its end.

Bent

Bending cap rail. Eugene L. Evans Mfg. Co. replaced this bender’s original wedge shaped die for sharp 90° bends with a home-made bullnose die for the continuous long curves you’d normally need a rolling machine for. Note the marks on the cap rail for 1-inch increments. See Tip 3.


is like buying a Cadillac without air condition-ing,” says O’Malley.

He uses software to create drawings and tem-plates for rail shapes and practically anything else that involves a bend.

“The software,” he says, “gives you three basic advantages. You can use it to determine the required length the pipe blank needs to be. You can use it for the layout where each of the bends stop and start; and it lets you determine the angle and orientation of each bend. It lets you do these things quickly and accurately, so your waste from guessing and reworking is eliminated.

“The software even prompts you with warn-ings when the input assembly won’t work with the machine you’re using. You don’t need any real experience to use the software either, so it opens the bending oper-ations up to a lot more shop employees,” he says.

It means you can give the job to someone in the shop with less expe-rience, and it shortens the bending learning curve.

5 Inch up on itJames Gunnell of Antietam Iron

Works LLC, McConnellsburg, PA, has an interesting method for figuring out how much pipe is used up in a bend without software or math.

First, he takes a scrap of whatever diameter pipe he’s using in his layout, and marks lines in 1-inch increments before setting it up in his pipe bender.

Next, he lines up one mark on the pattern with the starting point marked on the die. A note here: Make sure you’ve made a mark or arrow at this increment on the pattern so you can remember which line you used.

His most commonly used bends for railings are 90 degrees and 180 degrees.

So, he simply bends one piece at 90 and then uses another scrap piece to form a 180.

The patterns are saved; he figures he’s been referencing these same pat-terns for years now and always has at his fingertips the amount of pipe used up in the bend, how much space the bend will take up, and how much extra length is needed after the bend.

6 Don’t overdo itA common bending faux pas is

overbending, Mike Stylski says. Once a piece is overbent, the ten-

dency is to try to pull it back into shape. This causes more problems.

“Pulling back will damage the piece,” Stylski says, “then you’ll have to go back and reconfigure your set up on the machine.”

Sytlski’s method is to under bend, bring it close to where you want it, then bend it just a hair more.

In bending, patience is a virtue.

7 Math saves drawing time

If you don’t have calculating software or don’t care to guess, you might want to brush up on your math. Basic algebra, geometry, and trig will get you through any calculation you’re likely to need for a bend-ing problem.

Bill Bendinelli unabashedly likes math. He even uses Exel to make his own spread-sheets. “I calculate the length and bend lines, using good old fash-ioned math and make up a spreadsheet.”

This approach may not be practical for mul-tiple bends, but it works like gangbusters for a job with many repetitions of one or two bends.

“It cuts out lot of drawing time,” attests Bendinelli.

8 Watch videosThe fact is, it’s astonishing how

much technical know-how can be found on YouTube.

A little known fact of modern med-icine is that even surgeons are learning new techniques from videos. So why not fabricators?

Why not, indeed, says Eugene Evans. He discovered a new bending machine that has great versatility.

“I was doing some research online recently and discovered a YouTube video on this small, portable bender. It was simple, really, and could be used on site or in the shop.

“It had two stops and a hydraulic jack exactly like you’d use to change a tire on your car. It did short bends — about two or three inches at a time, and

The making of a pattern. James Gunnell of Antietam Iron Works LLC, McConnellsburg, PA suggests marking off at one inch increments with an arrow at the one that lines up with the starting point on the die. See Tip 5.

it was only about $500,” Evans says. YouTube. It’s not just for cats anymore.

9 Turn on the coalsIf you have a recalcitrant piece of pipe that no amount of

muscle will move, you probably need a bigger bender. A cheaper solution is to heat the material. For a short,

sharper bend, a propane torch will work just fine. But for lengthier bends, you’re going to have to go to a forge.

John McLellan of McLellan Blacksmithing, Loomis, CA, says that gas forges favor a longer bend while coal is fine for medium-length bends.

“I take it to about 1,650 degrees, about orange, so it’s just workable,” explains McLellan. “For a slighter bend, I can go with red.”

Diameter plays a role here, as well. “For ¼-inch (stock), you can go to red or even cold bend it. But for stuff like 1½ inches you’d need to go to yellow.”

Heating the piece also tames warping, or bending out of the plane, notes McLellan. “If you heat it, it pretty much stays flat.”

And if it doesn’t, he just lays it flat on a table, and taps the still malleable piece flat with a hammer.

10 Make a magic mandrelWhen we talk about heating for bending, we’re referring

strictly to solid pieces. Try it with a hollow piece and it can collapse. That’s why you generally bend a hollow pipe cold.

Of course, you can always heat hollow pipe to bend it if you’re using a mandrel. But benders with mandrels are strictly on the high end of the price spectrum.

Here’s a trick John McLellan uses to fashion his own mandrel:

First, he welds a cap on one end of the hollow pipe. Then he starts filling it with sand. The trick is to pack it

in very tightly. Use dry sand; any moisture in the sand will quickly translate to steam when the piece is heated. Steam translates to pressure inside the pipe, and well, you can see where that’s going. Make sure the sand is absolutely Saharan.

Once the pipe is packed with sand, just weld a cap on the other end of the pipe.

You now have a hollow pipe that can be heated just like a solid piece, making the bending a lot easier.

11 Buy pipe by the bundleSpringback. No, it’s not a South African rugby team; it’s

bending’s propensity for deflection. It’s simply when the piece you’ve just bent returns toward its original shape. Obviously, the bend won’t flatten out entirely, but it will move back a few degrees out of its desired shape.

While some of the higher-end benders have a computer that calculates expected springback and tells you how much to overbend, you can deal with this problem in other ways.

McLellan’s method is to avoid it entirely, which can be done by heating the bend. But if you’re cold bending, McLellan says it’s a matter of trial and error.

“There’s no mathematical formula for figuring spring-back,” says McLellan. You have the estimate, allow for it, and then overbend by the estimated amount.


AD PROOF - 45-3454-ACF-121807-V2

STYLE 3STYLE 2Many Styles ToChoose FromWe DeliverNationwide!

Stair Pans • 1”Bending CapabilitiesMetal Pour Stops for the Industry • Diamond Plate Steps

Shearing up to 1”by 12’ long

SHEARING & BENDINGTri-State 366 Herzl St.

Brooklyn, NY 11212

Oftenimitated,never

duplicated!

Let us handle your cutting needs with our new, state-of-the-art 5’ x 10’ computerized precision plasma and oxyfuel cutting system. Call or fax us for a quote today!

NEW!Now Offering Precision Plasma Cutting Services

STYLE 1

CALL OR FAXFOR QUOTE

(718) 485-2200 Fax (718) 485-0994

W E D O R I S E R S A N D T R E A D S !

tri-state 2008 01.qxd:tri-state-quarter page.qxd 12/19/07 9:44 AM Page 1

A good way to make your estimates more accurate is to try a few practice bends on a similar piece of stock.

Bruce Berg of Outland Steel Inc., Caldwell, ID, says the key to manag-ing springback is to have all your steel from a similar batch.

“Steel properties change slightly from bundle to bundle,” Berg says, “so I try to buy by the bundle so all the steel (pipe) is from the same rolling. I’ll just save the rest for another job.”

12 Seams rightBerg also advises to be conscious of

where the seam is in your bend. Pipe begins its life as a flat sheet of

steel. It’s rolled up, and the two edges are attached by a resistance weld at the factory.

It’s the welding process, however, that gives the seam different properties than the rest of the pipe when being bent. The heat from the weld actually gives it a slight degree of temper — even on mild steel — and this makes it a little more resistant to bending.

Thus, Berg says that when bending a repeat pattern, the seam should be in

the same place for each bend. It mat-ters little where the seam is in the first bend, as long as it’s in the same posi-tion for all the others. Be aware of the seam when setting up the pipe.

13 Read O&MM FabricatorPaul Davis of Chapala Iron Com-

pany, Ventura CA, says his company built its own portable bender from information gleaned from O&MM Fabricator articles.

A rudimentary machine, it was orig-inally used to create templates. Nowa-days, it’s usually pressed into service at

installation sites to straighten railings. Another NOMMA-sourced

idea was about using an old home-built scrolling machine in the shop. Designed to accept a variety of dies, the scroller is adjustable for larger diameter scrolls.

A hefty 3-inch pipe provides the leverage to muscle up to 2-inch solid iron rounds or squares.

Although he has two store-bought benders in the shop, Davis says the two home-builts still see service everyday.


When bending a repeat pattern, the seam should be in the same place for each bend. It matters little where the seam is in the first bend, as long as it’s in the same position for all the others.

Bruce Berg Outland Steel Inc.

Caldwell, ID


About the authorJeff Fogel began writing as a journalist with the New York Daily News. He has been a copywriter and associate creative director for advertising agency Ogil-vy & Mather. Jeff now lives in New Hampshire where the weather’s bad, the skiing’s better, and blacksmith-ing’s a respectable way to keep warm.

n

NOMMA METALfab2015 Guide C

METALfab2015Knowledge to enlighten the industry

n Our keynote speaker, Barry Willingham, is the vice president/general manager of Ameristar Perimeter Security USA Inc. His inspirational message will kick off METALfab2015.

Many thanks to our sponsors that always ensure the success of METALfab; we cannot do this without their support. Many NOMMA members have diligently vol-unteered to make this a special gathering just for YOU. A special thanks to everyone that has helped make this possible.

So much available March 11–14, at METALfab2015. Please sign up early.

See you in March.

Celebrating 57 yearsMarch 11–14, 2015Valley Forge Casino ResortKing of Prussia, PA

Join Us for a revolutionary experience at METALfab2015!

As the president of NOMMA and the chair of METALfab 2015, please join me at the Valley Forge Casino Resort, King of Prussia, PA (a suburb of Philadelphia) for METAL-fab2015.

NOMMA and the NOMMA Education Foundation (NEF) together have developed a program that you will not want to miss as METALfab continues to demonstrate the value of networking with your peers from across the country and of continuing education.

n The education program created by the NEF will pro-vide an excellent opportunity for you to expand your knowledge base.

n The exhibits will connect you with suppliers and allow you to learn more about their products or services directly on-site.

n The Party with a Purpose and Awards Banquet give you the time to make new connections and catch up with good friends from past NOMMA events.

n Shop tours bring you to Philadelphia-area companies to learn about their processes.

n Business classes presented exceptionally by Tyler Pare, a consultant with FMI Corporation, Raleigh, NC, will offer a substantial number of how-to tips.

FMI provides management consulting and investment banking for the engineering and construction industry. The description of Tyler’s series of classes are on pages C–D.

Tyler focuses on leveraging his construction experi-ence, coupled with his advanced knowledge of business mechanics, to help clients mitigate risks and improve productivity. This thought-provoking speaker will present useful, must-attend sessions.

French Alliance Day. Re-enactors march through the Grand Parade area at Valley Forge National Historical Park in celebration of French Alliance Day in May.Credits: Valley Forge CVB Scott Mabry.

Mark KoenkeNOMMA President 2014–2015METALfab2015 Convention Chair

Conference highlights Program at a glance Education sessions Sponsors, Registration Page B Pages C–D Hotel information form Pages E–F Pages G–H

NOMMA METALfab2015 Guide A

NOMMA METALfab2015 GuideD

METALfab2015Knowledge to enlighten the industryProgram at a glance

8:00 am–9:00 am First Time Attendee Orientation New attendees get overview of NOMMA and METALfab

9:15 am–11:15 am Opening Session NOMMA annual membership business meeting and keynote

11:15 am–12:30 pm Lunch Break Lunch on your own

12:30 PM–5:30 pm NEF Education Sessions 6 sessions: 2 classrooms with 3 sessions each

8:00 am–9:30 am NEF Education Sessions 2 sessions: 2 classrooms with 1 session each

9:30 am–2:30 pm Exhibits Open Visit with exhibitors and vote in Top Job contest

10:00 am–2:00 pm Spouse Classes 2 classes for attendees with a spouse registration

12:30 pm–1:30 pm Lunch with the Exhibitors Enjoy lunch while you visit with exhibitors

2:45 pm–6:00 pm NEF Education Sessions 4 sessions: 2 classrooms with 2 sessions each

7:00 pm–10:30 pm Party with a Purpose Network, bid at the auction, enjoy entertainment, food, drink

8:30 am–10:00 am NEF Education Sessions 2 sessions: 2 classrooms with 1 session each

10:00 am–1:00 pm Exhibits Open Another chance to visit exhibitors and vote in Top Job contest

10:30 am–12:30 pm Spouse Class 1 class for attendees with a spouse registration

1:00 pm–4:15 pm NEF Education Sessions 4 sessions: 2 classrooms with 2 sessions each

4:30 pm–6:00 pm Top Job Jamboree Learn from the members who entered the Top Job contest

6:00 pm–7:00 pm NEF Partners in Education Reception Thank you for your continued support of NEF

9:00 am–4:00 pm Shop Tours Visit shops in the Philadelphia area to learn about their businesses

9:00 am–4:00 pm Spouse Tour A tour and luncheon for attendees with a spouse registration or ticket to this event

7:00 pm–10:30 pm NOMMA Annual Awards Banquet Install officers, present Top Job awards, closing remarks

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2015

THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2015

FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2015

SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 2015

NOMMA METALfab2015 GuideB

NOMMA METALfab2015 Guide E

METALfab2015Knowledge to enlighten the industryEducation session descriptions Business classes withR. Tyler Pare, FMI Corporation Tyler Pare is a consultant with FMI Corporation, Raleigh. FMI provides management consulting and investment banking for the engineering and construction industry.

Before joining FMI, Pare worked for multiple general contractors in the Southeast. He has experience in con-struction estimating, both in negotiated and hard-bid envi-ronments and has operations experience, serving as proj-ect manager on commercial and industrial projects.

Pare has a master’s in business administration, con-centrating in finance and real estate, a master’s in man-agement, and a bachelor’s in building construction from the University of Florida. He is a LEED accredited profes-sional.

Leveraging your Competitive Advantage by Improving Productivity How do you win in today’s economy? Becoming a lower-cost producer is one strategy. Much like safety, productivity improvement starts at the top. Contrary to popular belief, productivity is not a field problem, but rather a management and leadership issue.

In this session, you’ll learn how to improve productivity to address market challenges by:

R. Tyler Pare Consultant FMI Corporation

n understanding how a minimal improvement in pro-ductivity will make you more competitive.

n implementing FMI’s P3 model: Process, Productivity Tools, People.

n determining the best practices and the new technolo-gies that will impact the industry.

Connecting Actual Job Costs Back To Estimating One risk to a company in a low-margin construction economy is executing a project differently than how it was estimated (and vice versa). In this session, you’ll learn how to maintain profitability by:

n incorporating field input into estimates and budgets,n determining the healthy differences between an esti-

mate and a budget,n recognizing why and how actual job costs should be

tracked, and n using job-cost information to improve estimating

accuracy.

Performance Indicators that Drive Best Practices If you are going to win at the game of contracting, you have to know the score. The score, however, is made up of more than profit. Success is determined by more than whether you made or lost money at the end of the job.

n Identify Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) so that contractors can develop the components of a solid game plan for tracking performance through the life of the project.

n Compile the results of the KPIs to develop your over-all company performance on a timely basis so you can make corrections to keep your team on course.

n Measure your business’s processes to define success factors and measure progress toward strategic goals.

Keys to Effective Management Why is it so difficult to work and get along with cer-tain people? The answer is simple: People have different wants and needs. Recognizing and accepting differences in yourself and others is essential when you all are work-ing toward a common goal.

To achieve the desired project results, you have to be willing to work with all types of people. Once you become adept at anticipating individual interaction pref-erences, you will increase your effectiveness at managing people and your relationships.

n Discover how personality characteristics affect the communication process.

n Understand the four basic personality types with the DISC profile.

n Explore the best approach for communicating with different personality types.

Driving Best Practices in Business Development As organizations try to make sense of the changing mar-kets around them, many are putting new effort into their approach to business development.

After observing a significant shift in this direction, FMI conducted a survey of contractor CEOs and top execu-tives to identify the current challenges of the business development process and the solutions that are yielding positive results.

Findings from this research lead to a greater focus on solutions based on direct experiences of contractors who are leveraging a total business development culture within their firms. In this session, you’ll learn how to:

n determine why some old sales tactics do not work anymore,

n implement successful new business development activities and measure the results,

n instill a companywide business development culture to drive new business opportunities, and

n establish creative strategies that focus all of your resources on the customer.

NOMMA METALfab2015 Guide C

NOMMA METALfab2015 GuideF


Where’s The Cash? Dave Filippi, FabCAD Inc.A practical and unconventional look into small business management with answers to the following questions:

n Your income statement shows profit, but where is the cash?

n Primary sources of cash.n How to find hidden sources of cash.n How to stop cash from leaking out of your checkbook.n Do you really have to spend money to make money?n Is the adage “Advertising doesn’t cost, its pays” true?n Do you really need to tie up cash in inventory?n Is the customer always right?n How to develop a business plan starting with cash-on-

hand goal.

Hedging Your Bets on Hiring the Right Employee Roger Carlsen, Ephraim Forge Inc.How can you design an employee search paradigm, including, but not limited to: where to look for possible candidates, first impressions insights, designing the right written test to fit your needs, thoughts on actual hands- on task testing, and making the final decision.

Measuring Made Easy Mark O’Malley, O’Malley Welding & Fabricating Inc., Terry Barrett, Pinpoint SolutionsThis two-part class will examine the tools, technologies, and methods for field measuring, shop drawing, and shop and field layout. You’ll hear discussion about an array of lasers, electric hand and homemade tools for measuring, CAD, smartphone apps, other layout software. The speak-ers will share their tried and true methods along with tips and tricks that they use.

The first part of the class will be a show-and-tell about how different tools work. The second part will include the actual use of the tools on a stair or ramp in the conference hotel. Attendees may bring specific challenges for address-ing in the hands-on section.

History of Metalwork Eric Cuper, Cuper Studios LLCThis session will focus on metal history, with an emphasis on the history of blacksmithing/decorative work and the impact of technology and modern design.

Under 40 — Hammering Out Your Course in MetalworkDiscover how the under-40 group see its future path to success. In past years, you’ve heard from veteran fabri-cators about the secrets of their success. This year, you’ll learn what the under-40 group sees as they create their own course for a successful future.

Shop ToursDuring in-person shop tours, attendees see how some NOMMA members manage their shop. You’ll see the shop layout and equipment and processes used for fabrication.

Video Shop ToursWith current technology, we can visit the shops through video. There are some shops that we may never have the chance to visit during convention shop tours. This gives you another way to learn even more from other fabrica-tors.

Women in the BusinessA roundtable discussion for women in the metals business. Discuss chal lenges, successes, and where to go in the future. Great networking for women in the industry.

ListServ LiveMeet the people that participate in the NOMMA ListServ discussions and continue the discussions in person. Dis-cussion will include the hot topics that are challenging members today. Your participation is bound to enrich the talk.

Other classes are in the works for METALfab2015, so be sure to check the website for more details.

How To Avoid Confrontation with Change Orders Change orders are a way of life in construction and, unfor-tunately, so is the difficulty of explaining change in project scope and subsequent price increases to your customer. However, you can avoid confrontation and still be paid for the additional work that you have done.

n Master the art of dealing with delays, accelerations, additions, deletions and other changes.

n Recognize a change and get paid for it. n Understand how to document and determine the

amount of a change order and how to communicate changes and their costs to clients and personnel.

n Examine change costs, contract terms and overhead and the impact they have on scheduling and retention.

NOMMA METALfab2015 GuideD

NOMMA METALfab2015 Guide G


Keynote Barry WillinghamAmeristar Perimeter Security USA

Using Adversity and Challenges as an Opportunity for Positive Change

Barry Willingham is general manager of Ameristar Perimeter Security USA, a division of ASSA ABLOY Corporation, which provides solutions in the door opening and perimeter security markets.

Willingham has served the construction industry over the last 30 years, specializing in physical perim-eter security, fire protection, and construction tech-nology. He has held positions in manufacturing and security construction installation, with additional responsibilities involving training, organizational devel-opment, leadership, and operational excellence.

Spouse Program Classes, Thursday, March 12 and Friday, March 13. Tour, Saturday, March 14. Previous participants in the spouse program learned to work in acrylics with renowned artist Maxine Minter. This year, you’ll tackle a new subject and enjoy expanding your talent. Two additional classes will be announced later; check www.nomma.org for updates.

Other events included in the spouse registration are: n Opening Ceremonies. n Exhibits.n Party with a Purpose (NOMMA Education Founda-

tion Auctions). n NEF Partners in Education Reception. n Awards Banquet. n Tour and Luncheon. With the wealth of historical

locations in the Valley Forge/Philadelphia area the spouse tour will be “revolutionary.” The tour will include visiting several historic spots and a enjoy-ing a wonderful luncheon.

1160 First Ave., King of Prussia, PA 19406

Group Rate of $139 + will be available until Friday, February 6, 2015.Room rate of $139 applies to single, double, triple, quad accommodations.

+ (plus) includes local sales and occupancy tax or any additional fees owed at the time of occupancy.

Make your hotel reservations by calling the hotel directly at 610-354-8118.

To get the group rate, ask for the METALfab Room Block and request the Radisson Tower.

n All hotel reservations must be guaranteed with a major credit card or guaranteed and accompanied by a first night’s room deposit including sales and occu-pancy tax.

n Reservation cancellations must be received 3 days before arrival to avoid the billing of the first night’s room and taxes.

n Early departure fee of $75 per day for any group par-ticipant wishing to check out before their checkout date once they have checked into the hotel

n Group rate will be offered two days before and 2 days after the start and end dates for the conference.

Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER

METALfab2015 Registration instructionsTwo ways to register for METALfab2015.1 Go to the NOMMA website www.nomma.org and regis-ter online using your credit card.2 Fill out the registration form enclosed in the convention guide (page G) and submit with check or credit card.

Mailing address for registrations: NOMMA, P. O. Box 124 Delcambre, LA, 70528.

Fax number for registrations to 888-279-7994.

Online registration will end on March 4, 2015.Register onsite at the METALfab registration desk, which will open, Wednesday, March 11, at 7:30 am at the Valley Forge Casino Resort, Grand Foyer.

Reduced Registration Fees the Earlier You RegisterThe earlier you register the better the rate. An example of the savings on a Full Conference Package for NOMMA Members: Special Fee is $450; Deadline 2/19/2015, Regu-lar $580; Deadline 3/4/2015.

Non-members: Save money on your registration by becom-ing a member. When your company joins NOMMA, all of your employees qualify for the member registration rate. For membership information go to www.nomma.org or contact Liz Harris, Member Care & Operations Manager at 888-516-8585 x 101, [email protected].

Conference Hotel information — Valley Forge Casino Resort

NOMMA METALfab2015 Guide E

NOMMA METALfab2015 GuideH


Platinum Silver ContributorIndustrial Coverage Corp. Lawler Foundry Corp. Sculpt Nouveau

Alloy Casting Co. Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.alloynet.comArchitectural Iron Designs Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.archirondesign.comBig Blu Hammer Mfg. Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.bigbluhammer.comThe Cable Connection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.thecableconnection.comChicago Metal Rolled Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.cmrp.comColorado Waterjet Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.coloradowaterjet.comCompass Software GmbH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.compass-software.deCustom Orn. Iron Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.customironworks.comD.J.A. Imports Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.djaimports.comElite Architectural Metal Supply LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . www.elitearchitecturalmetal.comErcolina — CML USA Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.ercolina-usa.comETemplate Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.etemplatesystem.com Feeney Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.feeneyinc.comHartford Standard Company Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.hartfordstandard.comIndustrial Coverage Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.industrialcoverage.comJerith Mfg.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.jerith.comKing Architectural Metals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.kingmetals.comLavi Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.lavi.comLawler Foundry Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.lawlerfoundry.comLocinox USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.locinox.comMittler Bros. Machine & Tool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.mittlerbros.comNationwide Industries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.nationwideindustries.com NOMMA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.nomma.orgNOMMA Chapters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.nomma.orgNOMMA Education Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.nomma.org/nefRegency Railings Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.regencyrailings.comSculpt Nouveau. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.sculptnouveau.com Sumter Coatings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.sumtercoatings.comThe Wagner Companies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.wagnercompanies.comABANA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.abana.orgAmerican Fence Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.americanfenceassociation.com

Exhibit ScheduleThursday, March 12 .......................................................... 9:30 am–2:30 pmFriday, March 13 ............................................................... 10:00 am–1:00 pmGo to www.nomma.org for an up to date list of exhibitors and sponsors.

Sponsors as of 1/13/2015

Exhibitors as of 1/13/2015

In the background of each page in this program guide is the opening page of a delightful letter written in May 1778 by Richard Henry Lee to his brother, Arthur, while in France. Letter includes news of the replacement of Silas Deane by John Adams as American

plenipotentiary to France; news regarding the British occupation remains of Philadelphia and “ours at Valley Forge about 18 miles from the City — The latter growing daily stronger in numbers and discipline.”

NOMMA METALfab2015 GuideF

Silver M.Cohen & Sons Inc./The Iron Shop

Valley Forge Resort & Casino, King of Prussia, PA, March 11–14, 2015See Convention Guide or go to www.nomma.org for course and event descriptions. Note deadlines for special pricing.

METALfab2015 Registration Options Special Fee Regular Fee 9/1/14–2/19/15 2/20/15–3/4/15

❑ Full Conference — NOMMA Member $450 $580Education Program/Opening Session/Exhibits/Thursday Party with a Purpose & NEF Auctions/NEF Reception/Shop Tours/Awards Banquet

❑ Full Conference — Non-Member $650 $780Education Program/Opening Session/Exhibits/Thursday Party with a Purpose & NEF Auctions/NEF Reception/Shop Tours/Awards Banquet

❑ One Day — NOMMA Member $350 $480Events scheduled for day except Spouse classes and tour (check day): ❑ Wednesday ❑ Thursday ❑ Friday ❑ Saturday

❑ One Day — Non-Member $550 $680Events scheduled for day except Spouse classes and tour (check day): ❑ Wednesday ❑ Thursday ❑ Friday ❑ Saturday

❑ Spouse Registration $380 $480Spouse Classes/Opening Session/Exhibits/Thursday Party with a Purpose & NEF Auctions/NEF Reception/Spouse Tour/Awards Banquet

❑ Exhibits Only Registration $0 $0Visit the suppliers on the show floor.

Guest Tickets: Purchase deadline is 2/26/15. Not available online. You must have registered for a full or one-day registration to be able to purchase guest tickets. These tickets are for your guest that does not have a full, one-day, or spouse registrations.

❑ Thursday Dinner Party with a Purpose & NEF Auctions, Thu. 3/12: $100 — included in spouse, full and Thursday one-day registrations.❑ Spouse Tour, Sat. 3/14: $110 — Only included in spouse registration not included in full or one-day Saturday registration.❑ Awards Banquet, Sat. 3/14: $90 — included in spouse, full, and Saturday one-day registrations.

Name for Badge ______________________________________________________________________________________________

Payment Method (Select the payment type you would like to use.)Check (payable to NOMMA in U.S. dollars on U.S. bank) Check #______________________

Credit Card ❑ American Express ❑ MasterCard ❑ VISA ❑ Discover

Card #___________________________________________________________________________ Exp. Date___________________

Name on card____________________________________________________________________ Card CVV___________________

Signature____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Tell Us About Yourself Name (full or one-day registrant)__________________________________________ Please check appropriate ribbons below for inclusion in your registration packetSpouse Registrant Name__________________________________________________ ❑ New Member ❑ First Time AttendeeCompany _______________________________________________________________ ❑ Fabricator Member ❑ NW Supplier MemberAddress:_________________________________________________________________ ❑ Regional Supplier Member ❑ Local Supplier MemberCity: ____________________________________________________________________ ❑ Affiliate Member ❑ Committee ChairState: __________Zip:_________________Country:_____________________________ ❑ Committee Member ❑ Chapter PresidentEmail:____________________________________________________________________ ❑ Chapter Member ❑ NEF ContributorPhone:_____________________________ Fax:__________________________________ ❑ Gold Member 20+ years ❑ Past PresidentEmergency Contact Number:_______________________________________________ ❑ BOD ❑ Officer ❑ NEF Trustee/OfficerName of Emergency Contact:_______________________________________________ ❑ Speaker/Presenter Registration form continued on page H

METALfab2015 Attendee Registration Form

✂

✂

NOMMA METALfab2015 Guide G

Additional Full, Spouse and One Day Registrants from the same company

Name__________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Type of registration: ❑ Full ❑ One-day (__Wed __Thu __Fri __Sat please check appropriate day) ❑ Spouse




Attendee Profile Tell us about your businessThis portion of the registration must be completed for processing. ❑ Check here if you are not involved in the business. If you are not involved in the business this is all of the information needed. Thank you.List three (3) products you hope to purchase from contacts at METALfab2015:

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1)Primary type of business 2) Annual gross sales 3) Your role in purchasing 4) Job description ❑ Fabricator ❑ Below $1 million ❑ Final Say ❑ Owner ❑ General Supplier ❑ $1–$2.5 million ❑ Recommend ❑ Manager/Foreman ❑ Contractor ❑ $2.5–$5 million ❑ Specify ❑ Other_______________ ❑ Other_____________________ ❑ Over $5 million

Important InformationRegistration Registrants can to pick up their packets at the METALfab/NOMMA registration desk in the Grand Foyer of the Valley Forge Casino Resort.

Restrictions Attendees for the exhibits must be 14 years of age or older for insurance purposes.

Cancellations If received in writing prior February 25, 2015, we will be happy to refund your registration fee less a 10% administrative fee. Understandably, fees cannot be refunded for registrations canceled after that date. Registrations are nontransferable without the written permission of NOMMA. Refunds will be processed within 30 days after the completion of the conference.

Cameras Photography and videotaping are not permitted in the exhibit area, education sessions, or Top Job Gallery.

Emergency Contact We would like to have contact name and phone number in case of an emergency. This person would be contacted only in the event that you were unable to contact them yourself.

Confirmation & Updates Your confirmation and any updates will be sent by email, so please provide your email address.

Email address Your email address will be provided to the exhibitors on their attendee list. If you do not wish to have your email address provided to the exhibitors please opt out by sending an email to [email protected] with the subject line “Email Opt Out for Exhibitors’ List.” This will also opt you out for updates about METALfab.

Online registrations Online registration is available for credit card payments only.

Recorded Sessions By registering for METALfab you are authorizing the use of any photographs and/or likeness in any recorded session.

Return to: Questions?METALfab 2015 / NOMMA Call 888-516-8585 extension 101 or email [email protected]. O. Box 124 For updated information go to www.nomma.orgDelcambre, LA 70528 Online Registration is available on the NOMMA website: www.nomma.org Fax: 888-279-7994 Mail checks to the “Return to” address at left.Email: [email protected] Be sure to include your registration form when mailing or faxing your payment.

✂

METALfab2015 Attendee Registration Form

✂

NOMMA METALfab2015 GuideH



Exploring Valley Forge and Montgomery County, PA While in King of Prussia for METALfab2015, be sure to schedule in extra time to explore the area.

n Valley Forge National Historical Park. This 3,500-acre park is a must-see. It contains 19.5 miles of trails for hiking, running, or cycling. If you want to see all the main monuments, walk on the Joseph Plum Martin Trail, which is a 6.6 mile loop. You’ll see the Muhlenberg Brigade, an historic camp, the National Memorial Arch, Washington Memorial Chapel, and the von Steuben Monument.

n King of Prussia Mall. The second biggest attraction in the area is the King of Prussia Mall. Oh, sure you may say that malls are everywhere, but this is no ordinary mall. With 400 stores and three food courts it’s one of the larg-est shopping centers in the U.S. The mall has more than 2.6 million square feet of retail space.

n Spring Mountain. If you enjoy living on the edge, check out the canopy tours at Spring Mountain Adven-tures. Excuse the pun, but this place is a zip in the park. You’ll actually ride on a course of zip lines, including one that’s 340 feet (you are requested to scream). Speeds can get up to 45 miles an hour, which is no big deal in a car, but a bit dicey when you’re flying over treetops.

n Historic sites. There’s plenty more history in the area in addition to Valley Forge park. Recommended places to visit include the Beth Sholom Synagogue, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, and the Bryn Athyn Historic Dis-trict, which features gothic architecture. Also, Pottsgrove Manor, a 1752 Georgian mansion, and Pennypacker Mills, which is an early-1900s country estate.

Oh, and another site you should see is the Peter Wentz Farmstead. This restored farmhouse is where Gen. Wash-ington planned the Battle of Germantown. It features an 18th century German kitchen garden, gift shop, and ador-able farm animals.

n Arts & culture. Visit the John James Audubon Cen-ter at Mill Grove to see the work of American artist John Audubon, who produced hand-colored prints of, yep, you guessed it, birds! You’ll learn about his scientific studies and bird research.

Another fascinating museum is The American Treasure Tour, which takes you through eras of U.S. pop culture, from Model Ts to Betty Boop. The museum is known for having the world’s largest collection of nickelodeons, the giant music machines of the late 1800s.

Finally, take in The Stoogeum, North America’s only museum devoted to the Three Stooges. You’ll see some 100,000 collectibles, including props, posters, magazines, toys, and personal items.

Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles. Chanticleer gardens, left; downtown Pottstown.


M. Cohen & Sons shop tourM. Cohen & Sons Inc. and The Iron Shop of Broomall, PA have been named a tour stop for our Saturday, March 14 shop tours.

This fourth generation NOMMA member has more than 200 employees and a 130,000-square-foot facility with state-of-the-art technology.

During the tour, a series of mini-demos will be pre-sented, including one on Samuel Yellin and his work.

M. Cohen is known for its quality ornamental work; they regularly win awards in the NOMMA Top Job Con-test.

In 2010, The Iron Shop and M. Cohen hosted the Northeast Chapter for a meeting and tour.

KNOWLEDGE to enlighten the industry.

METALfab

and Save $100* off your Membership Plus receive discounted registration for METALfab 2015!

Visit us online at www.nomma.org and enter promo code: DM2-2014

Join NOMMA Today

Come Join Us…at the beautiful Valley Forge Casino Resort in Pennsylvania for the NOMMA Event of the Year! Meet and interact with the best and brightest in the ornamental and miscellaneous metalworking industry. Network at the social events, shop tours and see the Top Job Awards. Get the latest trends and technologies firsthand by attending the Education Sessions. Learn about hundreds of the best products and resources available that you can touch, explore and evaluate at the Exhibits.

Visit www.nomma.org Todayto register for the METALfab 2015 Convention

Exhibit ONLY Registration is FREE!

National Ornamental & Miscellaneous Metals Associationt: 888.516.8585 f: 888.279.7994 www.nomma.org

Forging Innovation . Shaping Business . Delivering Profits

Valley Forge Casino Resort, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania2015

* First time members, offer expires March 1, 2015

MARCH 11 – 14


Making stainless look lıke forged steel

n Stainless steel is harder to bend and more finicky to weld. Falling Hammer Productions took extra care during design and fabrication of this Top Job gold-winning railing.

2014 Top Job Gold Award: Non-forged, exterior railing and fence

The original oval railing design, left, and the new version, right. Falling Hammer Productions simplified the original rail to meet the customer’s needs.

About 10 years ago, we took on a challenging interior railing project that involved ovals that were overlapped, offset, collared, and riveted. Although this project has generated a lot of inter-est on our website since, it never led to using the design in another project. The design meant such a project would be time intensive, and thus, more expensive.

What was different in the case of our 2014 Top Job gold award project (a non-forged, exte-rior railing and fence) was that the customer wanted an exterior rather than interior railing. This allowed us to discuss changes to our original design that would make it more suitable for out-door use in New England.

Corrosion issues lead to design changeThe 125-foot, 304 stainless steel railing was for

a large, private residence that was under construc-tion in one of the Boston suburbs, and as is often

the case, we worked with both the contractor and the homeowner at every step. Both of them liked the original oval design, but they were rightfully concerned about corrosion issues: the appearance of the railings themselves and the “bleeding” that would occur onto the expensive imported granite that the rail would be mounted into.

Early in the discussion, I suggested that we go with painted stainless steel because this would provide the same look as painted steel and would hold up better to weather.

To improve the corrosion resistance more, I suggested that we remove the rivets because these would create pockets where moisture could linger; crevice corrosion is an issue with stainless, and I did not want to create an ideal environment for it.

Balancing design with price. Although seemingly interested in the concept, the customer was not pleased with the higher price tag that stainless brought to the table. I then suggested a few more changes to simplify the fabrication with-out changing the basic appearance.

By Peter T. Swarz-Burt


The most important change was to switch from overlapped, offset ovals to a two-layer approach in which one layer of ovals simply laid in front of the other, offset by the width of half an oval (see photos, page 45) This created the same silhouette as the original design but was much easier to create.

Another change was to weld the “pegs” in place rather than have them wrap around as they did in the original.

In the end, these simplifications brought the price for the stainless design in line with the price of the orig-inal, forged-steel design, which was enough to seal the deal.

Weather, masonry affect field measuring

The primary characteristic of the project was three arcs that defined the perimeter of a stone terrace. Measuring the arcs was complicated by temperatures in the low 30s, which not only made the measuring uncomfortable, but also meant that the masons had set up makeshift tents over portions of the terrace.

The masons also had equip-ment and materials scattered around the terrace, and this made striking straight lines a challenge.

Additionally, the capstones that we would be mounting to were placed on some areas and not in others, leaving us to “guestimate” where the remainder of the cap stones would be placed.

During our conversation with the head mason, it became obvious that we were dealing with a fluid situation since the wall foundation had been set incor-rectly and the mason was correcting the curve as he placed the cap stones. Because of this we needed to be certain that we allowed extra time for on-site alterations during installation.

To account for this, we left one panel on each run of railing over-long, so that we could trim it on-site to fit the final stonework perfectly.

Templates not needed. For the measurements, we used a Bosch laser level and a long tape measure. Since all of the sections were simple arcs rather than irregular curves, we worked entirely from measurements; we did not need to take templates because the

arcs could be mathematically derived at our shop.

We measured the distance across the arc, then found the center point and measured the “height” of the arc at that point using the laser level as the straight line across the arc. The drawing above shows the method of measure-ment and the layout of the terrace. We took the same measurements for all

of the arcs, then simple tape measure-ments for all of the straight areas.

Where we could, we used a Bosch digital protractor to establish whether the corners were truly 90° angles, and if not, we noted the actual angle measure-ments. At those areas where we were interacting with the exterior walls of the house, we used the digital protractor to determine if the walls were actually ver-tical or had a slight lean in or out.

At the shop, we created digital ver-sions of the different areas using Turbo-CAD (See drawing, page 47), a program less powerful, but cheaper than Auto-CAD or FabCAD. Then it was relatively quick work to lay out the railing cen-tered on the cap. This was then bro-ken down into panels that could fit on our 16-foot welding table, with various details for each panel spelled out on its own sheet of paper.

Fabrication beginsMeanwhile, two other aspects of the

project were working.

Top, the main terrace was constructed in multiple panels and welded on-site. The project included two balconies, above, that were installed using a lift borrowed from the general contractor.

Bottom drawing, an illustration of how to measure a uniform radius.


1 Modifying a hydraulic log split-ter made by Ramsplitter into a hydrau-lic forming table (see photos below). The modification was the addition of attachment points for the forming dies, which were designed in TurboCAD and water-jet cut from ¾-inch mild steel plate at our normal steel supplier, Chapin & Bangs, Bridgeport, CT (see drawing, photos, this page).

We added some simple rollers to the basic form of the dies so that the stain-less bars would feed nicely, but other-wise the dies were essentially ready to use as-delivered.

2 Annealing the stainless steel so it could be easily and consis-tently press-formed into the half-ovals. To accomplish this, a stackable electric Econo Kiln with an AutoFire digital controller allowed us to program a ramp-up to 1,500° F and hold there for as long as necessary, which meant we could anneal up 100 cut-to-length pieces at a time.

Annealing the stainless bars had two effects:

1 To make them soft enough to bend and stay bent.

2 To burn the layer of oil that stain-less is always shipped with. We have found that burning off is by far the best method of degreasing bar stock that will later be painted because most other methods tend to leave, at least, some residue.

One great thing about having the digital controller for the kiln was the ability to set the program and walk away. In most cases, we unload one batch of stainless steel, load another, and then press the annealed pieces with our new forming table while the kiln annealed another batch.

With so many pieces in the kiln at one time, it generally was not until the following day that the pieces were cool enough to unload. But that was OK; we had plenty of other work.

Once the pieces were annealed and pressed, they still needed a little final shaping by hand to achieve a pleas-ing parabolic shape. The center of the parabola shaped quite nicely, but the ends needed to be curved and adjusted cold with hammer and anvil (see pho-tos, page 48).

Once each piece was matched up to a master, two pieces were trimmed and

TIG-welded together with a Miller Syn-crowave 200 to form a complete oval (see photo, top right, page 46).

Welding jig make process easier. We also attached the two stain-less steel pegs that connected the ovals to the stringers. To simplify the process, we created a welding jig on one of our spare tables. While one person tacked the oval parts together in the welding jig, a second person used another TIG welder on a separate welding table to finalize all of the welded joints. Weld-ing on electrically separate tables keeps electricity from traveling to the wrong grounding clamp.

Curved panels assembled. After grinding all of the welds flush, we assembled the panels. The majority of the panels were curved, but the curves were so slight that it was much easier to

create them on the anvil than by using our Eagle Bending Machines pyramid roll. The necessary radius was laid out on the table and matching top and bottom stringers were created.

For curved panels, we always build with the panel standing upright and upside-down (see photos, page 48) and in this case, we tacked in temporary posts since the oval design was to be unbroken except at corners.

We started by welding in the inside layer of ovals across the full width of the panel, then welded in the outside layer of ovals. After the fabrication of the ovals, the finished width had some vari-ation. We organized the ovals by width since we knew that the ovals in the outside layer would need to be slightly larger than those in the inside layer.

Backing tool had multiple uses. Once all of the ovals were welded into each panel, the ovals themselves were welded at the point of contact. This weld was then covered with forged col-lars that we tacked in place and then hammered closed while cold. A special backing tool we made supported the collars during this process; the panels

TurboCAD drawing of the ovals, left, at top, centered on the cap rail.

To make the forming dies, the design created in TurboCAD, left, below, was sent to a steel supplier for water-jet cutting.

A modified log-splitter, top photo, served as a hydraulic press to mass produce the half-ovals.

Custom dies, photo above, were used to press the half-ovals efficiently after being modified with rollers and attachment points.

Holes, diamter 0.625”

Cutout 3 x 8.125"

Left, outside dimension 12 x 17" Right, outside dimension 6 x 15.5"


needed to remain upright throughout the setting of the collars. The same tool was later used on the job site when we needed to join panels together.

The cap rail was perhaps the most complicated aspect, and one which we initially expected to be straightforward. The original proposal called for pur-chasing a stainless cap on the market, but this proved to be far more costly for the client. We decided to chance mak-ing our own cap rail from bar stock.

Making a rolling mill. The client did not want a hammer-beveled design, instead something with a nice radius across the top. We then built a rolling mill that was capable of cold rolling 3/8 x 2½-inch stainless 304 from flat

bar into bar with a 4-inch radius (see photo directly above). After adjusting the resulting bars with table-mounted forks, they were curved to match the panels using new dies on the modified log splitter.

A different solution on our more recent stainless railings has been to use aluminum cap rail in the same fash-ion that we do with bronze cap rail; the variety of available cap profiles is much better than for stainless.

Closed the ends of tubing posts. One particular note is that we typically only use solid material for our posts, but given the expense of stainless steel, we used tubing posts instead. To avoid issues with water and ice build-up, we

welded closed both ends of all posts. In cases where hollow products are used, one must consider what would happen if water gets inside. Rusting from the inside out at ground level is the most common way for railings to fail.

The most extreme case we have seen involved a 1¼ x ¼-inch wall post that had been capped at the bottom and not at the top. Water built up in the tube, and when it froze in the winter, it not only expanded and exploded the pipe, but it also blew the corner right out of the homeowner’s step. Known for its quality work, the company that installed this railing repaired it and the step at its expense; the cost to their rep-utation was hard to quantify.

Finishing with easy-to-find, water-based product

All parts were painted with Rusto-leum Professional water-based exterior acrylic enamel before installation. We’ve been using this line for several years after trying a variety of products.

However, our two main considera-tions for using this product were:

1 It is water-based and thus easy to spray at the shop and easy to clean up at the job site.

2 It is an over-the-counter product. The customer can easily find touch-up spray cans that match the paint well.

Included as part of our installation fee is a second visit to do a final round of touch-up painting any time in the first year after the railings are installed.

Stacks of half ovals, top left, ready for welding.

After being welded together, tabs were added to the tops and bottoms, top right.

For curved panels, Falling Hammer always builds with the panel standing

upright and upside-down, above. In this case, the company tacked in temporary

posts because the oval design was to be unbroken except at corners.

The rolling dies, right, used to turn stainless flat-stock into curved cap rail.


We generally suggest that customers have us come back after the first winter because in the Northeast this is by far the most trying time for the paint. This service helps keep our cus-tomers happy, but it also allows us a chance to see if our processes have any weaknesses that we need to fix for future work.

Oily residue issues. Probably the most frustrating aspect of this project was the level of oily residue on all of the stainless bar stock when it came to us from our supplier.

Much of the material was annealed or heated for one reason or another, and these were nicely degreased. All of the parts that did not get heated were degreased chemically with Simple Green

before fabrication. However, we had some trouble with paint peeling on these parts indicating that a residue remained.

Additional degreasing and repaint-ing on site was not fun. As a result, we now degrease all oily parts with heat, except in cases where this would be impossible or detrimental to other qualities of the material.

Installation was frustratingFor installation, we used a wet

diamond core drill to make 2-inch diameter x 4-inch-deep holes and then secured the panels in place with Rockite capped with Quikrete fast-dry-ing cement.

We always pour the Rockite to just below grade and then fill just above

grade with the cement; this system makes use of the superior strength and fast cure time of the Rockite, while the cement cap can be shaped with a wet sponge to ensure that water drains away from the base of the post.

Drilling granite was difficult. The stone that we mounted into was custom-cut granite from China, which was remarkably hard to drill through. It was not the hardest stone that we have faced, but drilling 20 holes made it frustrating. The low wall that the granite capped also had some voids inside that needed to be filled with Quikrete before we could mount the railings.

The final frustration was that the wall also contained periodic pieces of 1/8 x 1-inch stainless bar that the masons used to position the granite while the mortar was setting. We only hit two of these during the installation, but each one added roughly 20 minutes to the drilling time.

In the end, this was an interesting, challenging, and rewarding project. The techniques and tools that we developed for this job have been put to good use on other projects. If another customer is ever interested in this or a similar design, we’ve worked out the kinks, and the new job would be smooth sailing, which means we will probably never get another call for this design.

Tips

If stainless is annealed at about 1500° F, it can readily be bent cold. The strange heat-conduction properties of the material means it is often easier to get an even bend when it is cold rather than hot.

When welding stainless steel, the joint will always pull due to expansion and contraction of the material during heating and cooling. This movement during fabrication must be controlled.

Sometimes the easiest solution to a welded joint pulled out of alignment is to simply weld the other side and see if it pulls back in line.

When trying to account for weld-pull, think of the weld as shrinking. Look at the fixed points (other welds, points of contact, tack welds) and imagine what will happen when you weld in a particular location.

When fabricating with stainless steel, getting an entire panel “tacked” together on one side, then flipping it over, re-clamping, and welding the other side solidly is generally best. This provides the most structure before welding and helps minimize overall distortion in the panel.


About the authorPeter T. Swarz-Burt, one of the founding partners in 2005 of Falling Hammer Produc-tions, LLC, Wolcott, CT, has been smithing since 1991 when he built his first forge in his parents’ backyard. He has been a full-time metalworker since 1994. Since founding the company, his main focus has been developing better techniques for making high-quality railings.

n

A bit of simple chisel-work detail on these bolts help give a railing a “custom” feel.


Project3_Layout 1 1/13/15 9:06 AM Page 1

PlatinumIndustrial Coverage Corporation62 South Ocean Ave. Patchogue, NY 11772Tel: (631) 736-7500Toll Free: (800) 242-9872Web: www.industrialcoverage.com

SilverLawler Foundry Corp.

P.O. Box 320069

Birmingham, AL 35232

Tel: (205) 595-0596

Toll Free: 800-624-9512

Web: www.lawlerfoundry.com

ContributorSculpt Nouveau

625 West 10th Ave.

Escondido, CA 92025

Tel: (800) 728-5787

Web: www.sculptnouveau.com

SilverM. Cohen & Sons Inc./ The Iron Shop400 Reed Rd.Broomall, PA 19008Tel: (610) 544-7100Toll Free: (800) 523-7427Web: www.theironshop.com

A thanks to our sponsorsThe sponsors for 2015 are a very special group of suppliers. In challenging economic times they are going the extra mile to contribute to the success of METALfab2015. Their support is greatly appreciated.

METALfab2015

JOIN US: March 11-14, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania


Biz Talk

n Trade schools depend on advice from local companies to help build their programs. Here’s what Savannah Technical College has learned.

The current face of tech school apprenticeship

Student cuts mild steel plate, top. Another student, above, MIG welds a butterfly bench. Both used a Torchmate CNC plasma cutting table.

Welding and historic preservation students created this mild steel decorative tree sculpture using cold bending and MIG welding.

Collection of blacksmithing tools used in the Savannah Technical College programs.

The fabrication world and the greater realm of trade skills need experienced workers to supplement an aging workforce. But the rules and systems in which new workers are being trained are drastically different now than they were.

Traditional apprenticeships are virtually non-existent in many areas of the country given the costs and time needed to train apprentices within the current economic climate. Apprenticeships still exist in some areas in the country, pri-marily in the Northeast and Great Lakes regions where the union system is the strongest. These apprenticeship pro-grams are commonly oversubscribed with applicants for training spots, leaving many potentially high quality welders and fabricators outside the system.

Rapidly expanding technical colleges are working dili-gently to dispel the long-standing negative perception of tech-nical education, both within industries and with the public.

Fabrication shops are traditionally small, meaning the cost for taking on a new employee must be offset with the amount of work that the new employee can produce. Advancements in the fabrication field also means that the new employee must balance traditional skills, such as stick, MIG, and TIG welding with new technologies such as 3D printing and CNC programming skills to contribute posi-tively to their new employer’s business.

This article examines how local metal fabricators help shape Savannah Technical College’s Welding and Joining Program in conjunction with its Historic Preservation Pro-gram to ensure graduates are prepared for the evolving job market. We hope to demonstrate clearly how the training delivery at the college produces graduates that are highly desired especially in the regional job market.

Savannah Technical College is located in Savannah, GA. A unit of the Technical College System of Georgia, it serves a four-county region encompassing the greater Savannah area.

Within this region lies the second largest container port in the eastern United States, large manufacturing companies, two military bases, and seven historic districts comprising one of the largest collections of decorative ironwork in the U.S.

Ironwork of Savannah (Writeplace Press, electronic edi-tion, 2013) by Savannah native T.D. Conner has brought new focus on the history of ironwork in the region, and the

By Steve Hartley Historic Preservation Savannah Technical College

William Burns Welding and Joining Technology Savannah Technical College


Sampling of courses offered

For complete list of all courses and their descriptions:

n Drafting: www.savannahtech.edu/academics/all-programs/drafting/

n Historic Preservation: www.savannahtech.edu/academics/all-programs/historic-preservation/

n Welding & Joining: www.savannahtech.edu/academics/all-programs/welding-joining-technology/

Foundations of Mathematics

CAD Fundamentals

Technical Drawing (5 courses)

Engineering Graphics

Blueprint Reading-Tech Drawing (3 courses)

Blueprint Reading-Welding Tech

Introduction to Welding Technology

Flat Shielded Metal Arc Welding

Horizontal Shld Metal Arc Welding

Vertical Shield Metal Arc Welding

Overhead Shield Metal Arc Welding

Gas Metal Arc Welding

Gas Tungsten Arc Welding

Oxyacetylene Welding

Advanced Gas Tungsten Arc Welding

Fabrication Processes

Pipe Welding

Flux Cored Arc Welding

Metal Welding/Cutting Tech

Oxyfuel Cutting

Plasma Cutting

catalog of work created by companies like the Kehoe Ironworks, founded in Savannah in 1830, can be found throughout the southeast.

Savannah Technical College cur-rently has five campuses with an enroll-ment of roughly 4,500 students.

200 welding students a year One of the fastest growing programs

at Savannah Technical College, the Welding Department is associated with The American Welding Society (AWS) SENSE (School Excelling through National Skills Standards Education) program boasting a full day-and-night program at the main campus in Savan-nah, as well as night programs in two satellite campuses and high school dual

enrollment programs with local school districts.

Being listed as a SENSE school, the program adheres to AWS standards, primarily structural welding code D1.1. Students can take classes in shielded metal arc welding, gas metal arc weld-ing, flux cored arc welding, and gas tungsten arc welding, passing profi-ciency tests in flat, horizontal, vertical, and overhead applications.

The students are also required to study basic blueprint reading, focusing on AWS welding symbols.

The program is above capacity, cur-rently training 200 welders per year, with a waiting list of 50 every year. Placement rates are high with 97.2% of jobseekers finding employment within

six months, and many of the graduates work within the growing welding and fabrication industry in the region.

Larger employers such as JCB (man-ufacturers of equipment for the agri-culture, construction, industrial and waste/recycling markets) and the Port of Savannah hire many of the grad-uates, while others work for special-ized companies such as CST Coverings (design, manufacture and construction of custom aluminum covers and struc-tures for architectural, environmental and industrial applications) and local fabricator shops such as Dixie Machine & Fabrication and Savannah Mobility Concepts (wheelchair accessible vans).

Growth in ornamental shops. While many of the students work in

Ornamental Iron Works emphasizes safety practices for equipment and ornamental ironwork techniques. Includes use of scroll machine and bar twister.

Advanced Material Sciences/Metals in a preservation setting including history of the medium, project characteristics and properties of metal, layout, material and cut list, metal failure, metal stabilization, as well as cleaning, repair, and replication.

Advanced Preservation Skills, including advanced blacksmithing, advanced mold making and casting, decorative ironwork, material replication, as well as project managing and estimating.

Field Techniques/Documentation, including field measurement, photography, photogammetry, and surveys

Print Reading for Architecture emphasizes skills in reading, producing and interpreting construction drawings. Topics include reading and measuring plans, identifying and understanding lines, symbols, dimensions, materials, schedules, and specifications.

Manual Drafting Fundamentals emphasizes the essential techniques of basic manual drafting. It introduces drafting tools and equipment, scale and measurement, line relationships and lettering, and geometric construction concepts.

Architectural Fundamentals introduces architectural fundamental principles and practices associated with architectural styles and drawing. Fundamentals residential and commercial practices will be covered. Topics include: specifications and materials; architectural styles, construction drawing practices and procedures, dimensioning and scales.

Architectural 3D Modeling covers concepts of the software related to Parametric modeling for Architectural drafting. The student will develop the skills necessary to create 3D models and presentation/constructions drawings.

Advanced 3D Modeling Mechanical covers concepts of the software related to Sheet Metal modeling


the industrial sector, a growing number, roughly 25% are finding employment in ornamental and fabrication companies, and these are some of the most highly desirable placements after graduation.

Other equipment used. The pro-gram has state-of-the-art labs with weld-ing machines, CNC plasma tables, track torch cutting tables, as well as scrolling and decorative metals equipment.

The program is currently exploring the use of virtual welding machines to supplement traditional training.

A full drafting program and lab, equipped with AutoCAD, Revit, and CATIA programs, plotters, and 3D printers also are used.

Savannah as a metal preservation lab

The department was founded in 2006 in response to local industry desires to have a construction and craft workforce trained in traditional build-ing arts to repair and replicate historic architectural elements.

The program is a generalist curric-ulum, where students learn a variety of trades including blacksmithing and ornamental metals fabrication, specifi-cally fencing, gates, and window grilles.

Students enrolled in the historic pres-ervation program also study flat and ornamental plaster, masonry, stained glass, decorative finishes, and carpentry trades, while taking classes in archi-tectural history, structural theory, and pathology, as well as material sciences.

This desire to replicate Savannah’s history is reflected in the desire for new housing communities and busi-nesses to embellish their properties with ornamental metalwork, some-times hundreds of pieces at a time.

Testing ABANA curriculum. Cur-rently, the school is experimenting with portions of the new ABANA curriculum for blacksmithing educa-tion, and it is considering adapting the entire program once the experimenta-tion is completed.

The Savannah Tech program has gained international fame, mak-ing products for many regional and national organizations, including repli-cating 32 cast iron finials for the Smith-sonian Arts and Industries Building restoration project in Washington, DC, during in the spring of 2012.

The Drafting Department is an integral part of the collaborative projects performed by the school. Here, the department’s MakerBot 3D printer creates a model for future use.

Student sets mild steel fence pieces in a jig to prepare for welding.


The historic preservation and weld-ing programs share a close relation-ship, with many students enrolling for classes in both courses to fur-ther enhance their career prospects. Currently, the Historic Preservation department enjoys a 100% placement rate for graduates, with 90% of students finding employment by the end of the first year of the two-year program.

About 25% of these graduates are employed in the fabrication and repair of decorative metal components and commercial and residential structures.

Both programs have experienced success through the formation and active participation of their individual external advisory boards.

Industry advisory boardsAs required by Technical College

System of Georgia guidelines, each department must maintain an exter-

nal advisory board of industry partners to ensure that the training delivered by the program meets the needs of the local economy and to keep departments abreast of upcoming changes within industry. Boards meet twice a year at the school. Informally, advisory boards assist departments in the placement of their students, material donations, and upcoming plans for their businesses.

Board members are expected to attend meetings and offer constructive criticism and guidance on the direction of the program. Within each board also sits an Executive Board that serves as representation in greater divisional or school-wide advisory meetings. Compa-nies of any size are welcome to join, pro-vided they can assist the department.

The welding board. Companies on the welding advisory board reflect the larger welding field within the region. Some, such as JCB, represent large

manufacturing firms. Small compa-nies, such as Thunderbolt Marina that repair and fabricate specialized equip-ment and railings for luxury yachts, are also active members of the board. On a national level, unions, such as the Iron-workers and Pipefitters also have repre-sentatives on the board.

The preservation board. The His-toric Preservation board consists of public entities, including the National Park Service, and private restoration firms, such as J.T. Turner Construc-tion and Tidewater Preservation. While none of these companies focus specif-ically in metal fabrication, many are employed in fabrication work through-out the region and some, including The Coastal Heritage Society have dedi-cated fabrication teams within their employee structure.

For their dedication, advisory board members enjoy an inside look at the next generation of welders and fabri-cators being trained, and a growing number of board members develop welding and fabrication tests that are geared specifically to their business. Several companies give welding tests to students during class, saving them time finding the right fit for their firm.

These collaborative partnerships allow the schools to better educate their students and reduce cost for employers through less in-house train-ing time.

Benefits of collaboration. Work-ing with advisory boards can some-times have unexpected dividends. At this writing, the two programs are engaged in a project to replicate a fence and gates for the historic Lib-erty County Jail. The Jail, constructed in 1892 and on the National Register of Historic Places, now houses a museum as well as the Hinesville Downtown Development Authority. Working with advisory board member Tidewater Preservation, and using historic doc-uments and field measurements, stu-dents will layout, fabricate, finish, and finally install the pieces back onto the newly restored grounds.

Besides giving the students invalu-able real world experience, the project will also save thousands of dollars in material costs for training and pro-vide a valuable service for a local his-toric site.


5 ways you can help get students the training they need for you?Getting involved with a technical school or training organization can be a rewarding experience. Operational standards and guidelines vary by state. But regardless of a school’s framework, here are ways you can help guide the training of the next generation of fabricators.

1 Contact your local community or technical college. Study the local training programs carefully and then talk to the instructors at the appro-priate department. The instructors share the same love of fabrication that you do, and they should be willing to listen to you. Tell them what you as an employer expect from a new hire and how the program can adapt to those requirements.

2 Help the program connect to real-world projects. If the program doesn’t have an external advisory board, help them form one. If the pro-gram does not have an outside-of-classroom internship program, help them build one. If the program does not have real-world projects as part of class-time training, help them find some.

3 Tour the school shops. See what type of equipment they are working with. Offer advice for what they should have to bring their training facility up to industry standards. A graduate can’t operate your machine properly if they’ve never seen it before.

4 Talk to the students. Let them know the realities of the fabrication world. Tell the students about the pay scales. How do you make the work environment safe and nurturing. Do you offer continuing education? Is there room to grow? Open your shop for tours. Tim Henston says many think they can fabricate hot rods in record time. Let them know the differ-ence between reality and television. You will see quickly which ones are still interested.

5 Volunteer. Time, money, material, expertise. Whatever you choose to do will be greatly appreciated. Schools are under considerable financial strain, given the massive influx of students and budget cuts from typical funding streams. Fabrication is a material intensive trade to learn; dona-tions are happily accepted and often tax deductible.

Schools are tasked with training students to enter the workforce in their chosen field. This task can only be completed with the assistance of those who will employ these students after graduation. The school must listen to industry and react accordingly. Without your guidance, they cannot ade-quately serve those students. Industry can and should shape the training of its workforce, but industry needs to get involved.

Advantages of your involvement

Direct Indirect

Having direct access Networking with others to training suppliers in your field

Meeting the next generation Regular meetings of fabricators with suppliers

Staying abreast of major developments Building a rapport in the regional economy with the faculty and staff

Keeping updated on changes Watching students evolve within the field into professionals

Shaping fabrication education for the future, therefore shaping the future of the fabrication world

This type of collaboration addresses another issue within the educational world. Since the economic downtown, states have been forced to make diffi-cult decisions in regards to funding. Decreased budgets have required pro-grams to develop new directions for education, including real-world projects such as this. These types of collabora-tions could not be possible without the support of our advisory boards.

Success storiesThe collaboration between the two

departments and their respective indus-try partners have borne fruit for the students in which these partnerships are meant to benefit.

Welding graduate Brian Moyo cur-rently works at Thunderbolt Marina, working on custom railings and fittings for luxury yachts.

Brian is enrolled in the nighttime Historic Preservation Program to fur-ther his side business, producing orna-mental fixtures for private individuals.

Leron Brooks, a home-schooled student entered the welding program at age 16. After taking the blacksmith-ing class in the Historic Preservation department, he dual enrolled in both programs.

Upon completing his coursework in the summer of 2013, he was employed as a welder and fabricator for the Coastal Heritage Society, an organiza-tion involved with the preservation of the Savannah Roundhouse Railroad Museum, the nation’s largest antebellum industrial site. Leron works with both the construction department and rail operations to fabricate fencing, window grilles, and parts for a variety of compo-nents of the Roundhouse complex.

Both students were hired directly from communication between advisory board members and faculty.

New degreed programsBecause of the strengths of the two

programs’ advisory boards, within the next five years the school will offer new degrees in pipe welding, CNC fabrica-tion, as well as forged and ornamental metal work.

These programs have been identified as areas that will require more trained workers in the near future, according to data supplied by the U.S. Department


of Labor as well as requests from local labor boards and industry partners. With technology changing so rapidly, it is difficult to predict what will occur in the next few years, and the programs are relying heavily on these external boards to keep them abreast of what is desired in an employee.

With this expansion, more compa-nies with specializations in these areas will likely be on board. These compa-nies, which are being identified with the assistance of the advisory board members, will help shape the specific classes in which they are focused.

In his article “Where the Best Welders Go and Why: How schools and companies are fixing a broken skilled-labor pipeline,” for The Fab-ricator magazine (January 2014), Tim Heston says a gluttony of entry level welders exist, but those with specialized skills and experience are difficult to find. The opportunity exists to develop the skills that are in high demand while the entry-level welders are still in train-ing. If schools, working with industry, can re-imagine how training should be delivered and partnerships can be established, all parties will benefit.

Industry helps determine successTechnical colleges can offer industry

a unique avenue into shaping the train-ing of the next generation of welders and fabricators. Successful programs are based entirely on the relationship they formed with industry partners.

Savannah Technical College’s suc-cess both within the welding and his-toric replication fields demonstrates that collaborative partnerships between those working in the field and training organizations can form a working rela-tionship that will benefit all involved.

A close relationship with your local training organization can help you build a rapport with the instructors, permitting the correct placement of graduates into industry partners in which they will be the best fit.

Direct and indirect results of getting involved with your local training pro-vider are numerous (see table, page 55). In purely financial terms, the proper cutting-edge trained students who are about to enter the field translate into less time spent on in-house training

and a quicker return on the investment you make by hiring a new employee.

The overall fabrication field is changing dramatically, given the increased use of computerized CNC programing and the introduction of affordable 3D print ing technology into the arena. The growing desire of customers to have custom products of high quality will also spur a growth

within the fabrication field, as demon-strated by the growth of “niche” crafts and “buying local” campaigns with the greater sustainability field.

Building relationships with schools can ensure that the employees you desire are available when you need them, and that these employees have the skills to help you compete in a competitive market.

Bill Burns, Savannah Technical College’s Welding and Joining Technology Department Head, demonstrates oxyfuel beveling techniques on mild steel.

Steve Hartley, Savannah Technical College’s Historic Preservation and Restoration Department Head, demonstrates blacksmithing techniques.


About the authorsStephen Hartley is the department head of Historic Preservation at Savannah Tech-nical College.

He has 10 years of experience within the restoration and replication fields, and has won awards from the American Institute of Architects, Historic Savannah Foundation, and other organizations.

Hartley is a member of the Artist Black-smith Association of North America and Preservation Trades Network. He is also

a member of the International College of Traditional Practitioners, which is under the patronage of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.

Contact [email protected].

William BurnsWilliam “Bill” Burns is the department head for Welding and Joining Technology at Savannah Technical College.

Burns has 30 years of fabrication expe-rience working for a variety of companies within the Savannah region.

He is a member of American Welding Society and is a certified instructor through the Hobart Institute of Welding.

Contact [email protected].

n


n

NOMMA Nationwide Supplier Members

Albina Pipe Bending Co. Inc. dba Albina Co. Inc. (503) 692-6010

Allen Architectural Metals Inc. (800) 204-3858

Alloy Casting Co. Inc. (972) 286-2368

American Punch Co. (216) 731-4501

Ameristar Fence Products (918) 835-0898

Architectural Iron Designs Inc. (908) 757-2323

Atlas Metal Sales (800) 662-0143

AZZ Galvanizing (815) 618-8440

Banker Wire (800) 523-6772

Big Blu Hammer Mfg. (828) 437-5348

Julius Blum & Co. Inc. (800) 526-6293

Bridgeton Drafting Co. LLC (856) 205-1279

C.R. Laurence Co. Inc. (800) 421-6144

Cable Art Inc. (877) 664-4224

The Cable Connection (800) 851-2961

Carell Corp. (251) 937-0948

Century Group Inc. (337) 527-5266

Chicago Metal Rolled Products Co. (800) 798-4504

CM Iron Supply LLC (480) 968-5121

CML USA Inc. Ercolina (563) 391-7700

Colorado Waterjet Co. (866) 532-5404

Custom Orn. Iron Works Ltd. (866) 464-4766

D & D Technologies (USA) Inc. ( 714) 677-1300

D.J.A. Imports Ltd. (718) 324-6871

DAC Industries Inc. (800) 888-9768

DKS, DoorKing Systems (800) 826-7493

Eagle Bending Machines Inc. (251) 937-1947

Eastern Metal Supply (800) 343-8154

Elite Architectural Metal Supply LLC (847) 636-1233

ETemplate Systems (919) 676-2211

FabCAD Inc. (800) 255-9032

The Fabrication Store (866) 79-FAB-4-U

FabSuite LLC (757) 645-0842

Farris Fab & Machine Co. (704) 629-6879

Feeney Inc. (Feeney Architectural Products) (800) 888-2418

Geo. Bezdan Sales Ltd. (604) 299-5264

The G-S Co. (410) 284-9549

Hartford Standard Co. Inc. (270) 298-3227

Hayn Enterprises LLC (800) 346-4296

Hebo/Stratford Gate Systems Inc. (503) 722-7700

Heritage Cast Iron USA (918) 591-1700

Indiana Gratings Inc. (800) 634-1988

Industrial Coverage Corp. (800) 242-9872

Interstate Mfg. Associates Inc. (800) 667-9101

The Iron Shop (800) 523-7427

Kammetal Inc. (718) 722-7400

King Architectural Metals (800) 542-2379

King Architectural Metals - CA (714) 670-8980

King Architectural Metals - MD (410) 644-5932

Krando Metal Products (610) 543-4311

L.E. Sauer Machine Co. (636) 225-5358

Lavi Industries (800) 624-6225

Lawler Foundry Corp. (800) 624-9512

Lewis Brass & Copper Co. Inc. (718) 894-1442

Locinox USA (708) 579-0286

Mac Metals Inc. (800) 631-9510

McNichols Co. (847) 635-5100

Mittler Bros. Machine & Tool (800) 467-2464

Multi Sales Inc. (800) 421-3575

Nationwide Industries (813) 988-2628

NC Tool Co. (336) 674-5654

O.K. Foundry Co. Inc. (888) 592-2240

Ohio Gratings Inc. (330) 477-6707

Orleans Orn. Iron & Casting Dist. Inc. (800) 824-3608

Pacific Stair Corp. (503) 390-8305

Powder-X Coating Systems (888) 326-4840

Praxair Mid-Atlantic (609) 882-1300

Precision Glass Bending Corp. (800) 543-8796

ProCounsel (214) 741-3014

Ransburg (419) 470-2000

Regency Railings Inc. (214) 742-9408

Robinson Iron Corp. (800) 824-2157

Rockite, Div. of Hartline Products Co. Inc. (216) 291-2303

Rogers Mfg. Inc. (940) 325-7806

Sculpt Nouveau (800) 728-5787

SECO South (888) 535-SECO

Sharpe Products (800) 879-4418

South Camden Iron Works Inc. (856) 423-1107

Stairways Inc. (716) 680-3110

Suhner Industrial Products Inc. (800) 323-6886

Sumter Coatings Inc. (888) 471-3400

Transpacific Industrial Supply Inc. (909) 581-3058

Tri-State Shearing & Bending (718) 485-2200

TS Distributors Inc. (832) 467-5400

Vogel Tool & Die LLC (630) 562-1400

The Wagner Companies (888) 243-6914

West Tennessee Ornamental Door (901)346-0662


We are proud of our members!

Iron Man/Woman ClubCompanies that have sponsored a member for the 2014–15 membership year, which began July 1.

n Alloy Casting Co. Inc., Mesquite, TX

n Artistic Railings Inc., Garfield, NJ

n Julius Blum & Co. Inc., Carlstadt, NJ

n Bridgeton Drafting Co. LLC, Vineland, NJ

n Locinox USA, Countryside, IL

n O’Malley Welding & Fabricating, Yorkville, IL

The Rust-Free ClubIndividuals who have provided the NOMMA office with a member lead for the 2014–15 membership year, which began July 1.

n Doug Bracken, Wiemann Metalcraft, Tulsa, OK

n Chet Dinkins, Sumter Coatings Inc., Sumter, SC

n Dave Filippi, FabCAD Inc., White Stone, VA

n Mason Hains, MoFab Inc., Anderson, IN

n Chris Holt (2), Steel Welding, Freedom, PA

n Will Keeler (3), Keeler Iron Works, Memphis, TN

n Gary Kervin, Kervin Brothers Ornamental Iron Inc., Portland, OR

n Allyn Moseley (2), Heirloom Stair & Iron, Campobello, SC

n Lynn Parquette, Elite Architectural Metal Supply LLC, Elk Grove Village, IL

n Jay Shah, Architectural Iron Designs Inc., Plainfield, NJ

n Jan Allen Smith, Allen Iron Works & Supply Inc., Birmingham, AL

n John Steel, Steel Welding, Freedom, PA

n Dave White Jr. (2), Locinox USA, Countryside, IL

Meet our membersNOMMA is proud of its 550+ members. As members, fabricators and suppliers show support for both the association and entire industry.

To get contact information on a member, please see our Member Locator at www.nomma.org.

New members as of December 26, 2014.

NOMMA 2015 Gold MembersNOMMA is pleased to welcome our newest Gold Members — companies who have been a member for 20 years or more.

These companies show a strong loyalty to both their industry and trade association.

We thank them for their support.

n Capitol City Iron Works Inc., Indianapolis, IN

n Carfaro Inc., Hamilton, NJ

n Custom Ornamental Iron Inc., Glen Allen, VA

n Eagle Bending Machines Inc., Stapleton, AL

n Gates That Open LLC (GTO), Tallahassee, FL

n Gator Welding Inc., Jupiter, FL

n Iron-Works International Inc., Atlanta GA

n Majka Railing Co. Inc., Paterson, NJ

n Moore & Morford Inc., Greensburg, PA

n R & F Metals Inc., Clinton, MD

n Raysteel Inc., Albuquerque, NM

n Sippel Co. Inc., Sewickley, PA

We greatly thank these companies for their two decades of loyalty and support.

n

New NOMMA Members

A&E Arte Di Ferro Inc.Sead StetaSanta Clara, CA

Fabricator

Artistic Metal Works Corp.Julius MinerviniHawthorne, NJ

Fabricator

Bauer Custom WeldingAmy BauerSt. Paul, MN

Fabricator

Everlasting Iron WorksAnthony AnagnostouKeillor East,

Melbourne, AustraliaFabricator

FabSuite LLCBill IsslerWilliamsburg, VA

Nationwide Supplier

Granite City Steel LLCJason KeblishRoyston, GA

Fabricator

Hudson WeldingDave WillbanksHudson, CO

Fabricator

Praxair Mid-AtlanticGerard GuarinoTrenton, NJ

Nationwide Supplier

Red Hawk ForgeDan NibbelinkBerthoud, CO

Fabricator

NOMMA Shop BannersLet the world know that you are

a NOMMA member shop!We have an arrangement with a local vendor to provide heavy-duty interior/exterior banners at a reasonable cost.Specs: 3’x5’, heavy duty, hemmed and grommeted. Features bright gold, purple and black ink on a white banner, single sided.Cost: $120 + shippingPayment: Checks onlyContact: Frances Kinsey ([email protected], 770-971-2701)Note: We have discontinued the interior banner due to slow orders and durability concerns.

AD PROOF 4566845-4352A


Industry NewsHot?nWhat’s

Demand softens, but ABI outlook remains positive

Buoyed by sustained demand for apartments and condominiums, cou-pled with state and local governments moving ahead with delayed public projects, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) has been positive for seven consecutive months.

The ABI reflects the nine to 12 month lead time between architecture billings and construction spending.

The American Institute of Archi-tects (AIA) reported the November ABI score was 50.9, down from a mark of 53.7 in October. This score reflects a slight increase in design activity (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings). The new projects inquiry index was 58.8, following a mark of 62.7 the previous month.

The AIA has a new indicator mea-suring trends in new design contracts at architecture firms that can provide a signal of the direction of future archi-tecture billings. The score for design contracts in November was 54.9.

“Architecture firms are expecting solid mid-single digit gains in revenue for 2014, but heading into 2015, they are concerned with finding quality contractors for projects, coping with volatile construction materials costs, and finding qualified architecture staff for their firms,” says AIA Chief Econo-mist Kermit Baker.

November highlightsn Regional averages: South (57.9),

West (52.7), Midwest (49.8), Northeast (46.7)

n Sector index breakdown: multi-family residential (56.8), mixed practice (52.6), institutional (51.3), commercial / industrial (50.6)

n Project inquiries index: 58.8n Design contracts index: 54.9The regional and sector catego-

ries are calculated as a three-month moving average, whereas the national index, design contracts, and inquiries are monthly numbers.

Mazak Optonics partners with southeast distributor

Mazak Opton-ics Corporation has partnered with ProMac Technol-ogies as its new southeast region distributor, based in Charlotte, NC.

The company will serve manu-facturers and job shops in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, focus-ing on Mazak’s lineup of CO2 and fiber lasers, automation, tube-cutting systems and turnkey solutions.

Combining Mazak’s laser prod-ucts with ProMac’s laser experi-ence, the partnership is expected to enhance consultation in manufac-turing solutions geared specifically toward customer application require-ments, increased productivity, and overall profitability.

Mazak names southeast sales manager

Mazak has named Art Weinerman as a new regional sales manager. His terri-tory includes Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida.

Weinerman has 38 years in the precision metal fabrication industry, including sales and manufacturing.

Contact 847-252-4500www.mazakoptonics.com

News Brief

Mazak Optonics Vice President/ GM Al Bohlen, left, welcomes ProMac President Bob Lauer to the team at FABTECH in Atlanta.

Professional Quality Tools for the Blacksmith, Metalworker

and FabricatorSee our work at

www.customforgedhardware.com

Anvils

Spring Swages

Hammers

Tongs

Gas Forges

www.Blacksmithsdepot.comKayne and Son

100 Daniel Ridge Rd. • Candler, NC 28715Phone: (828) 667-8868 • Fax: (828) 665-8303

International Shipping Available • Inquiries Welcome

Ad Proof 77035-CB-4829-08


Industry NewsWhat’sHot?n

March–September 2015Blacksmithing classes

The John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC, offers an ongoing selection of classes, work-shops and events in blacksmithing, as well as numerous other crafts.

Upcoming classes include:March 15–20, First Time at the

Forge: Beginning Blacksmithing

May 1–3, Basic Blacksmithing: Good Habits

May 24–30, Basic to Intermediate Blacksmithing

June 7–12, It’s Time to Try Blacksmithing

June 12–14, The Basics of Moving Metal

Events Yearly construction employment increases in 37 states and DC

Construction firms added jobs in 37 states and the District of Columbia between October 2013 and October 2014 while construction employment increased in 28 states and the District of Columbia between September and October, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGCA).

The sector’s recovery is erratic and remains vulnerable to growing labor shortages, new regulatory burdens, and stagnant public sector demand.

Florida added the most construction jobs (38,900 jobs) between October 2013 and October 2014. Other states adding a high number of jobs for the past 12 months included Texas (38,500 jobs), California (34,300 jobs), Illinois (14,800 jobs) and Utah (11,000 jobs).

North Dakota added the highest percentage of new construction jobs during the past year, followed by Utah, Florida, Illinois and Wisconsin.

Twelve states shed construction jobs during the past 12 months, with employment unchanged in Hawaii. The largest percentage and total losses occurred in New Jersey (-8.1%, -11,100 jobs), Mississippi (-7.7%, -4,200 jobs), West Virginia (-7.6%, -2,600 jobs) and Kentucky (-7.6%, -5,200 jobs).

Twenty-eight states and D.C. added jobs between September and Octo-ber. Texas (9,200 jobs) added the most jobs, followed by Florida (6,200 jobs), Utah (2,800 jobs) and Colorado (2,600 jobs). Idaho had the highest percent-age increase for the month, followed by Utah, D.C. and South Dakota.


What’sHot?n

Media

Ironwork Today 4: Inside and Out

Schiffer Publishing Ltd. Several NOMMA member firms

are featured in a new hard cover book, Ironwork Today 4: Inside and Out, including Heirloom Stair & Iron, Steel Welding, and Grizzly Iron Inc.

Compiled by Catherine Mallette, an editor who regularly works on art publications for the book’s publisher, Schiffer Publishing Ltd., she is also the author of Art Jewelry Today: Europe.

The book features hundreds of beautiful projects from some 90 met-alsmiths. Projects featured include railings, gates, furniture, doors, and sculptures.

Ironwork Today 4 is the fourth in an ongoing series. It presents the works alphabetically by artist, allow-ing readers to see the full scope of each artist’s work on adjoining pages. Each listing includes a descriptive paragraph and several photos.

Schiffer Publishing produces other books on metalworking and has pro-moted the metal industry for many years. NOMMA has assisted the com-pany in the production of past titles.

300 pages, 300+ photos, $50.Contact 610-593-1777www.schifferbooks.com

Process documentation and training product

Global Shop SolutionsA fully integrated product within

Global Shop Solutions’ software pack-age, Global Shop Solutions’ Process Documentation and Training (PDT) automatically records the operation of any task, process, or program per-formed within the software.

As the user moves through the process, PDT records each step. At the end of the process, users can add details to any step to provide a full description of the process.

“PDT gives our customers unprec-edented ease and simplicity of process tracking,” says Chris Okamuro, vice president and chief technology officer for Global Shop Solutions. “Whether it’s a simple process like generating a sales order or a highly complex one such as building multi-level bills of materials, PDT records and elec-tronically stores the entire sequence of events in a fraction of the time required with traditional documenta-tion processes.”

PDT also identifies whether any existing recordings have changed when Global Shop Solutions updates a program or issues a new software release. To protect documentation ver-

sion integrity, managers may accept the new recording as is or mark it as replaced with another one.

“Even though PDT runs inside our software, it’s flexible enough to be used with any program that runs in Win-dows,” says Okamuro.

“Customers can also use PDT to record any service issues they’re hav-ing, allowing our customer service team to provide faster, more accurate technical support,” he says.

Contact 888-851-1248www.globalshopsolutions.com


ProductsWhat’sHot?n

Modular cast iron railing system

Wiemann Metalcraft/ Heritage Cast Iron USA

Through its subsidiary, Heritage Cast Iron USA, Wiemann Metal-craft has introduced a new modular,

code-compliant, cast-iron railing system.

Designed and engi-neered to meet height, load, and opening requirements defined by the ICC for both commercial and res-idential applications, the solid, cast gray iron, stair and balcony railing systems are part of the new Walnut Grove Collection and are supplied ready to install.

When the rail sections are prop-erly secured to the masonry or steel substrate, they may be used with or without posts.

Additionally, they interlock from one panel to the next with a tradi-

tional mortise-and-tenon detail and do not require welding for satisfactory installation, says the company.

Molded cap railing or side-mounted ADA grab rails may be added by the fabricator/installer to suit a wide range of applications.

Contact 918-592-1700www.heritagecastironusa.com

Hole saws for hand drillingCS Unitec

CS Unitec’s new hole saws are designed for applications where cut-ting with a magnetic drill is not feasi-ble, such as tight spaces where a mag-netic drill cannot easily fit and where material is too thin for the magnet to attach.

Designed for use with hand-held drills, the 1-Series and 2-Series Tung-sten Carbide-Tipped (TCT) Hole Saws cut clean, fast holes, without grind-

Magnum Hand Tube Bender

Rolls:

$699.95

Hand Tube Bender Rolls:

1 1/2” Square Tubing

1 x 1 1/2” Rectangular Tubing

Flat Bar (1/2 x 1 1/2” & smaller)

Pipe & Tubing

2” Square Tubing

1 x 2” Rectangular Tubing

Flat Bar (1/2 x 2” & smaller)

Pipe & Tubing

TUBING BENDERS

R&D Hydraulics, Mfg. and Machine Co.1431 West 5th St. Chico, CA 95928 www.rdhs.com

$499.95

1-800-200-4685

Additional Rollers Available

Cap Rails

Channels

Flat Bar (on edge hard way)

$649.95

$599.95

Magnum Hand Tube Bender Rolls:

UNIQUE ROLLING SYSTEM Works with both hand tubing benders





Pipe & Tubing

2” Square Tubing



Pipe & Tubing

TUBING BENDERS


$499.95

1-800-200-4685


Cap Rails

Channels


$649.95

$599.95







Pipe & Tubing

2” Square Tubing



Pipe & Tubing

TUBING BENDERS


$499.95

1-800-200-4685


Cap Rails

Channels


$649.95

$599.95







Pipe & Tubing

2” Square Tubing



Pipe & Tubing

TUBING BENDERS


$499.95

1-800-200-4685


Cap Rails

Channels


$649.95

$599.95







Pipe & Tubing

2” Square Tubing



Pipe & Tubing

TUBING BENDERS


$499.95

1-800-200-4685


Cap Rails

Channels


$649.95

$599.95



201307-404-A

ercolina-usa.comFor the latest bending technology – www.bendsoveramerica.com

BEWARE OF IMITATIONS!

Bending &Metalworking Machinery

Phone 563-391-7700

CML USA, Inc. Ercolina®

Rotary Draw Benders(Mandrel and Non-Mandrel)

Angle Rolls -Section Benders

Tube & Pipe Notchers Swaging Machines

QUALITY BENDS IN PIPE, TUBE, SQUARES, SOLIDS AND OTHER PROFILES


Engaging hands and hearts since 1925. Come enjoy making crafts and good friends

on 300 natural, scenic acres in western North Carolina.

John C. Campbell Folk SChoolfolkschool.org 1-800-FOLK-SCH

BraSStOwN NOrtH CarOLiNa

tHE FOLK SCHOOL changes you.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

FIRE FIRE YOUR YOUR FORGE FORGE TTODAODAY!Y!

Proven designEfficient-Reaches 2350 DegreesVersatilePortableMany Models Available

Call for Free Catalog - 800/446-6498

NC Tool Company Inc6133 Hunt RoadPleasant Garden, NC 27313336/674-5654

What’sHot?

Products

ing the core, says the company. The TCT cutting edges are designed to last longer than bi-metal edges and can be run at higher speeds and feeds to create holes accurately.

The 1-Series Hole Saws include a center pilot drill for cutting holes up to 1-inch deep, with diameters ranging from 9/16 inches to 4 inches. Cutters up to 3¼ inch in diameter feature a 3/8-inch shank, while cutters 35/16

inches in diameter and larger feature a ½-inch shank.

The 2-Series heavy-duty Hole Saws feature a spring-loaded pilot pin to easily eject the slug. The milled 3-flat shank fits ½-inch chucks. The 2-Series Hole Saws are available in diameters from 9/16 inches to 13/8 inch and drill up to 9/16 inches deep.

The hole saws are designed for use with CS Unitec’s line of hand-held electric drills, such as the EHB32 series.

Contact 800-700-5919www.csunitec.com

Glass mounting clipsThe Wagner Companies

The Wagner Companies has expanded their product line with four new, stock glass mounting clips in corrosion-resistant type 316 satin stainless steel. They are available for

15/8-inch to 2-inch diameter round posts or flat posts.

The clips are supplied with an optional security pin and are suitable for ½-inch through 5/8-inch tempered glass or laminated glass panels.

Contact 414-214-0444www.wagnercompanies.com

Heavy-duty shrinker/stretcherMittler Brothers Machine & Tool

Mittler Brothers Machine & Tool


ProductsWhat’sHot?n

has announced the newest addition to its ongoing list of metal fabrication tools — the new Jamey Jordan Signature Series Shrinker/Stretcher, Model #570.

This heavy-duty shrinker/stretcher has a 7-inch throat depth, heavy-duty construction throughout, ball bear-ings at all pivot points for smooth operation, and a cam that allows up or down action for the handle.

Interchangeable dies are available for shrinking or stretching of steel or aluminum up to .060 thick. The dies are heat treated and designed to mini-mize marking of the material.

The machine is another in the line produced by Mittler in conjunction with Jamey Jordan, including several bead rollers, oval and triangle punch and flairs.

Contact 800-467-2464www.mittlerbros.com

Hydraulic precision leveler

ARKUA new control on the Flat-

Master 55 allow users to easily produce dead-flat, stress-free metal parts, the company says, by entering as few as two values: the material type and thickness.

A touch-screen interface with icons uses a database of material properties, “expert knowledge,” part thicknesses, operating parameters, and plausibil-ity checks, which help new users to run the machine quickly with minimal training.

The new control’s built-in “optimal leveling parameters” can be fine tuned by the operator and saved as a part program for future use. The control can store up to 1,500 part programs.

ARKU’s FlatMaster hydraulic pre-cision leveler is designed to quickly deliver leveled and nearly stress-free punched, laser-cut, and flame-cut

sheet metal parts from 0.5 mm to 60 mm thick and up to 118 inches wide.

The FlatMaster makes subsequent processes, such as welding or bending, faster and more reliable, says ARKU.

Other features of the FlatMaster:n Leveling gap control, providing

good leveling results even on parts with cut-outs.

n Intuitive control, with a digital control screen that features a value database for saving individual job settings and provides recommended inlet/outlet values based on material thickness.

Contact 512-985-0500www.arku.com

abana.org

ABANA259 Muddy Fork Road

Jonesborough, TN 37659423/913-1022

Artist-Blacksmith’s Association of North America, Inc.

Join us at one of these conference locations in our series:

Washington, DC April 2-3, 2014

neW orleans, la May 7-8, 2014

Boston, Ma July 16-17, 2014

st Paul, Mn Sept 25-26, 2014

ACTIVE INTEREST MEDIA

Produced in collaboration with

registration inquiries: Carolyn Walsh 781.779.1560

[email protected]

education inquiries: Judy Hayward 802.674.6752

[email protected]

sponsorship inquiries: Peter H. Miller

202.339.0744, ext. 104 [email protected]

RegisteR Now! www.traditionalbuildingshow.com

1-4_tradbuilding.indd 1 2/14/14 3:56 PM


Advertiser’s Index

A thanks to the following advertisers for their support of O&MM Fabricator magazine.

n

Pg Company Website Pg Company Website

63 John C. Campbell Folk School ........................................www.folkschool.org

68 King Architectural Metals .......... www.kingmetals.com

13 Lawler Foundry Corp. ............www.lawlerfoundry.com

2 Lewis Brass & Copper Co. Inc. .............................. www.lewisbrass.com

9 Locinox USA ......................................... www.locinox.com

29 Marks U.S.A. ......................................www.marksusa.com

18 Mittler Bros. Machine & Tool ............................. www.mittlerbros.com

63 NC Tool Company Inc. ....................www.nctoolco.com

62 R & D Hydraulics Mfg. & Machine Co. ..................................www.rdhs.com

54 Regency Railings ...................www.regencyrailings.com

27 Sharpe Products .................. www.sharpeproducts.com

33 Spiral Stairs of America LLC ............www.spiralstairsofamerica.com

67 Stairways Inc. ..............................www.stairwaysinc.com

50 Sumter Coatings Inc. ..........www.sumtercoatings.com

64 Traditional Building ..... www.traditional-building.com

34 Tri-State Shearing & Bending ................. 718-485-2200

21 The Wagner Companies.......................www.wagnercompanies.com

Sherry Theien Advertising Director8392 Leesburg Ct. Rockford, IL 61114815-282-6000 815-282-8002 [email protected]

CONTACT

Your advertising contact forO&MM FabricatorNOMMA Buyer’s GuideNOMMA website

Advertise in the 2016 NOMMA Buyer’s GuideYour one-stop resource for shop and office personnel

The Buyer’s Guide is available in 3 versions:

1) print, 2) online, and 3) database.

Closing date November 27, 2015Contact Sherry Theien, 815-282-6000; 815-282-8002 fax; [email protected]

64 ABANA ........................................................www.abana.org

28 Albina Co. Inc.....................................www.albinaco.com

16 Big Blu Hammer Mfg. Co. / Oak Hill Iron Works ..............www.bigbluhammer.com

59 Blacksmiths Depot / Kayne & Son Custom Hardware Inc....................www.blacksmithsdepot.com

57 Julius Blum & Co. Inc. ..................www.juliusblum.com

19 The Cable Connection ................... www.thecableconnection.com

60 Carell Corporation ......................... www.carellcorp.com

17 Chicago Metal Rolled Products Co. ............................... www.cmrp.com

62 CML USA Inc. ..............................www.ercolina-usa.com

25 D & D Technologies (USA) Inc. ........www.ddtechglobal.com

22 DAC Industries Inc. ..................www.dacindustries.com

15 DKS, DoorKing Systems .................www.doorking.com

61 Eberl Iron Works Inc. ......................www.eberliron.com

6 FabCad Inc. ............................................ www.fabcad.com

23 Hebo - Stratford Gate Systems Inc. ..................www.drivewaygates.com

22 Hougen Mfg. Inc. ............................... www.hougen.com

53 International Gate Devices ..............www.intlgate.com


n

Metal Moment

Dragon Forge has the passion to do it for TV

Something on your mind? Got something to say? Got an idea? Got a tip? Got a gripe? Do you have a story to tell?Contact [email protected].

TALK TO US

By Rory May Dragon Forge Ltd.

The television show hosted by CNN’s Mike Rowe is about people with a passion.

Dragon Forge Ltd., a Pine, CO, blacksmith studio has such a passion, and it will be the subject of Rowe’s “Some-body’s Gotta Do It” program this spring on CNN.

Last August, Pilgrim Films, the program’s production company, called us to confirm that our family-owned and operated company, run by me and my dad Craig, was a good fit for this new type of reality show.

The host works, tooAn important component of the pro-

gram is that as host, Rowe gets directly involved in the work of the featured indi-viduals. After a few more phone meetings, the production company was encouraged that we could forge something with Rowe that would demonstrate our blacksmith-ing work. But we weren’t sure exactly what we’d do and how long the program crew would be at our shop.

After a weekend of brainstorming, we decided to forge a business sign for the show. “Go big or go home” was our atti-tude. If we were going to be part of this, we wanted to leave our mark.

The day before the filming, a small production team met us and scouted our shop. We thought they’d be with us for only a couple of hours; they stayed for four, interviewing us and getting secondary, b-roll footage. We also gave a small demonstration of what are known for doing — forging.

After putting on our little show, they said they would arrive at the shop the next morning and stay however long they needed to do the episode.

The next day, Mike Rowe, the show’s host, showed up ready to do what he does best: talk, crack jokes, and partici-pate in some work.

During the filming, we shared forging techniques with Mike and let him try some equipment, such as our 250-pound Little Giant power hammer, torches, forges, and hand ham-

mers. He helped us with a few tasks left to forge for the sign.

We saw Mike’s perspective broaden as the day went on. He grasped the broad defi-nition of “blacksmith” — the many specialties a smith could pursue in this craft — much more than just swords and horseshoes.

Keeping the work aliveWe were excited for the

chance to not only represent a modern blacksmithing studio, but to also share what that means through the demon-stration of our daily effort to keep the tradition alive in the

form of custom railings, lighting, fireplace doors, kitchen stove hoods, custom hard-ware, and the list goes on.

The crew stayed all day, never slowing. The final sign of the show name is 5 feet

long, 6.5 feet from the end of the points, and 34 inches tall. It weighs 110 pounds. The orange “Somebody’s” is copper and the rest is metal. We delivered it to the production company in November.

A CNN press release about the show indicates viewers will be “face-to-face with men and women who march to the beat of a different drum.”

It continues: “In each episode, Rowe visits unique individ-uals and joins them in their respective undertakings, paying tribute to innovators, do-gooders, entrepreneurs, collectors, fanatics — people who simply have to do it. This show is about passion, purpose, and occasionally, hobbies that get a little out of hand.”

For more informationn Mike Rowe’s website:

http://profoundlydisconnected.comn Mike Rowe’s Facebook page about the filming:

https://www.facebook.com/TheRealMikeRowen Dragon Forge website: www.dragonforgeltd.com

They had to do it. Rory May, left, son of Craig May, right, owners of Dragon Forge Ltd. Mike Rowe, center, host of CNN’s “Somebody’s Gotta Do It.”

Craig May, black shirt, works with show host Mike Rowe, light blue T-shirt, during filming. Craig is riveting the lower scroll detail that gets attached to the bottom of the sign. Mike was talking about the uncomfortable burn on his thumb.

4166 PINEMONT, HOUSTON, TEXAS 77018Call For Free Brochure

(800) 231-0793 • (713) 680-3110 • Fax: (713) 680-2571

SPIRAL STAIRWAYS BY ...

Beauty, Quality & Economy

in a fully assembledor kit unit.

•Any Diameter or Height

•Metal and Wood

Handrails•

Vertical and Horizontal

Railings•

Built from Steel, Wood,Aluminum, Brass,

and Stainless•

Interior/Exterior•

Stock for Fast Shipping

•Easy To Install

INCREASE YOUR PROFIT WITH

visit our websitewww.stairwaysinc.com

KingMetals_Fabricator_Jan_Ad.indd 1 12/15/14 4:11 PM

Jan/Feb 2015 O&MM Fabricator

Documents

Transcript of Jan/Feb 2015 O&MM Fabricator