When you decide to get something fabricated for your home, one great part about the process is the control you have over the look and feel of the final product. Everything from the shape to the size to the finish is fully under your control. When it comes to a large centerpiece like a dining room or kitchen table, it’s worth the extra time to think about the process. Consider what you want the finished piece to look like and the qualities you want it to have. Here are a few popular metal finishings for your next fabrication project that might just take your piece to the next level and ensure its longevity at the same time.
Metal Plating
A metal plating finish is a great choice for your project. Many decide to choose it because of its incredible resistance to corrosion, specifically galvanic corrosion between different kinds of metals. Metal plating helps to prevent galvanic corrosion and is also very useful for stabilizing a piece that might use more lightweight materials. Metal plating is usually done with a stronger metal that can resist wear and tear over time.
Powder Coatings
For a very durable exterior to your project, a powder coating might be your best option. Powder coatings can be an excellent finish, not just for their strength but also for the look that you can get out of them. If you want to use a stronger and more durable metal yet want a different or more brilliant metallic finish, a powder coating can help. Powder coatings can leave your project with a golden, bronze, brass, or silver finish and even impart a specific texture.
Galvanization
Galvanization is a process in which one kind of metal, usually steel or iron, is given a coating of zinc. It’s a popular metal finish for fabrication projects because it wards off rust for a long time. It also gives the metal a very distinctive look that is hard to duplicate using other methods. Galvanizing helps to make metal more resistant to natural elements, making it useful for fabrication projects that you will keep outside.
Econ Welding & Fabrication specializes in custom metal furniture fabrication, and we’ll do everything we can to ensure that your project receives the perfect finish that you want it to have. Give us a call, and we’ll be glad to help you find what you’re looking for.
The bedroom in our homes should be the place where we feel the most comfortable, so it makes sense to give a little extra thought to their design and layout. Your bed is clearly the centerpiece of your bedroom, and it’s also where you spend practically a third of your life. Your bed should feel like a welcoming place where you feel comfortable getting the sleep you need. A huge part of the way your bed looks and adds to the entire room’s décor is based on the bed frame you have.
Bed frames can really make a bedroom feel completely different based on what kind you get. Not having one at all can give your bedroom a “college dormitory” kind of feel. While this might technically be your most practical option, it doesn’t make your bedroom an enjoyable place to spend so much of your time. This guide will show you how to pick the perfect modern metal bed frame for your bedroom. With the right frame, your bed will seem far more inviting and comfortable while also providing much-needed support.
Determine the Size You Can Work With
Before you need to worry about what the frame will look like or if it will match the rest of your décor, you need to know how much room you have to work with and what kind of mattress you plan to use. The room itself may be a limiting factor in how large you can make the bed frame. Even if you could technically fit a king-sized bed frame, consider how much room you would have surrounding it to walk around in. Larger beds and frames are great, but having to shimmy and sidle past them just to get to your closet will get old pretty quickly.
Find a Style That Works for You
Knowing how to pick the perfect modern metal bed frame means understanding how its design will work in your room. If you want to stick to a modern look, you’ll want to choose something with clean lines and simple designs. Being able to customize your bed frame before you buy it is the best way to make sure you get exactly what you want. A professional frame designer can give you some insight on the kind of designs that would fit best for your room’s décor, so reach out to our experts at Econ Welding.
Consider Your Mattress
The kind of mattress you plan to use will also influence your decision. In terms of weight considerations, a metal bed frame is a good choice. If you have a particularly dense and heavy mattress that you want to use, you should consider that extra weight when you’re looking at designs. Hybrid mattresses or latex mattresses pair well with a metal bed frame because they tend to be quite heavy and need the extra support. If your mattress is more of a memory foam mattress that has a lot of give to it, you won’t need to worry about weight as much, but your frame’s design may need adjusting. If you have a memory foam mattress and you choose to go for a bed frame with a lot of space between the slats that hold the mattress up, you risk the memory foam sinking through the cracks and completely ruining its ability to support you while sleeping.
Choose an Appropriate Metal
You have several options when it comes to the material that you make your bed frame out of. You may enjoy the look of one metal over the other, but remember that you can paint your bed frame as well if you want a certain metal for its unique properties rather than the way it looks. Different materials also boast different strength levels to consider. Here are the most popular metal choices for bed frames and why you may want to consider them.
Aluminum
By far the lightest weight option of this group is to choose an aluminum alloy for your bed frame. Aluminum alloys make really good bed frames for beds that need to move a lot. For example, aluminum alloy bed frames are useful for children’s bedrooms or for taking to less permanent housing such as apartments or dormitories. If you know that your particular bed may need to move around a decent amount, aluminum-based bed frames can make the job a lot easier on whoever has to carry it around.
Bronze
Bronze is a strong material that certainly makes a statement when used in a bed frame. They’re a good choice when you want the bed frame to be a feature rather than a background element of the room. They can be heavy, but that extra weight also means they are quite sturdy and can hold up over time. Bronze is also very resistant to rusting and has a distinctive color that you may want as an accent in your bedroom.
Brass
Brass is a good middleman option between bronze and aluminum. While it isn’t as strong as bronze, it is still stronger than aluminum. It may not be as lightweight as aluminum, but it’s still easier to move around than bronze. Brass bed frames tend to be great for designing a frame that’s a little more ornate than your typical frame. Four-post beds were originally crafted from brass, and their design style has stuck around for many years.
Iron and Steel
The heaviest and sturdiest choice of the lot is to go with an iron or steel bed frame. In terms of ornately designed bed frames, many that are available for sale are made of iron or steel. It takes extremely skilled craftsmen to design a beautiful bed frame from iron or steel, and the intricate metalwork can really make a statement in your bedroom. These bed frames tend to be the most durable and long-lasting of your bed frame material options, too.
Choosing the perfect bed frame doesn’t have to be a hassle to deal with. Here at Econ Welding & Fabrication, we specialize in customizing incredible furniture pieces from the strongest materials available. If you need a welded steel bed frame and want it to match your home’s décor, we can help make your vision come to life.
What To Consider When Choosing the Right Table Size
Whether you’re setting up your main dining room or putting in a new kitchen table, size will be one of the most important things to think about when you’re choosing a design. The last thing you want is to buy a table and realize that it’s way too big to fit comfortably. On the other hand, a table that’s too small to fit everyone comfortably will get frustrating in a completely different way. It’s worth it to take some time and do some measurements before you decide on a size. Here’s what to consider when choosing the right size table for any room in your home.
Total Floor Space
Even if you have a large house overall, the room you need the new table in might have space limitations that will inform your size decision. Do you have a bar in the room you’d like to have easy access to? Is there a buffet table against one wall that you need to leave enough space for? Calculating your usable floor space is the first step in finding out how big of a table you need. Remember that all that floor space can’t just be for the table, and that you need to consider the rest of your furniture, as well as thoroughfares for people to walk around it comfortably.
Number of People
An important thing to consider when choosing the right size table is how many people will use it on a regular basis. Obviously, you need the table to accommodate every member of your family, but you should also consider the other people who regularly sit at the table. Maybe your children bring friends over to eat fairly often, or you invite nearby family members over to hang out every weekend. These kinds of variables could mean that a larger table will actually suit your home better, even if your immediate family only has a few members.
Clearance Around the Table
The best rule of thumb to follow when it comes to clearance around the table is to have about three feet of space. Each side of the table should be about three feet away from the nearest thing in the room that also takes up walking space, whether that’s another piece of furniture or just the wall itself. By using these measurements, you can easily determine how large of a table that room can feasibly handle.
When you know how big a table you need and you want a custom metal table frame to make your table really pop, Econ Welding & Fabrication can turn your dream into reality! Call us today to discover what options you have available for your new table.
5 Popular Table Leg Design Styles You Need To Know About
Creating and customizing furniture often makes people pause once they get into the smaller details. The design of table legs isn’t something that most people consciously think about until the time comes when they wish to design a table for themselves or find a table that matches their design aesthetic. A table leg’s design can actually say quite a bit about the design of the table as a whole and the entire room. We’ll show you a few popular table leg design styles you need to know about if you want to customize your own furniture in a specific way.
Cabriole Table Legs
Cabriole legs are a more decorative choice that doesn’t sacrifice functionality. These table legs have a high-set knee that strongly curves outward, then flows into an ankle that curves inward instead. Cabriole table legs usually have more decorative feet as well. These legs are common in “claw-foot” furniture, and they add a sense of regal style or elegance to a piece of furniture, whatever it might be.
Marlborough Table Legs
Marlborough legs are a popular table leg design style to know about because of their simplicity and customization options. At their most basic, Marlborough legs are square and straight, and they tend toward the thicker side. While they can be very simple if you want them to be, you might also find Marlborough table legs with intricate carvings that make them really stand out.
Saber Table Legs
If you’re familiar with the bladed weapon called the saber, you already have an idea about these legs’ shape. They’re concave legs that slightly flare out into a gentle curve, the curve being the origin of these legs’ name. The saber leg has a little more style than a simple straight leg, and it has been around for a while because of its timeless appearance and feel. They look good whether they’re on new furniture or antiques.
Fluted Table Legs
Fluted legs refer to straight table legs with vertical designs, such as long grooves or channels, carved or engraved into them. Many people believe this style of table leg came from trying to replicate the look of large columns of stone from ancient Greece. On the other end of the spectrum are reeded legs, which are similar but have grooves or channels raised up rather than carved.
U-Shaped Table Legs
Due to its much more modern take on table legs, the U-shaped table leg is for the furniture design that offers a more subtle approach. U-shaped legs appear exactly how you imagine, except they don’t usually have a curved bottom; they look like a square or rectangle with an open top. U-shaped table legs are an excellent choice for stability in tables that will have very heavy tops on them.
If you’re looking for customized welded steel table legs that match your design style, Econ Welding can make your vision a reality. Contact us today.
A table in any room will almost always draw a large amount of attention when people first walk in. This makes it a good idea to put some serious thought into how you want to create your table so that every part of it can shine and look its best. There are a lot of factors to consider when designing a table, be it a centerpiece dining table or even just a nightstand to put next to your bed. Both the top of the table and the legs that support it will require careful consideration as to how you want them to look and the feel you want to give them.
Choosing metal table legs for your table project can seem overwhelming when you have an abundance of different designs and aesthetics to choose from. Here at Econ Welding, we want to make sure you’re happy with your choice for many years to come. That’s why we’ve created this guide on how to choose metal table legs for your projects. Using these tips, you can feel confident in knowing what your table needs the most and how you can match those practical needs with a design that you’ll enjoy for a long time.
Determine Your Aesthetic
While practicality is certainly important, especially for larger tables that will take up more room, it’s usually a good idea to begin with the style of table you want or the aesthetic you want the room to have as a whole. Figuring out the style of your table’s top and legs is the better place to start because you can then work backward to a practical solution that incorporates the design elements you want the most.
If you want something that really grabs people’s attention, don’t be afraid to go flashy or ornate with your table legs, as you can always offset them. You can even add more design elements to them by choosing a tabletop that complements their look. If the top of the table will be the most eye-catching part, a simpler and more subtle set of table legs can help ensure that the focus stays where you want it the most. Does your home have an aesthetic already, such as industrial or farmhouse? Metal table legs that match the house’s aesthetic leave you more room to play around with the design of the tabletop instead.
Decide on the Table’s Purpose
After you decide on a style you enjoy, you can start to look at the more practical aspects of the table. As we’ve mentioned, a long dining table and a small table near your home’s front door will need wildly different table legs because of their individual purpose. Heavy-duty legs made from high-gauge steel are your best option for tables that will see a lot of use and that need to hold up a lot of weight. You’ll want heavy-duty table legs for pieces such as dining tables, coffee tables, and work desks.
Lighter duty legs aren’t without their benefits, though. A table that might need to move around a lot more would benefit greatly from thinner and lighter table legs. Side tables and nightstands are the best candidates for metal table legs that aren’t overly thick and bulky.
Consider Your Top’s Material
It’s often the case that the top of the table will influence the final choice of table legs. You have a wide variety of choices for tabletops: woods of all kinds, different types of stone or concrete, or even glass. The material that makes up the top of your table might change your needs when it comes to the table’s legs. Certain kinds of legs may not be compatible with the tabletop you were leaning toward. You’ll also need to consider the type of hardware you’ll need to fasten the tabletop to the legs. Here are some things to consider for the major types of tabletops you’ll usually choose from.
Wood
Wooden tabletops are a classic choice, and the wide variety of wood species and finishes gives you a lot of room to work with if you’re trying to match the table to the design of the rest of your home. Wooden tabletops require lag bolts, wood screws, or threaded inserts to make sure they stay secured to your metal table legs. Wood runs the entire spectrum when it comes to weight, with some species being far heavier than others, so don’t commit to a particular kind of wood until you know all of its properties.
Glass
The fragility of glass, even extremely thick sheets of it, will require additional support to make sure nothing can harm it. For the majority of projects that use a glass tabletop, you’ll need to have a cross-support in place with the table legs to support the entire sheet of glass. Glass tables can be extremely beautiful, but be aware that they are heavy and need careful consideration.
Stone
While stone doesn’t have quite as many options compared to wooden tabletops, a stone top table does have a special kind of appeal, especially if you go for a more luxurious option such as marble or quartz. These kinds of tabletops share the same issue as glass ones: they can be exceedingly heavy and require a good amount of support to stay strongly situated. Depending on the material, it’s possible to get away with only using special concrete bolts for stability. For heavier projects, a stone top table will also need a cross-support in place.
Weigh Out Your Table’s Top
As you can see, the weight of your table’s top plays a major role in deciding the kind of table legs you require. The custom metal table legs we offer here at Econ Welding & Fabrication can withstand the weight of most materials when they are a typical table size. If you have plans to create an exceedingly large or long table, you may require a more customized version of our typical table legs to support the extra weight.
Now that you have a better idea of how to choose metal table legs for your project, you can get it done and feel proud of the final product. If you have any questions about finishing your project as successfully as possible, don’t hesitate to contact us with your questions or concerns. We’ll be glad to help you find exactly what you need.
Wood vs. Metal Bed Frames: Which Is the Right One for You?
A nice, solid bed frame isn’t just useful for providing support to your bed; it can also be a huge aesthetic part of your bedroom. Many people struggle with deciding on a bed frame that they’ll enjoy for the long haul. It’s an investment, and if you’re planning to get a new one, it isn’t a decision to take lightly since you’ll likely have it for a long time. This article will go into the details of wood and metal bed frames and which one is right for you to give you a better idea of what will work better for your needs.
Size and Cost
If cost is a major factor in your decision, then the size of the bed frame itself matters quite a bit more. Smaller bed frames made of metal will usually cost you less than a comparable wooden bed frame. However, the larger your bed frame needs to be, the stronger the metal that it is made from needs to be as well. This can make larger metal bed frames more expensive and bring them closer in line to the price of wooden bed frames.
Sturdiness of Construction
Because larger metal bed frames use sturdier metal in order to hold the weight of the bed up, they tend to have the longest lifespans and can hold the most weight. Metal bed frames also boast a much higher resistance to accidental damage, such as something bashing into the frame. While wooden bed frames can sometimes hold more weight, they are more susceptible to damage over time from incidents and poor care.
Space Considerations
If you want to determine if a wood or metal bed frame is right for you, consider how much space you have to work with. Wooden bed frames are often bulkier and take up more of the space they occupy. On the other hand, metal bed frames usually have slimmer components, allowing you to use more of the space under and around the bed for other things.
Design Variety
In terms of design variety, a metal bed frame will give you more options. Customized wooden bed frames that aren’t very simple in their design can cost a lot more and take much longer to get. If you want a decorative bed frame for your bed, a metal frame gives you a little more flexibility in the shapes it can take, making it easier to match your bedroom’s aesthetics.
Econ Welding & Fabrication offers custom welded bed frames so you can enjoy the frame you’ve always dreamed of having for your bed. Call us today to get started on creating the bed frame that is perfect for you.
Choosing the Right Type of Table Base for Your Design
Many people don’t consider how much thought goes into making a piece of furniture until they have to do it themselves. Creating a beautiful and functional piece of furniture like a table requires careful forethought into its intended use and placement. Even if you know what you want the tabletop to look like, finding the right base for it can seem overwhelming when you look at all your choices. We’ll help you choose the right type of table base for your design so that you can get exactly what you need.
Seating Considerations
Depending on the shape of the tabletop, you may want to consider how the base will allow you to set up chairs around it. A round table allows for a more central base that can leave room for more chairs around it. However, if you have an ovular or rectangular table, the base’s design and shape can affect how many it can seat. If you know how many people will typically sit at the table, you can weed out table base designs that won’t work for you.
Choosing the Right Height
Height is one of the most important factors to consider when choosing the right type of table base for your design. If you can determine your table’s height by designing its base, like you do when you work with us here at Econ Welding, you have a lot of wiggle room when it comes to usability. Matching your table’s height to comfortably fit the chairs you plan to set around it makes for a much more functional table.
Solid Support
The materials you choose for both your table and its base will inform the designs you can go with. Heavier materials, such as denser wood or stone, will require a suitably sturdy base to withstand the extra weight. Your base may need to be wider or made from stronger material to support the weight of a heavier table over time.
Matching Finishes
Aesthetics matter just as much as functionality when you’re designing a table. You don’t want your table’s finish to differ wildly from the finish of the base itself. A stainless-steel finish for your metal table base can look impressive, but if it clashes with the design of the tabletop, the whole piece will look out of place and awkward. You don’t always need to match the finishes, but doing so can create a more cohesive piece of furniture.
If you’re looking for a high-quality base for your table, check out our store pages for some incredible options. A metal trestle table base might be exactly what you need to create a striking and eye-catching piece of furniture that you’ll love.
Difference Between Mass-Produced vs. Handcrafted Furniture
Finding the perfect furniture for your home might not take very long if you don’t particularly care what you’re getting. For those of us who value the look and feel of our home’s furniture, there are actually quite a number of decisions to make when looking at potential options. Differences in style are a common sticking point for many homeowners, but the source of the furniture should also be a factor that you consider. This is because there is a large difference between mass-produced and handcrafted furniture.
While one option isn’t necessarily better in every aspect, it’s important to know how they differ so you can decide what to invest in. This knowledge might help you avoid annoyances in the future that involve your furniture breaking down or going out of style. We’ll take you through some of the most important ways that handcrafted and mass-produced furniture differ so you can make a more informed decision for your home’s décor.
Quantity vs. Quality
Comparing quantity versus quality is one of the easier ways to see the differences between mass-produced and handcrafted furniture, it’s right in the name after all. Mass-produced furniture is all about cranking out as many of the same piece of furniture as possible as fast as the manufacturer can manage. This mass production of furniture does offer some benefits in terms of price, but you should know that you will have to settle for lower-quality craftsmanship, as most of these mass-produced pieces get made in enormous factories by machines.
If having high-quality furniture is something you strive for, handcrafted furniture is really the best way to go. Handcrafted furniture often contains much higher quality materials such as sturdier wood varieties or stronger metals. For example, our custom metal desk legs are made with high-quality steel that will last you a long time. When you invest in quality handcrafted furniture, you’re investing in a piece that will last much longer than a flimsy mass-produced one. Handcrafted furniture pieces are often passed down through generations because the careful craftsmanship ensures their quality for many years into the future.
Sustainability of Materials
Sustainability is a much newer concern for furniture buyers, but it’s quickly becoming something that people take into account very heavily. If you care about the sustainability of your furniture, you owe it to yourself to learn where a manufacturer or craftsman sources their materials. Handcrafted furniture made by a skilled artisan will usually take sustainability into account far more than a large manufacturer. Large manufacturers need to focus on making larger quantities, meaning they will skirt around sustainable material harvesting practices if it saves them money.
Another issue to consider is how your furniture gets to you. When you buy your furniture after it gets made in a massive factory overseas, it needs to travel a long way to get to you. This usually involves shipping it on enormous freighters that pollute our air and water. Buying from a more local artisan can cut down on the overall carbon footprint of your furniture, allowing you to enjoy the piece with a little less guilt over harming the planet just for a table or a place to sit.
Availability
If you need a piece of furniture and you don’t want to wait for it, you’ll have more luck with mass-produced furniture than with handcrafted furniture. The availability of handcrafted furniture is limited to how quickly the crafter can work on and finish individual projects. Mass production facilities don’t have this issue and they’re able to pump out scores of furniture pieces much faster than any small workshop could.
The downside of choosing the furniture that is always immediately available to you is that you won’t get something that you can count on for a long time. Corners get cut all the time in the construction of these pieces so that manufacturers can churn them out at a faster rate. If getting furniture that is higher quality isn’t a concern and you’d rather simply get a piece right away without waiting, you can go for a mass-produced piece. However, don’t be surprised if you have to head back to the store not long afterward to buy the same thing again.
Customization Options
One of the reasons that large manufacturers can create so many pieces so quickly is because every piece is made to the same exact specifications. Every one of them uses the same materials and they’re put together exactly the same way. For homeowners that want their homes to look unique and show off their individuality, you want to avoid these pieces of furniture. You’d be surprised how quickly your home can look like everyone else’s when you buy all your furniture from mass producers.
Customizability is one of the biggest benefits of choosing handcrafted furniture from an artisan shop. Maybe you have other furniture that you want to match it with or you’re going for a specific style that doesn’t match any of the options you see in big box stores. That’s where the ability to customize your furniture gives you a strong sense of empowerment. We are always ready to customize a piece of furniture so it will look exactly the way you’ve always wanted it to.
Price Differences
There’s no denying that there is a noticeable price difference between mass-produced and handcrafted furniture. Because large factories can take advantage of economies of scale, they can price their furniture cheaper than normal. Combine this with the fact that these factories use lower quality materials, and you can see why their furniture is usually such a bargain. If price is a concern, this furniture will get the job done, but probably not for too long.
Handcrafted furniture is often the more expensive option, but furniture is a classic example of, “You get what you pay for.” In the long run, this furniture will last you much longer, possibly saving you money down the line. Choosing handcrafted furniture is certainly a larger investment upfront, but it pays off in how much use you get out of the piece.
Here at Econ Welding & Fabrication, we take great pride in our handcrafted furniture. We don’t cut any corners when it comes to quality craftsmanship. If you have a piece you’d like to commission or customize, contact us today to explore your options.
When it comes to the big, eye-catching pieces of furniture in your home, you really have two options. You can choose a mass-manufactured piece from a factory far away, or you can choose to go for American-made furniture. Why does this distinction make a difference? We’ll go over some of the biggest benefits of buying American-made furniture so that you can make an informed decision.
Higher Quality Craftsmanship
Companies that mass produce furniture only focus on one thing: getting as many products out of the door as they can. This means they don’t take as much care with the quality of their craftsmanship. American-made furniture has much more thought in its design. Furniture creators in America don’t cut corners with cheap materials, giving you a much higher quality product.
Furniture That Stands the Test of Time
One of the biggest benefits of buying American-made furniture is how long it can last you. Because the focus is on quality instead of quantity, American-made furniture won’t let you down after a few years of use. You might find yourself passing down high-quality American furniture to your loved ones because it’ll still be functional and eye-catching that many years later.
More Focus on Sustainability
If sustainability is a concern for you, buying from a company that mass produces its furniture isn’t the way to go. Factories often don’t practice sustainable wood harvesting and lack proper material recycling programs. Getting an American furniture maker helps support more sustainable methods of building high-quality furniture.
Supporting Jobs at Home
By buying American-made furniture, your money directly supports people in your community. This goes beyond just the crafters; it also helps the designers and other staff who contribute to making that furniture. So you support all these community members instead of a random factory in a different country. This can allow smaller American companies to expand and create more jobs for more Americans as well.
Larger Customization Options
You probably don’t want your home to look just like everyone else’s. That’s why furniture customization is so important. Your local American furniture crafter can give you far more options for customization than you would get when buying from somewhere much farther away. You can check out our custom metal furniture fabrication to see how many options you really have.
Econ Welding & Fabrication is a company originating from the United States. For beautiful, customized furniture you can’t get anywhere else, you should check out our store page for more information.
