- Design Process
- Why are your designs are more "left-brained" than typical art?
That's simply the way I think. I see beauty and elegance in symmetry, precision. I think in "angles" more than in "curves." A very wise friend once told me that I needed more watercolors in my life (meaning, flowing, free-form designs and thought rather than only rigid, "angular" thinking). She was right to a degree. It's good for balance in my life, but I've also decided to embrace that which comes naturally to me.
- How do you come up with your designs?
I'd like to say it's all artistic inspiration, but that's only about 2/3 of it.
Once in awhile I'll find an imperfection in the raw materials (or even occasionally make a mistake when cutting),
and the process of correcting it will lead me in directions that I hadn't previously thought of!
- I see patterns on some of the pieces. What are they?
I presume you mean the faint patterns in the metal that aren't the "brushed"
finish or obvious decorative patterns I've machined into the works.
These are the natural patterns that some of the machine tooling creates.
Personally, I like the patterns created by the cutting tools. They appeal to my sense of symmetry,
and they can be quite attractive.
On some works I've removed them, simply for variety. In some cases, I'll even
go as far as to make unique tooling to create different patterns.
- Are these patterns sharp to the touch?
Not at all. Most of the patterns created by the tools are so flat that one
can't feel them, even if one tried. Some of them are a bit more pronounced,
such as those on the lids of the boxes. These parallel patterns were created
by a band saw, and the edges were originally a bit rough. I've used special
buffing material to smooth these patterns to
avoid any possibility of one being cut or scratched by them.
- Do you consider your works "art?"
An interesting question! I certainly wouldn't put myself on a par with noted sculptors such as Da Vinci or Rodin.
I think I'll simply call what I do as being "artistic." That more defines a process instead of the end result. Someone once said "I don't know if it's art or not, but I like it." I'll go with that. If someone else wants to call my works "art," I certainly won't stop them.
My works are more than just something attractive to put on a shelf, as is most "art." My products are all useful to some degree. My metal boxes can be used to store things, my clocks accurately keep time, and so on. Many of my boxes are machined to be almost airtight,
so they can protect the contents placed in them.
- Do you have names for your pieces?
Yes and no. I do have some names for a few of the pieces, though not all of
them. Some of them just seem to have a particularly strong identity which
demands a name. But at this point, I'll keep their formal "designations" to
describe the series and materials used.
- Product Functionality
- Are all your metal boxes airtight?
No, because not all people like them that way. You see, those boxes with a tighter
fitting lid are a little more challenging to close if a person doesn't have a
typical level of dexterity in their hands.
- How durable are your works?
- They're metal- This means they're a lot stronger than many other materials.
- They're made from aluminum, brass, bronze, copper. These are very SOFT metals. As such, they can be scratched or dented if they're not treated with care.
- The felt I use to line the bottom and underside of the boxes is attached with an industrial grade adhesive. I don't expect it'll ever "let go" unless someone really tries hard to remove it.
- Care and Feeding
- Will the color of the products change over time?
The metals I use will indeed oxidize over time. I don't coat or seal them at this time.
I do this intentionally- It allows the adding of a patina or other type of decorative coating
at a later time. This gives me the flexibility to offer more finishes in the future, as well as allowing
a box's new owner to change it as they see fit.
- What is oxidation?
When referring to iron or steel, we call it "rust." It's simply the process of the metal chemically reacting with the oxygen in the atmosphere.
All of the metals I use oxidize. When referring to this process with brass, bronze, or copper it's called "tarnishing."
- Do I have to polish your products?
Do you HAVE to? Of course not. That's up to you. But without some sort of polishing, the metals will change color over time. The aluminum turns a darker grey, the brass and bronze turns a deeper yellow, and the copper could even turn green.
Many people actually like the colors changing, so they don't polish them.
- How should I care for your products?
Any good non-abrasive polishing compound for the metals should work. However, different polishes are
more suited to different finishes. I use Simichrome for polished aluminum; it's
available from many sources. For brass and bronze, I use Lightning Shine
Metal Polish and Metal Myst Maintainer by
"Wicked Products".
A light coat of paste wax after polishing will slow or inhibit the
oxidation process.
- If I scratch one of your products, can it be fixed?
Most likely, but that depends on a few things:
- Where it's been scratched
- How badly it's been scratched
- What kind of finish the product has
Some finishes are easier to repair than others. In more extreme cases I can
entirely resurface the product (or portion of it). This may slightly (and
imperceptibly) change the size of it.
If one of the products gets damaged, send an email and we'll figure out what
needs to be done. Fixing minor scratches could be as simple as sending it back
to KC MetalCraft in a self-addressed, post-paid box with $25.00 USD, and more
extensive restorations can be made on a time-and-materials basis.
Either way, we will do everything possible to ensure your KC MetalCraft
products remain in "heirloom-quality" condition.
- Environmental Concerns
- Do you use recycled materials?
Yes. Almost all of the metal I purchase is recycled. This does not mean that the
quality of the metal is sub-standard. Often the metal pieces I get are unused
scraps that are too small for larger shops to use.
- Do you recycle your scrap metal?
Absolutely. KC MetalCraft is a very environmentally-conscious shop.
When recycling metal, care must be taken to ensure that one type of
metal is not contaminated by another. KC MetalCraft takes great
care to keep the scraps and chips of different types of metal separate.
This can involve the complete cleaning of the machines between working with
different types of metals. It's a lot of extra work, but KC MetalCraft is
committed to reducing waste and landfill.
- Do you use environmentally-friendly chemicals?
Absolutely, when we use chemicals at all.
On those rare occasions when we're required to use unfriendly chemicals, we
dispose of the waste properly at hazardous materials stations.
We're conscious of the fact that
any chemicals thrown into landfill can leach into the soil and contaminate
ground water. At KC MetalCraft we believe that we all share this planet, and
we only "borrow" it for the short time which are our lifespans.
Damaging the earth serves no one.
To damage it through the careless purpose of saving time, effort and money is
nothing short of criminal.
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