Red Dot Advertising + Design

These stairs went together in relatively short order...as did the railing. 12" channel. 3" x 12" Glulam treads. 1 1/4" sq. railing with 1/2" round laterals. 1 5/8" OD handrail. 14 ga. closer plates were installed this afternoon after having been prefinished with an oil-based polyurethane.

Four-poster steel bed mock-up

Four-poster bed for Daniel Hyland Design. 2" posts. 2" angle side rails. 1 1/2" sq. tube bracing at head and foot and top perimeter.

Zart 1312 forged railing...FIN!!!

Well, it came down to the 11th hour, but the railing for Zart 1312 was indeed ready to go for Maribeth's first event on April 1. A few loose ends need to be tied up, but we're pretty much a wrap on this one. Though, Maribeth has a few more builds inside to complete. They should be great too!

Thanks go out to Terry Reeves for the milling of the mahogany molding, Nate Fetus for pitching in on the cleaning of the rails and especially April Moore for her undying eagerness to learn and heed constructive criticism. April's dedication to the build really made this job a success. Seriously, I couldn't have done a job this big in such a short period of time without her enormous contribution. You have a solid future in this field, girl!

Thanks, ALWAYS, to Miller's Custom Powder for their extraordinary generosity and hospitality.

Last but not least, thanks to Maribeth Trevillyan for trusting us in getting the job right and installed on time. It was a pleasure working on this one, despite the long, long days and nights and we look forward to knocking out that list of future endeavors.

So...cheers. I'm gonna go sleep for a couple days.

Zart 1312 forged railing - cont. Day 2 install

...two more panels installed. Four down, five to go.

Zart 1312 forged railing - cont.

Here's some pics from the past week. April and I started installation on Saturday and will continue everyday until it's finished. The mahogany molding needs to be attached to the top channel, but this is how they look inside of Zart.

Thanks Maribeth, Dennis, Daphne, Norm and "DELBERT!"

Zart 1312 forged railing

We're hard to work on the interior railing for Zart 1312's new space in downtown Des Moines. Hundreds and hundreds of feet of 3/8", 1/2" and 3/4" round steel bar has to be forged to give the appearance of growing vines...and the forging is done cold. Needless to say, we've had our cores shaken.

While we take care of the steel fabrication, Terry Reeves (below) is fashioning a mahogany molding to cover the steel channel. Finish will be raw steel with the client applying a satin oil-based polyurethane.

Haiku - booth installation...many days

Here's the progress of the Haiku built-ins after a week's worth of installation work. 2x4 frame construction with true 4/4 solid white oak. I spent the good part of Christmas Eve staining the entire build a water-based "Espresso" stain with Terry's HVLP gun. Initially, the plan was to have only a clear polyurethane topcoat - then the chairs and tables arrived. Both are finished dark. Very dark.

The booth runs are 20' and 30', respectively. Hopefully Haiku will be open within the month. Sushi anyone?

Gabriel's platform bed - delivered and assembled

Here's the final product in the fabrication process of Gabriel Saenz's platform bed. As you see above, the second photo is of the production bed this commission was based on. The feet have a little more of a sharper bevel on them and the headboard is flush with the side rails, but those are about the only differences. Oh, that, and the fact that the Factor II Fab build is ACTUAL WOOD, not particle board with some veneer glued to it.

Thanks again, Gabriel.

Gabriel's platform bed - final fabrication

Well, fabrication is finally complete on Gabriel's platform bed. Today I finished by cutting some notches in the rail cleats with a corresponding rabbet on the end of each bed slat that will fit inside each notch. The slats will then have some thin OSB laid on them to further support the mattress with there being no box spring.

The feet were fastened today as well with some 1" dowel joints. A 3" length was glued in corresponding 1 1/2" deep holes in both the rails and feet. A couple of coats of Varathane and...done.

Thanks so much, Gabriel!! This was a lot of fun to build. I can't wait to see it assembled and shot by a professional photographer like yourself.

Cheers, mate.

Gabriel's platform bed - headboard assembly

Too tired to explain everything...it should be done this week though. Hoping to get to polyurethane tomorrow.

Zart! Gallery custom doors - fabrication complete...

I was going to post some other pictures for the completed doors, but decided not to because 1.) the photos I took looked crappy and 2.) I'd hate to spoil the surprise of the actual installation going down tomorrow with D.B. Tune in tomorrow - same Ratt time, same Ratt channel!

"Maybe we can dance, dance, dance!"

Zart! Gallery custom doors III

Here was the progression of forging at the shop today. Needless to say, I'm beat. After forging the vineyard bar tomorrow, I'll begin assembly and then start oxidizing.

Cheers, all...

Bedtime

We finally have a place that this bed will fit in...barely. Thanks to Dan Dahle for lending me a hand in getting the headboard up to the master bedroom. Queen size shown here. Interested in one for yourself? I'll fabricate any size at varying price points. Contact me: info at factoriifab dot com for more info.

That's one of our cats, Pablo, on the duvet.

A House Is Never Done...

Yes, my posts have been few and far between. Yes, I've been busy building for clients. And yes, I'll be sure to get some photos of some current projects up soon. But, a few things have been consuming my time these days. Namely, Bethany (credit goes to her for the pics in this post) and I purchased a house in Des Moines in March. For the last couple of months, it's been a whirlwind of painting, plumbing, carpentry, masonry, electrical, more carpentry, MORE painting, bleeding, sweating, shivering, frustration, glee, demolition, flooring and some more painting just for good measure. Homeowners, you know what I'm talking about.

It never ends.

Especially today.

As we found out on Sunday, a queen size mattress was not going to fit up our existing stair structure due to a restrictive balustrade. I was damn determined to get that box spring up to the second floor today. That's where the demolition came in. I don't have any "before" pictures other than the old white oak balusters and railing that first lived there when the house was built. I guess frustration gave way to demolition at this point. Needless to say, I'll be fabricating a new detachable railing system in the very near future...

Additionally, I've taken a job as a line cook here in Des Moines at a place called Alba Restaurant in the East Village of downtown Des Moines. It's proved both challenging and rewarding all at the same time. It's creating and building on an entirely different level of food service I've yet to experience. Needless to say, I'm learning so much everyday...

Keep the inquiries and jobs coming...I'll be posting some of the work I've done for Daniel Hyland Interior Design in the coming weeks. He's become a dear, dear friend and a inspirational interior designer Des Moines sorely needs. Please check out his site and tell him I sent you. (He works both coasts and everywhere in between.)

So, until then, I'm gonna finishing drinking this beer, shower and hit the hay...

ISU - Phase I installation

After months of planning and fabrication, here's the sum of my collaboritive effort with Sticks Inc, in Des Moines, Iowa. Actually, this isn't the "sum," just Phase I. I'm gonna be on the road cooking/catering for "Rock The River;" a Christian music festival produced in association with Franklin Graham, Billy Graham's son. Because of this, I won't be able to install Phase II - which I think will be just as cool, if not cooler than Phase I. Thanks to Sarah Grant, Kim, Michelle, Amy, JG, Johnny A., Phil, Charlie, John McDowell, Rick, Miller Performance Powder, Bob Wagaman and everyone else who helped out on this project in one form or the other. It was quite a relief and honor to see this installed today.