Heirloom has a big night at NOMMA—And we don’t just mean awards
The NOMMA Convention is always a special weekend for The Heirloom Companies. NOMMA, of course, refers to the National Ornamental and Miscellaneous Metals Association: a loose-knit and highly skilled group of metalworks artisans from all over the country. “The NOMMA Convention is a great opportunity for the team to interact with other people in the industry,” says Ben Moseley, “and share stories and ideas.” Indeed, it’s an action-packed three days as craftsmen share their own work, learn about new techniques from others, and, perhaps most importantly, pass along knowledge and tricks-of-the-trade for the next generation of artisans.
This year, at METALfab 2015, The Heirloom Companies submitted four pieces, three of which won awards. Even more significant, perhaps, is the fact that Allyn Moseley was named the 2015 President for the National Ornamental and Miscellaneous Metals Association. “This is a tremendous honor,” says Allyn. “I am thankful for the encouragement and assistance I have received over the years from NOMMA members, and I take this role very seriously.”
The Heirloom Companies NOMMA Entries:
Category H: Furniture and Accessory Fabrication Non-Forged
Gold Award Winner
This freestanding fireplace screen was designed and fabricated for a private residence. The owner only had a very general idea of what he was looking for, which made it a challenge. The Heirloom team was able to pick up on several architectural themes in the house as inspiration for the design, represented by the arches and quatrefoils in the finished product. The concept was presented to the client in AutoCAD form, which they approved for fabrication. With virtually no forged work needed, this project was completed using plate steel cut with CNC plasma technology. Layers of steel were added to give the piece depth and complexity. Other elements such as strapping and rivets were used to suggest more traditional joinery methods, even though most connections used drilled holes and plug welds from the back. Upon completion, Heirloom was asked by the homeowner to deliver the design and carry it through to completion.
Category I: Furniture and Accessory Fabrication Forged
Silver Award Winner
The sheer size of this room dictated the need for a large chandelier, which stands more than 9’ tall and more than 6’ in diameter at the base. To begin this project, textured flat bars were bent around a circular form to create the rings needed to provide the main structure. Copper was then textured and added inside the rings and held in place with additional rings giving it a thick, heavy, “old world” look. The lights were cut out of a 3” tube and set on forged bases. Mica was heated in an oven and then rolled to fit the inside diameter of the lights giving the illumination a very warm glow. All the steel parts were wire-wheeled and a wood stain was applied to all metal surfaces including the copper. This stain was allowed to set before wiping was done to reveal and highlight the texturing. A polyurethane finish was applied upon completion.
Category L: Stairs Complete Commercial
Gold Award Winner
During the initial discovery meeting with the architect, the Heirloom team was told that this stairwell was going to be the focal point of the entire building, a Catholic school. Although the architect had a broad vision of what they wanted, the fine strokes of the design were left to the Heirloom team. The substructure was fabricated by rolling flat bar in a plate roller at an angle equal to the pitch of the stairs—two plates for the outside radius and two for the inside. These were tack-welded to a jig to form the beginnings of a box beam for each side. CNC plasma cutting was used to create the 4” wide top and bottom to finish out the beams. Once completed, the substructure weighed in at over 6,000 pounds. Railings were made from different sizes of solid round bar textured with a power hammer to produce a very organic look. The original design called for the railings to be installed on top of the box beams. At the last minute, the school administrator decided that he wanted the rails to hang off the side in order to increase the width between the inside and outside rails. This increased the complexity of the rail install significantly but with the right amount of up charge, we were able to pull it off without too much frustration. In addition to the railings on the stairs, there was 50 feet of level rail around the balcony.
We’d like to hear from you
To learn more about Allyn and the custom wood and metal works the Heirloom team creates, contact Ben Moseley at ben@theheirloomcompanies.com.