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1 ph fax Metal types, processes, finishes, and coatings all contribute to the use and appearance of the final product. Understanding these variables should help you in your selection of your Custom Iron product. We hope that this information will also enhance your appreciation of the metal product that you have selected. From the basics about materials, through the processes, weld types and fabrication grades, we show you the raw and processed options that will become your readyto-install product. For most of you, that product will include a coat of paint. We offer natural finishes and many paint colors. The combination of metal finish and coating options available provides a very large selection. If you do not see something here, please ask. You can even ask us to match the color on your new Custom Iron metalwork to the color on your grandmother s antique lamp. The Custom in Custom Iron applies to textures, finishes, and paint colors too. Custom Iron paints, finishes and textures add character and color to your designs. Customize your next project with our quality paints and finishes. Custom Iron Paint + Finishes 1

2 Iron is in our name. Steel, stainless steel, aluminum, brass, copper, and iron are in our products. Pure iron metal is not often used in commercial applications, but is usually alloyed with carbon or other metals. The pure metal is very reactive chemically and rapidly corrodes, especially in moist air or at elevated temperatures. The most common metal we use at Custom Iron is a carbon steel alloy. Steel Carbon steel is a non-magnetic alloy of iron with small amounts of Manganese, Sulfur, Phosphorus, and Silicon. The foundry process for steel varies widely and many different steel products are available. Custom Iron uses American furniture grade steel and other plain carbon steels for the majority of our products. Aluminum Aluminum is a light weight non-ferrous metal. Custom Iron uses high grade aluminum alloys for our aluminum products. We recommend aluminum for exterior installations. Brass Brass is a relatively soft alloy of copper and other metals. Brass alloys vary greatly and are sometimes referred to as a type of bronze. Custom Iron uses brass and bronze alloys that are highly similar in color to each other. We refer to all yellow-tinted copper alloys in the brass or bronze family as brass. The price and availability of the alloys Custom Iron uses for our products might vary. If the specifications for these alloys are critical to your application, please inquire at the time you place your order. ph fax TO4CH TO6R TO8A Many of Custom Iron s forged balusters and newels begin with a basic square steel bar from 1 2 to 1". Other interesting alternative materials in steel are available such as these steel profiles (TO4CH, TO6R, TO8A), available in 20' lengths. Stainless Steel Stainless steels are corrosion resistant iron alloys. Stainless steel resists ordinary rusting in most architectural applications. The corrosion resistance of stainless steel arises from a passive, chromium-rich, oxide film that forms naturally on the surface of the steel. Special care must be taken during the fabrication process to maintain corrosion resistant properties. Copper Custom Iron uses copper in ornamentation such as embossed copper handrails or copper baskets on a steel baluster. Cast Products Cast metal products are special alloys that are liquefied and then poured into a mold or cast. Cast products direct from the foundry exhibit imperfect surface texture and visible casting lines. Many Custom Iron baluster ornaments (such as collars and medallions) and bases are a cast metal material. * The price and availability of the alloys Custom Iron uses for our products might vary. If the specifications for these alloys are critical to your application, please inquire at the time you place your order. 2

3 ph fax Material details Surface variations in the metal are a natural result of metalworking. The surface texture, color, and uniformity affect the finished appearance of the metal piece that will also vary depending on the coating selection. The three main categories of steel and iron material that we use at Custom Iron are: hotrolled steel, cold-rolled steel, and malleable iron. Hot-rolled (or mild ) steel is formed in the foundry using heat and pressure. Hot-rolled steel is more easily bent than cold-rolled steel and therefore, many of Custom Iron s products use hot-rolled steel. When the hot-rolled steel used to create panels and railing systems arrives from the foundry, it is covered in mill scale, a scaly oxidized surface on the steel that results from heating and hot rolling. Additional handling at the factory (twisting, bending, heating, etc.) removes the mill scale from the handled areas, producing mill scale variations on the surface. Cold-rolled steel is formed without heat, using intense pressure. Cold-rolled steel does not have mill scale and the material therefore has a smoother and more uniform surface. However, cold-rolled steel is not easily formed and it is not used for twists, scrolls, and other bent and embossed products that Custom Iron produces. Malleable iron is a sand cast annealed iron purchased from a casting foundry. The malleable iron alloy is melted and cast in forms. Once cast, malleable iron loses some of its malleable characteristics. Malleable cast iron is stronger and less brittle than traditional cast iron. Custom Iron offers malleable iron balusters in custom lengths and with various levels of finish grades. Metal processes Custom Iron offers embossed surface textures for most sizes of square bar, rectangular bar, square tubing, and round bar. Hand-forged embossing is done the old-fashioned way with hammer and anvil. Hand-forging is a time consuming operation that produces the classic irregularities associated with traditional iron products. Most Custom Iron product textures are produced with special dies. Embossing with a die produces fairly uniform patterns or textures in the raw material. The appearance of the embossing differs depending on the type, size, and shape of the raw material. Power hammering is an alternative to hand-forging and it most closely resembles hand-forged material. When power hammering, the hammer operator initiates the hammer drop with a foot pedal for the length of the bar. Mill scale on twist baluster Hot rolled steel with one cold rolled round bar Brushed and polished bases For more information about Custom Iron s embossing options, see the Options tab. Polished surfaces reveal a brilliant glossy finish through a tumbled and mechanical process. Custom Iron s brass baskets are most often polished in this way. Brushed surfaces have a matte finish that shows the sanding marks. 3

4 NOMMA #1 NOMMA #2 Photos NOMMA. Used with permission. Welds Custom Iron wrote the book on weld standards. Our expert metalsmiths worked with the National Ornamental and Miscellaneous Metals Association (NOMMA) to create the NOMMA standards that exist today. The majority of Custom Iron products are fabricated using a combination of NOMMA #2 and #3 weld finish standards. Some product materials and designs restrict the type of weld finish standards that are possible during normal fabrication. Please inquire about pricing and availability for other weld finish standards. NOMMA #3 NOMMA #4 Fabrication Finish Options for Malleable Iron Malleable iron direct from the foundry has an irregular rough textured surface overall that reveals casting lines, voids, and other imperfections. As Custom Iron works with the material to lengthen or add ornamentation for a specific job, we add marks to the piece. Lengthening a malleable iron baluster produces irregular flat or smooth areas on the piece. Custom Iron offers three finish grades for our malleable iron products: ph fax Foundry Grade (FG) As received direct from the foundry. High level of surface texture variations and high level of variation from piece to piece. Not recommended for most applications. Commercial Grade (CG) Pieces from the foundry are selected for job uniformity and the largest variations are cleaned up. Cast lines are still evident. Architectural Grade (AG) Commercial grade malleable iron that is cleaned up to a higher degree and sandblasted to minimize the surface texture variations. Because of the irregularities that will be evident with any of the finish grades, we recommend a painted finish for all malleable iron products. Custom Iron takes special care in handling sandblasted products. Any residue (such as skin oils or fabric threads) must be removed before the paint coating is applied. Foundry grade FG primed Commercial grade CG primed Architectural grade AG primed 4

5 ph fax Fabrication and Finish Options for Clear Coated Metal Railing Parts Welds, tool, dye, and grind marks are part of the fabrication process. Those who enjoy the rugged look of handmade metalwork will want to display these as fabricated marks of the craft. Other customers will want to minimize the appearance of these marks. For customers ordering a Clear Coat finish on balusters or panels, Custom Iron offers two grades of fabrication for Clear Coat preparation: Clear Prep 2 and Clear Prep 1. Clear Prep 2 is the standard fabrication for Custom Iron products. A painted finish covers the color distinction of grind and tool marks, but will still leave some metal surface variations. Clear Prep 2 is Custom Iron s as fabricated product. The mill scale from the foundry is left intact in areas where no additional process occurred, and it is absent from the worked areas. These mill scale variations along with the tool and grind marks are left as fabricated and the piece is clear coated in our Clear Coat 2 finish. Clear Prep 1 is an upgrade to prepare for clear coating. The piece is specially fabricated to conceal tool and grind marks and is then lightly sanded over raised surfaces to highlight the texture variations before the clear coating is applied. This method works best where the basic metal of the piece has a varied topography such as with hammered and chiseled bar or with any of the twisted or scrolled balusters. Clear Coat on Clear Prep 2 Uncoated Clear Prep 2 (left), Uncoated Clear Prep 1, (right) Clear Coat on Clear Prep 1 5

6 Fabrication and Finish Options for Clear Coated Spiral Stairs The materials and methods used to fabricate Custom Iron spiral stairs differ from the balusters and panels of our metal railing systems. Due to the dissimilar materials used in fabrication of steel spiral stairs, we do not sell spiral stairs with either of our Clear Coat finishes. For spiral stairs and the companion railings, we offer an antiqued iron finish: Spiral Antique Natural. First, the edges of the square tubing are lightly sanded. Then, using a mixture of clear coating and black pigment, sanding and grinding marks are covered on the flat surfaces. Finally, the entire stair and companion rail are sprayed with a clear top coat. Spiral Antique Natural finish is best suited for use on spiral stairs with textured balusters. ph fax Spiral Antique Natural finish 6

7 ph fax Paint and clear coatings Custom Iron Paints Custom Iron paints are electrostatic sprayed industrial liquid paints. Our paints offer a versatile range of colors at a reasonable price. To minimize lead times, we package and ship items to allow the cure process to continue in transit. Care must be taken when handling items during installation. Powdercoat Options Powdercoat colors are dry pigments applied with an electrostatic process and then baked on for a lasting and durable finish. No additional cure time is required. Please inquire about the price and availability of powdercoat finishes. Indoor/Outdoor Most Custom Iron Classic and Medallion paint colors are suitable for both indoor and outdoor installations. Artifact, Clear Coats, and Natural series coatings are not suitable for outdoor installations. Please let us know at the time you order whether your purchase is to be installed indoors or outdoors. Dark Bronze on Spanish Gate panel (10620) Paint Sheens Most Custom Iron standard paints are a semi-gloss to high-gloss sheen. Black, still our most popular color, is available in three sheens: flat (matte), satin, and high-gloss. If you ordered regular black in the past, then you received the satin black finish. Please inquire about sheen options for other standard paints. Clear Coat Options Clear Coating is a hard and glossy clear finish available for panels, balusters, and newels. There are two grades of Clear Coat preparation before the clear coating is applied. Clear Coat 2 reveals as fabricated marks. Clear Coat 1 minimizes fabrication marks. See the information about Fabrication Finishes in this section of the catalog for more details. Wax For the ultimate natural finish that celebrates the rugged beauty of metal, choose Custom Iron s Wax finish. To create a Wax finish, the piece is heated and the hot wax is brushed on by hand. The piece is then rubbed and buffed to a smooth matte finish. The Wax finish is very durable and easily maintained. Wax finish on baluster basket Outdoor spiral in verdigris 7

8 Spiral Antique Natural Spiral Antique Natural is a pigmented clear coat option available for spiral stairs. Due to the dissimilar materials used in fabrication of spiral stairs, other clear coat or wax options are unsuitable. The Spiral Antique Natural finish blends the dissimilar materials and when used on hammered or other textured materials, produces a beautiful iron-like effect. Custom Iron Artifact Series We create each Custom Iron Artifact series color through a combination of paints. Artifact paint options will vary according to the product to which they are applied. Some types of product are better suited to an Artifact finish than other types. The experts at Custom Iron will help you determine which finish is right for your product. Gilding In the traditional manner, metallic pigment is lightly rubbed on to surface of the piece. This method highlights the surface texture and is best suited for product that has variations in the texture. Not recommended for smooth bar. ph fax Custom Iron color matching available Ornamental Highlighting The ornamental pieces on a baluster baskets, collars, scrolls, etc. are chosen to add interest and beauty to a metal railing system. If the selected ornamentation is not made from a contrasting metal, you can highlight these areas with a contrasting paint color. Ask us about ornamental highlighting. Silver plated base Color Matching Can t find what you want in the catalog? Custom Iron offers a color matching service. Send us a sample and we will send back our match for homeowner approval. For multi-hued samples and other color effects, the matching process can be quite complex. Sometimes this requires several approval attempts. We will do our best to achieve a finish that will be highly similar to the original sample. Plating Galvanized, chrome, silver, and gold plating are available upon request. Dark Verdigris paint with gold highlights. 8

9 ph fax Verdigris Dark Verdigris Rusty Black Rusty Brown Buried Treasure Iron Shadow Spiral Antique Natural Wax Due to paper and ink variations, the colors as shown here may vary from actual painted samples. We have made every attempt to match colors as accurately as possible to the final painted product. Do not use this color sample guide as a source of accurate specification. Please request a metal finish sample before making your final selection or before placing an order. Artifact The natural variations to the Artifact colors are inherent in the complex wash or hand-applied process. These variations produce the desired antiqued look. Artifact and Natural series finishes are suitable for indoor use only. Natural Custom Iron Natural finish options vary depending on the product. See the information about Fabrication Finishes in this section of the catalog for more details. 9

10 Medallion Medallion series paints offer rich metallic hues and scenic, natural tones. All Medallion series paints are suitable for both interior and exterior applications.* * Clear Coat is not suitable for exterior applications. Dark Pewter $ Silver Pewter $$ Brushed Nickel $$ Light Bronze $$ Dark Bronze $$ Burnt Copper $$ ZP-31080G ZP-31092G ZP-31119G ZP-21126G ZP-21196G ZP-21128G ph fax Terratone $ Sandstone $$$ Midnight Blue $ Forest Green $ ZP-IC-0636-TE ZP-IC-1651-TA ZP-11114G ZP-IC-0635-FG Clear Coat 1 $$ Classic Classic series paints include a timeless selection of colors that will complement any style. Black Satin $ Brown $ Brick $ ZP-IC-9631 ZP-IC-0535 ZP-IC-0535-BK ZP-IC-1645 ZP-IC-1531 Clear Coat 2 $ Due to paper and ink variations, the colors as shown here may vary from actual painted samples. We have made every attempt to match colors as accurately as possible to the final painted product. Do not use this color sample guide as a source of accurate specification. Please request a painted metal sample before making your final selection or before placing an order. White $$$ Winter White $$$ 10