Projects

Cake Topper

2011-07-23T11:14:00.002-07:00

Today I built a cake topper. The customer wanted it to have two hearts pieced together from assorted pieces of metal. The picture that I had to go off of had kind of a grungy steam punk look to it . In the first pic you can see the individual hearts, and in the second pic is the two hearts joined together and installed onto the stand. The stand is a 5" dia plate. All of the pieces are cut from a silver plated platter and the rivets that you see are 3/32" dia solid rivets just like the ones that are used on aircraft. I told her to let it tarnish until a couple of days before the wedding and then give it a light polish so that you get that shiny silver color with the black accents around the rivets. I like the way it turned out. As always click on the pics for a larger view.

Awning

2011-05-08T20:55:00.000-07:00

This is our latest project, an awning to keep the rain off our customer as she enters her back door. In the first pic you can see the frame that gives the skin its shape. The back that attaches to the house is 1"angel iron, the rest of the frame is 1/4" round bar ,and the skin is 18 gauge sheet steel. We cut the scallops with aviation snips and welded the two Fluer-di-lis onto a short piece of round bar that protruded from either front corner. We polished the entire thing and applied a metal primer. I will post more pics as we paint and install the piece. At the bottom is a bonus pic of Matt that I am sure everyone will enjoy. Please click on any of the pics for a better view.

Pollock Memorial

2011-02-20T10:41:00.000-08:00

The Town of Pollock contacted me about building a fence around the memorial next to town hall. The Mayor decided on a prefab fence and Matt and I installed it. The fence went together fairly well and I am happy with the results, even though I'm never happy to deal with concrete. Here are some pictures, one of us assembling the fence panels and one of the finished product. As always click the pic for a larger view.

First Clock

2010-11-29T19:55:00.001-08:00

I used a little oval dish for this clock, it went together fairly easily. I had the intention of numbering it, but I felt that the little gold colored plastic numbers that came with the clock action would detract from the over all look of the piece. As you can see the rose embellishment is located in place of the numbers 12, 3, 6, and 9 ...... hopefully the roses will serve as enough of an indicator that you could tell the time by this clock. Otherwise whats the point? You can click on the pic for a larger view

Tilted Wind Chime

2010-11-29T19:35:00.000-08:00

This little chime utilizes an oval dish set on an angle so that the chimes hang in a circle. The chimes are 1 " aluminum tubing and the clackers are skeleton keys. I like the way this one turned out even though the picture doesn't do it justice. Tell me what you think, and as always click on the pic for a larger view.

Mini Bike

2010-11-23T17:01:00.000-08:00

Well this is the completed mini bike. Just covered the seat about an hour ago and mounted it. That was the last thing to do on the bike and now it is done. Since the last post I completely tore down the frame, cleaned and painted it, Then I started on the engine. That is where I ran into some trouble. The engine that was on the frame was shot, so I went and got a 5 hp briggs from the junkyard and rebuilt it. Once it was running I tried to fit it on the frame, the new motor was too tall! So I went to harbor freight and bought this Honda clone 2 1/2 hp motor. Now I have a extra motor in the shop, Darn!
I ordered a new centrifugal clutch, chain, sprocket, and twist throttle, and put the little bike together. I have ridden it around my driveway and the bike pulled me around,(although I am sure I looked like a Shriner in a parade)! I think the nephews will enjoy it.

Mini Bike

2010-10-16T11:00:00.000-07:00

I was at the local flea market/junk yard the other day and I came upon this mini bike. I asked the guy how much, and he said 25 bucks. I paid him and loaded it into my truck.
Now to most people, all they see is a non running motor and a few worthless scraps of frame tubing. If you have ever met me then you know that I love to mess with things with motors that you can ride in/on. I see a good project.
I have a nephew (or two or three) that will get a kick out of this thing.
More posts and pics to come as I rebuild it!

Aluminum tubing

2010-10-12T14:01:00.000-07:00

I decided to try a windchime utilizing aluminum tubing. I started with a rather large candle holder and attached the top of a candy dish for the clapper. I then cut the handle off of a spatula and used it to catch the wind. I cut the aluminum tube into sections that increased in size from four inches to twelve inches in one inch increments. I like the way that it turned out and it sounds wonderful. please click on the photo for a larger view.

Church Sign

2010-09-05T14:33:00.000-07:00

Lately my efforts have been aimed at a new sign for Bethel United Methodist Church, and I have run into several snags. While there are several plasma tables in the Alexandria La area, all of them are owned by companies that deal in industrial contracts. These companies are either unable or unwilling to take on a small job such as mine, and I can't say as I blame them. You see it may take any where from four to twenty hours or more to create a digital pathway or picture that the plasma machine can use as a template to perform its job. A company can spend that amount of time to create one product for me and get paid once, or they can spend that same amount of time to create that product for an industrial application and get paid hundreds or thousands of times. Well you ask, how is the small guy or the individual supposed to get his plasma cutting needs met in Alexandria? Good question! I think I may have to invest in a plasma table. Here is a picture of the old sign, and as soon as I can get the parts I need for the new sign I will post more. Thanks and I'll talk to you soon!

Targets

2010-06-25T18:08:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I went to the new gun range with PawPaw. This range has capabilities to shoot out to 300 yds. As I was putting a target up at 200 I noticed a metal swing type target. It was the only one on the range, But I would have liked one at 300 yds. PawPaw talked to the range master, and he said if we bring one he would let us put it up.

The other day I went to my local metal supplier and asked if they could cut some circles for me on the plasma table. The guy said "Sure, How thick, and how big." I got him to cut out 2 each of 9,6,and 3 inch diameter, 1 inch thick mild steel plates.

Today I Knocked together 2 sawhorses, welded chain to my plates, and put it all together. I think they will get alot of use!

News

2010-06-06T16:12:00.000-07:00

Sorry its been a while! The last couple of months I have been busy doing things that needed to be done, however none of these things were projects. This is a projects page and so I'm not going to write about mowing grass or the cute things my children have done, thats not to say that some of those things aren't noteworthy, just that this isn't the forum for those subjects. I would like to say I'm sorry and please bear with me. Now for the latest in Dezendorf Fabrication news: Matt and I ordered and received our new tubing bender and notcher, and I have several new projects in the works! Stay tuned and in the next couple of weeks and we will have some new material for you to checkout.

Thanks alot and I'll see ya soon,

Barrett

Finally Finished !!!!!

2010-02-21T13:51:00.000-08:00

Jerome's Fence is finally planted in the ground!!! I know that it has been a while since Ive written any thing regarding this project ( its been two months to be precise) . Matt and I finished that fence around the first of the year, and due to the fact that doing concrete work in the rain doesn't always end well, and the fact that its hard to haul a trailer with a broken truck, we have been staring at it leaned up against the wall of the shop ever since. Yesterday morning the sun was out, and the truck was out of the shop, it was a beautiful day. Matt picked up the auger and some concrete, I hooked up the trailer and we installed that fence!!!!!!!!! Here are some pictures, and as always click the pic for a larger view.

Fireplace Grill

2010-02-10T19:26:00.000-08:00

This is a decorative grill for a fire place its fairly simple, but its pretty. The best feature of this piece is that it will keep the kids and the dog out of the fireplace !!!!!

New Wind Chime

2010-01-01T07:33:00.000-08:00

This wind chime was commissioned by a customer that had some badly damaged pieces of a tea service and these very nice goblets. I went with the goblets! The top is the lid off of a brazing dish and the clanger is the lid of a sugar bowl. I had to search for the wind catcher and I decided to use a small bowl. I'm happy with the way it turned out but , its a heavy one. As always click on the pictures for a larger view.

Getting Closer

2009-12-13T19:10:00.000-08:00

To the end of this project that is. Matt and I worked on Jerome's fence again yesterday. We are nearing the end of fabrication with just a few finishing touches left, hopefully we will be able to knock those out and start painting the fence soon. Once the paint dries we will be ready to install. This is a shot of the post caps that are on top of every post save the two gate posts. and this is Matt mugging for the camera( he hates those safety glasses). Click for a better look.

Pewter

2009-12-03T21:51:00.001-08:00

Another wind chime! This piece was commissioned by a friend, and all the parts are from his own collection. The tea pot is pewter and is a design that I haven't run across yet. The chime is the top of a pewter sugar bowl, it has an interesting onion shaped knob on top. All four spoons are also pewter. Three of the four spoons are are from places that he visited in his life and the fourth one was a spoon from a set of pewter dishes that his grandson used as a baby. Please click on the image for a better look.

Day 2

2009-11-20T04:57:00.000-08:00

Here we go again. In the first two photos, the second half of this section is ready for pickets, so we start cutting pickets. In the next two shots all the pickets have been cut and debured, now we can install them and weld them in place. In the last two pictures we stand the fence up and install the post caps, then we can stand back and see how it looks, and see if there are any corrections or alterations that we want to make. Click the pics for a better look.

Jerome's Fence

2009-11-15T13:23:00.000-08:00

The project has commenced! Here are a couple of pictures of bundled materials. The pic on the left is the pickets that Jerome picked out and on the right is the punched c-channel that the pickets will slide through. The next couple of pictures are of Matt and I cutting three inch square tubing into fence posts. In these last two pictures you will see that the c-channel is welded to the posts and that the holes are awaiting their pickets , then we have a shot of the pickets and post caps installed and welded in place. This panel is sixteen feet long and is one of four panels that we are going to build. Two of the panels are going to bolt together to make the thirty two foot run that starts at the corner and runs up to the walkway, another panel will run between the walkway and the driveway, and the panel that you see in the picture is going to run from the driveway to the property line. Please click on the pictures for a closer look.

Skeet Thrower

2009-10-29T19:28:00.000-07:00

This is a skeet thrower welded to a chair. No its not ornate but it is fun and it wont jump off the ground anymore !!!!

New Project

2009-10-13T18:24:00.000-07:00

Wow has it been a month? I'm sorry! Anyway, Ive been given the green light on a project that has been in the works for a while now. Several months ago The Honorable Mayor Jerome Scott of Pollock Louisiana approached me to discuss commissioning an ornamental iron fence to run along the front of his beautiful home . I worked up a bid and he accepted it with the stipulation that the roofing contractor and the siding contractor needed to finish their work first(because the fence would deny them access to the house). The contractors are finally getting finished and within the next couple of days I will be ordering the metal I need to fabricate the fence. There will be plenty of pictures to post in the next couple of weeks so stay tuned !!!

Update
Here is a picture of Jerome's house. This was taken about a month ago, the roof is finished now. I ordered the steel it should arrive in a couple of days. I will keep posting as it progresses.

Trivet

2009-09-17T22:31:00.000-07:00

Today I started playing with this trivet and I decided to use half of it to make a flat wind chime. Its hard to see but I used a butter knife as the clanger and the wind catcher is the top to a small covered dish if you look closely you will see a notch on the sea shell. I believe that the notch was to allow a spoon to be left in the dish while the dish was closed. You can click on the image for a larger view

Random Parts

2009-09-16T16:02:00.000-07:00

Today I have a chime that is an odd collection of parts. The top is a bowl although I'm not sure what it would hold, the clanger is a silver dish that I modified and the wind catcher is a candy dish. All the pieces are silver but they don't really match. I like the way that it looks however and it does have an interesting chime. Please click on the photo for a larger view.

Small Teapot

2009-09-15T18:12:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone. Today I made a chime from a small teapot , note the size of the teapot in comparison to the pickle forks. This teapot might hold one cup of liquid. The wind catcher is the bottom of a candle stick. It never ceases to amaze me that you can find a seemingly endless amount of cool stuff if you are willing to dig a little. Click the photo for a larger view.

Mini Chime

2009-09-11T06:33:00.001-07:00

Hey folks. Today I have for your inspection a mini chime. I know that it is hard to judge scale in this photograph but if you will look at the wind catcher at the bottom of the chime you will notice that it is a teaspoon. Now I will direct your attention to the small spoons that ring against the lid of this tiny sugar bowl . I am at a loss as to what these little spoons are for, perhaps you could use them to get olives out of the jar without getting any juice. I just don't know, but they are interesting and they make a nice sound . Please click on the picture for a larger view.

Sugar Bowl Chime

2009-09-10T15:03:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, sorry its been a few days. I've been waiting for some more chain. I ordered some chain from an outfit in Ohio and it never came in so I started looking around and found some locally, and it was cheaper than the online store (go figure) . This chime is made from a sugar bowl with a small plate about the size of a coaster to catch the wind . Click on the image to see a larger view

Wind Chime

2009-08-23T10:32:00.000-07:00

Hi there again, here is a new wind chime Ive come up with. This one has a top made from a filigree tray and butter knives clanging against a candle holder with a spatula to catch the wind. I have acquired a bunch of silver pieces and I am awaiting a package full of more chain so there will be more shortly . See ya soon. Click on the image for a larger view.

Wind Chime 1.5

2009-08-20T18:59:00.000-07:00

Hello again. This wind chime was commissioned by the owner of the first one and is intended to be a gift to a sister. Both were crafted from some silverware that has been in the family for years , now you know why they look similar . The main difference between the two is the first was made with four pickle forks and this one has two forks and two tea spoons . The pitchers do have a few differences but the floral pattern is the same. Feel free to click for a larger view.

Large Wind Chime

2009-08-13T20:04:00.000-07:00

Hey folks here is a picture of my second wind chime. This tea pot is old and the silver has a beautiful patina. The spoons make a great ring when they clang against the lid. I am very pleased with the way it turned out. Ive got some more ideas and I'm sure there will be more to come. now its off to search the flea markets and garage sales for more pieces. Click on the picture for a larger view.

Wind Chime

2009-08-10T18:18:00.000-07:00

Hi guys this is a wind chime that was made from some assorted silver ware. The silver has a beautiful chime . For a first try it turned out nice (of course the pieces I used gave the final product its
elegance ) . I am working on a couple of others . Ill be posting some more in the next couple of days as the other wind chimes come together. As with the other entries here you can click on the pictures to get an enlarged view.

Deer Stand

2009-07-30T20:05:00.000-07:00

Hi there again! I know its been a while but here is another project that Ive been working on. Originally this was a tripod stand that blew over and was damaged. We took what metal we could salvage from the old stand and added some new metal and built a base for a box stand. I know what your thinking," its not very tall", four feet to be exact but its going to sit on a pipe line overlooking a creek bottom so it will work perfectly. There is going to be a plywood box on top but all that I was tasked with doing was building the base.

Insert Installed

2009-03-23T16:34:00.000-07:00

We had a little hiccup installing this one. We decided to use some lag bolts with decorative heads, and when we tightened down the last bolt the head popped off! Thank goodness that I had one spare. I had to run back to the shop for it and a pair of vice grips to remove the shank of the broken bolt from the door, and then carefully install the new one. I like the way that it looks behind the glass . What do ya think?

Door Insert

2009-02-22T11:59:00.000-08:00

I know it's been a while but I'm back. Here are a few pics of a project Matt and I are working on. The customer wants an insert for the front door of their house. It is going to be mounted to the door behind a large pane of glass. I will post more as we make more progress.

Window Bars

2009-02-22T11:44:00.000-08:00

Here are two pics of the ornamental iron bars that Matt and I built for my aunt. Her instrustions were that she loved fluer-de-lis and that she didnt want them to look like jailhouse bars. I think we nailed it.

Finished

2008-12-05T18:21:00.000-08:00

Here is the finished product with decorations . This stocking hanger can be decorated for any holiday or special occasion, Easter with baskets, Halloween with plastic pumpkins, or any thing else you can think of.

stocking hanger 2

2008-11-21T11:30:00.000-08:00

When we got started today we had to weld the cross and the feet together then we had to rejoin the two halves of the steel ball. After alot of grinding we got the ball looking like a sphere again. Here is the stocking hanger painted.

stocking hanger

2008-11-21T11:08:00.000-08:00

This is a project that my step mom asked me and Matt to work on for her. She wanted a place to hang stockings because the little hooks she had kept falling off the mantle. We began by welding a cross and adding accents. Our next step involved welding four scrolls together to form feet, and cutting a steel ball in half then fitting it to the feet.

intro

2008-11-01T22:13:00.000-07:00

This is the first of what i hope is many entries. This blog was created to showcase fabrication projects created by my brother Matt and myself. I hope you enjoy.